Kramp Group

Stop playing ping-pong with your customers: get a Self-Service Portal

We’ve all become accustomed to using email; dependent even. But for a service desk, email can be a wildly ineffective medium. Ruben van der Graaf, in charge of first- and second-line IT support at Kramp Group, confirms this: “Email gives the user too much freedom. Most emails require additional replies or phone calls to clarify the exact problem. At times, it felt like playing ping-pong with our customers.”

It’s safe to say the service desk was done with email. Implementing standardized forms and service automation were the way to go. Unfortunately, Kramp Group’s older version of TOPdesk didn’t support service automation. That’s why Ruben decided to start with a clean slate and look for alternatives: “We considered our options extensively. In the end, we went right back to TOPdesk.” They started afresh, without importing any previous data. Ruben: “It was great to reconnect to TOPdesk without the built-up bloat of our previous system.”

Why TOPdesk provided the key to cross-generational service

As Ruben researched a new service tool, the generational differences within Kramp Group were an important consideration: “We’ve got everything working here: from baby boomers to generation X to Z. All our employees have varying technological skill-levels and different communication preferences. That’s why we decided to create something everyone would feel comfortable with: a fully automated SSP. Available 24/7, on your favourite device.”

It’s the single point of service principle. “We don’t want you to think too much about what you need,” Ruben explains enthusiastically. “Just open the portal, intuitively choose a category and fill in a form.” The forms allow for intelligent workflows, which bypass the first and second line of the service desk if possible. Ruben: “Tickets get solved and closed automatically, reducing our ticket count by roughly 37%. Tickets which do need handling support track & trace. This way, users always know what’s happening with their inquiry.”

Designing the SSP was another challenge. “We teamed up with Facility Management and HR,” Ruben says, looking back on the experience. “We decided on the most important categories in the SSP and illustrated those with photos. Next, we brought in a test team to give feedback on the SSP so far. Turns out, the photos were a bit too successful: so successful, in fact, that users were simply ignoring the headers. Eventually, we switched the photos to monochrome so the headers were in full focus again. It’s little things like that which make all the difference in user experience.”

How the bologna sandwich strategy got massive adoption rates

To get everyone to use the SSP from the get-go, Ruben used the tried and trusted bologna sandwich strategy. “It’s simple: you get a free bologna sandwich if you do something we think is worthy of a reward.” The team modernized this strategy by organising a contest. Ruben: “We hid a picture of an Apple watch a few layers deep into the SSP. Those who found it were registered for a draw to win an Apple Watch.” The result still makes Ruben laugh: “For two whole days, everyone forgot about work: they were only looking for the picture. I’ve had my fair share of angry managers on the phone!”

This somewhat unorthodox action paid off tremendously: the next week, 31.7% of all service requests were done through the SSP. A great adoption rate for a newly introduced service. Half a year later, usage was up by another 25%. Did the SSP’s success reduce costs? It’s hard to say, but Ruben knows some things are more important than saving money: “Reducing our ticket load allows us to spend more time on the remaining tickets. TOPdesk paves the way for excellent service, empowering both our service desk employees and our customers.”