IT service desks clueless over call costs - study

Nearly 80% of IT service desks have no idea how much each call they are handling actually costs, according to new research.

Additionally, the report from Pink Elephant and The Service Desk Institute (SDI) revealed that a staggering 92% of service desks do not even measure the cost of calls, transferred to second line support.

Marcus Harris, CEO of Pink Elephant, said: “It is essential that service desks get a firm handle on their costs, measuring cost per call is vital in order to justify their value but also to demonstrate improvements in efficiency. Managed service providers and outsourcers will know exactly how much their cost per call is, as this is how they attract and win business, so for service desks to operate cost effectively they must do the same.”

Tessa Troubridge, MD at SDI, said: “Based upon these results, we would advise businesses to re-assess their approach to call handling. Measuring both first and second line resolution is essential as this will demonstrate the true cost of managing and escalating calls, enabling service desks to produce accurate financial information which will prove invaluable for future planning, investment and development.”