Hdi: Help Desk Institute

Help Desk Institute (HDI)

The relevance of optimizing the operations of technical service personnel cannot be overstated. For the last 25 years, Help Desk Institute (HDI) has been actively involved in the further enhancement of best practices in the technical service and support industry. As it points out on its website, the institute has, since its establishment, "remained the source for professional development by offering resources that enhance the soft skills needed to provide exceptional service management and customer service" (HDI, 2014). The institute was established in 1989. As it further points out, its mandate is to not only 'support the supporters,' but also 'help the helpers' and 'serve those who serve'. This the institute does by extending certification (on an annual basis) to those who qualify for its HDI certifications, churning out industry-acclaimed publications and research, hosting various professional events and conferences, and facilitating networking and collaboration (HDI, 2014). The institute's mission, as it points out on its website, is to "elevate the customer experience through the development of the technical support industry" (HDI, 2014).

It is important to note that as HDI observes, its mandate is to provide both the foundation and opportunity for the technical service and support manpower to build their careers, and by extension, further enhance the success of their respective companies. In that regard, HDI greatly benefits business organizations as it seeks to increase the overall productivity of their most important resource, employees. The institute, therefore, sees itself as the ultimate fountain of industry standards, leadership, as well as information.

Certification and Training

For the last 25 years, HDI "has provided technical support professionals with the soft skills and service management training needed to provide excellent service" (HDI, 2014). There are a wide range of courses offered under the HDI umbrella. These include, but they are not limited to; HDI customer service representative, HDI support center analyst, HDI support center director, HDI support center manager, HDI desktop support technician, etc. (HDI, 2014). Other courses offered by the institute have got to do with cloud essentials, cloud awareness, as well as service level management and incident management (HDI, 2014).

HDI certifications, as the institute points out, "demonstrate that individuals understand the customer service skills and support center processes required to provide quality technical support." In that regard, therefore, the institute's certifications are tailored to mirror the knowledge level necessary for specific roles. Staff certification, with regard to the technical support centers, is meant to not only demonstrate devotion and dedication to service excellence, but also create a basis for continued improvement with regard to service delivery. On the other hand, for individuals, HDI certification is critical as it comes in handy in seeking to verify that a person has both the skills and knowledge necessary for the position they hold. It also helps ensure that individuals are well versed on not only support center processes, but also related best practices. HDI certification for individuals, as HDI further observes, also "provides a competitive edge for career advancement" (HDI, 2014).

It is important to note that HDI certification standards are constructed and initiated by a panel of international practitioners and industry experts (HDI, 2014). The same, therefore, come in handy in seeking to define the industry's best standards -- thereby serving as a handy guide to professionals in technical support in their pursuit of excellence. As a matter of fact, the value as well as relevance of the HDI certification, as HDI notes, is acknowledged by government agencies, institutions of higher-learning, and Fortune 100 companies.

Members and customers of HDI enjoy access to: an extensive network to professionals in the technical service and support industry; a detailed and resourceful online library that comprises of tools and articles to aid research, a free e-newsletter that has important "industry insider" information; a strong online community base referred to as HDIConnect, etc. (HDI, 2014).

Benefits of the HDI Certification

How does being a member of the HDI community benefit an individual or organization? To begin with, HDI community members, as the institute points out, play a critical role in the elevation of customer experience (HDI, 2014). This according to HDI in turn further enhances the productivity of businesses by making them more customer oriented and thus effective when it comes the actual delivery of services. The institute stresses the need to gain comprehensive understanding of the relevance of the emotional reactions of customers to various problems and how to set this apart from technical problems. At the individual level, HDI helps technical service and support employees to not only discover but also strengthen their problem solving, customer service, as well as communication skills; hence enabling them to formulate effective ways of making use of open and closed-ended questions, transferring calls, and escalating tickets (HDI, 2014).

Organizations and business centers seek the intervention HDI in their attempts to further enhance "business productivity and realize financial success…" (HDI, 2014). This, the institute helps them to achieve by offering perspectives into practical scenarios involving "management and leadership, business planning and strategy, service level agreements, maturity models, performance assessment and reporting" (HDI, 2014).

A Success Story