The Problem: The IT workforce at Ashesi College was once the usage of more than one e mail addresses to obtain requests. They spotted conversations have been going lacking, and lots of questions lined extra than simply IT problems.
The Resolution: They created a university-wide enhance heart the usage of Assist Scout’s shared inbox and data base merchandise. This allowed them to centralize all requests, distribute them to the right kind groups, monitor not unusual questions, and scale provider throughout all departments.
Since its starting, Ghana’s Ashesi College has been forward-thinking. As an alternative of merely doing what has been completed earlier than, they’ve persistently solid their very own trail ahead, at all times striving to enhance. It’s what led them to be given the Global Innovation Summit in Training (WISE) Award in 2017, and it’s how they turned into the youngest non-public college in Ghana’s historical past to be given a Presidential Constitution.
So, in 2018 once they spotted numerous enhance requests have been going unanswered, they knew they needed to do something positive about it. Their first plan was once to increase the IT workforce and create a brand new heart for them, as most of the requests they gained have been IT-related — password resets, login assist, and so on. Then again, after an preliminary review, they discovered they had to assume larger.
“We temporarily discovered there have been requests for groups outdoor of IT coming in ceaselessly, so we made up our minds to make it extra of a common enhance heart that may serve all the college,” mentioned Daniel Botchway, Assistant Director of Knowledge Generation.
As much as that time, they’d been the usage of a mix of a couple of other e mail addresses in addition to a telephone table to provide enhance products and services.
With the plan in position to create the brand new university-wide enhance heart, the workforce at Ashesi set their points of interest on discovering the software that might make their thought a fact. The software they selected was once Assist Scout.
Getting began
“From the very starting we knew we have been searching for an email-based resolution.…we would have liked a shared inbox so we can have any individual assign out inquiries to the accountable groups,” mentioned Daniel.
Once they arrange the enhance heart, additionally they made up our minds to change to using one central e mail to make issues more uncomplicated for requesters. “We would have liked to get a unmarried level of inquiry. The principle explanation why we would have liked that was once as a result of as we were given greater, folks have been puzzled about who to ship their inquiries to.”
Having a central level for requests additionally is helping with transparency. “Emails that have been despatched to people have been getting gradual responses or overlooked altogether. This software gave us extra transparency into the ones communications and allow us to observe up on the ones interactions to ensure they were given a reaction.”
In conjunction with features for common enhance requests, additionally they had any other necessities to assist with their IT-related requests, because the more than one e mail gadget they have been up to now the usage of, left one thing to be desired. “From the IT facet, we would have liked so to monitor the requests we have been getting so shall we know the standing of problems and whether or not one thing have been resolved.…with best e mail we weren’t in a position to try this.”
Bettering transparency and growing an more uncomplicated procedure for requesters have been each large steps ahead. However because the workforce at Ashesi saved exploring Assist Scout, they discovered much more tactics to make use of it to their benefit.
Saving time
After we had a brand new workforce member sign up for, she used the stored replies to be informed how we treated sure problems and answered to requests.
With a elementary gadget in position, the workforce at Ashesi began searching for other ways to be extra environment friendly with their time. One of the vital first issues they applied was once stored replies.
“Firstly of semesters when there are numerous new scholars, we get numerous repeat questions like arrange an account or the place to visit get their ID image taken. Stored replies helped us resolution the ones truly temporarily.” Because it grew to become out, their stored replies in truth served some other vital serve as.
In conjunction with stored replies, additionally they used Assist Scout’s wisdom base builder, Medical doctors, to deal with solutions for extra advanced problems they noticed ceaselessly. “After we had a brand new workforce member sign up for, she used the stored replies to be informed how we treated sure problems and answered to requests,” mentioned Daniel.
“The documentation was once additionally truly necessary for us. After we noticed a undeniable factor arise more than one instances, shall we write an academic on repair it, then percentage that during a reaction at once.” Since Assist Scout is a hooked up suite of gear, there’s direct get entry to to Medical doctors articles within the shared inbox, making it easy to get entry to that knowledge.
Yet again-saving software they’ve applied to their benefit is workflows. With workflows, they’re in a position to automate other duties, decreasing guide paintings and bettering total potency. At Ashesi, they use workflows to cut back guide duties like sorting requests and including tags.
“The workflows take a look at topic strains and the frame textual content to search for sure key phrases. If any of the ones stipulations are met, the ones emails get robotically rerouted to the proper particular person,” mentioned Daniel. They even used workflows to assist them retroactively: “We created a workflow to return and tag closed requests to get a greater working out of why folks have been achieving out to us.”
In conjunction with saving time on guide paintings, having the tag knowledge additionally gave the workforce new insights. “With the tags, we have been in a position to look what questions got here up maximum, then create assets to handle them,” mentioned Daniel.
Responding at the transfer
Because of the character of the IT workforce’s paintings, it’s not unusual for them to be out within the box. On account of that, they wanted an answer that permit them be cellular. “All of us [IT team] have the app put in, so after we’re at the transfer we’re in a position to answer messages temporarily.”
With the ability to reply temporarily whilst clear of a pc is particularly helpful as a result of one particular requester. “When our president and founder sees one thing that wishes solving on campus — a gentle bulb that’s out or a door that’s broken — he’ll take an image and ship it via that cope with to inform us of any problems. No textual content, only a image,” Daniel mentioned with amusing.
“When the president sends a message, you no doubt need to deal with it instantly. Having the app shall we us do this even if we’re no longer in entrance of our computer systems.” In addition they discovered that the cellular app could be very to hand relating to an emergency.
“We’ve had some circumstances the place the web went down on campus, and since we had the cellular app we’re nonetheless in a position to glue via cellular knowledge,” mentioned Daniel. Although it’s not at all an on a regular basis incidence, it ’s excellent to have if the placement arises.
Transferring ahead
Since we rolled out the enhance e mail gadget, we’ve in truth been in a position to near down the telephone table since maximum of the ones requests come via e mail now.
The workforce at Ashesi has set itself up for good fortune by means of growing an excellent gadget and by means of additionally encouraging others to make use of it. “We stay preaching to the college, ‘If you want anything else, simply ship us an e mail.’”
Other people listened. In truth, their efforts had been such a success that they’ve in truth been in a position to reduce in different spaces. “Since we rolled out the enhance e mail gadget, we’ve in truth been in a position to near down the telephone table since maximum of the ones requests come via e mail now.”
Assist Scout is proud to have performed a small phase in serving to this superb workforce serve scholars, school, and body of workers and is worked up to look how they keep growing and innovate for future years. If you happen to’re in a position to stage up your individual customer support operation, take a look at how Assist Scout serves upper training or our 14-day loose trial.
