The Mojo Helpdesk Blog

How to Stop Hating Conference Calls

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 21:36:00 +0000

At 22, I worked as an analyst for a consulting firm. My division specialized in consumer research for secret new products developed by companies like P&G and Coca-Cola. The work was interesting, but I didn't have much in common with my clients - upper thirty-something brand managers and research directors.

It was difficult to build rapport when I met new clients in person, and almost impossible to establish common ground if our introduction happened via conference call.

I remember opening client conference calls with cliche references to the weather and vague small talk.

Sometimes I'd get lucky and the client would bring up sports, or traveling, or college, and we'd strike up a legitimate conversation, but mostly I grasped for straws until the client mercifully ended the small talk by inquiring about our services.

This was a few years before Facebook and LinkedIn were popular. Things are different now.

Use social media to build rapport

Social media has made building rapport much easier for anyone willing to do a little prep work before a call.

When I'm doing outreach for our app and need to establish rapport with someone new, I browse Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to see if we share any common interests.

Companies like UberConference take this a step farther by integrating social profile information right into their free conference calling app.

Now I start conference calls by asking about someone’s recent travels or chat about a mutual friend or business associate.

It’s amazing how much more smoothly these calls go when you can identify over something more personal than the weather.

Record the conference call

Another difficulty I had with conference calls was note taking – especially during project kickoff meetings. It’s hard to take good notes and contribute meaningfully to the conversation.

I can't tell you how many times we talked about how awesome it would be to record project kickoff meetings and transcribe them later.

I can tell you exactly how many times we actually went out, bought a voice recorder, recorded a conference call, and transcribed it later. ZERO.

Here is another area where new technology helps.

With services like Google Hangouts on Air you can hold a live client conference call with video (that's public, mind you) and have it recorded and posted to YouTube. If you need more privacy (as we did), UberConference records private conference calls for you and lets you download them as an MP3s later.

You can also use Skype and record calls via one of many add-on apps available.

It’s amazing how much more fluid conference calls go when you don’t have to take notes in real time. There’s more interaction, more good discussion, and fewer instances of things getting lost in translation.

With clear eyes and free hands, you can’t lose.

"Well that right there sounds awfully familiar."

Earn credibility by taking control.

You absolutely nailed the report. You got all the clients business questions answered and delivered on deadline. You even came up with some excellent advice that will make your client some money.

Now all you have to do is show up and stand behind your findings and recommendations in person and go through the ringer of hypothetical questions while placating the one contrarian who has to disagree with the data.

But wait. What if the client can’t get all the key players together in one room, or maybe they work remotely (like Github, who didn’t have an office for their first 2 years), or maybe they’ll be on the road and need results ASAP?

Guess what’s coming? A conference call.

You think you know what’s going to happen - conference call insanity. But it’s not.

You’re going to be the MacGyver of conference calling and use the tools around you to solve all your problems just like he did.

If someone has a poor phone connection, mute ‘em.
If someone shows up late and unannounced, take note and then take pity by sending them a taped recording so they can review missed content.
If your client asks you to cut your hour long presentation to 30 minutes, strike a compromise by having them leave all non-urgent questions in a chat window and answer them in a follow up email.
If you have bad news to deliver and you’re worried about how your clients will take it, do it over a video conference so you can see each other’s facial expressions when they talk.

Most people are so bad at organizing and executing conference calls that by taking control and utilizing free technology to have an efficient call, you’ll be able to differentiate yourself and come across as knowledgeable and resourceful just by holding a good conference call.

Even before the call starts, you’ll have earned quite a bit of credibility and rapport.

That means less stressful conference calls, stronger client relationships, and more business.

All the best,
Ryan
Mojo Helpdesk

MacGyver. My hero.

How IT Consultants Use a Hosted Helpdesk to Manage Client Requests

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:34:00 +0000

Mark Gallagher, founder of MoonRivers Media, and Mojo Helpdesk user since Jan 2012. (Photo Credit: Zoe Isaac)

Mark and Melissa Gallagher are co-owners of Moon Rivers Media, an IT solutions company based in New Hampshire.

Married in 2003 when MoonRivers Media was in its early stages they worked tirelessly to build a client base and launch the business in 2004. Now nine years later, they're thriving entrepreneurs who serve a clientele of small to mid sized companies in the New England area and nationwide.

When not providing IT expertise to their clients, Mark and Melissa are also avid outdoors people who enjoy skiing and spending time with their two kids.

They were kind of enough to take some time out of their schedule to chat with us about their business and how it integrates with our hosted helpdesk software.

ENTER MARK AND MELISSA:

Tell us about MoonRivers Media.

From web hosting, to email marketing, to Google Apps integration, MoonRivers Media offers an array of technology solutions for clients in the New England area and nationwide. The nature of our company is very mobile/on the road and the majority of hours are spent on site at client's offices, not our own. MoonRivers Media experienced a big growth once we settled at our home in New Hampshire and built a client base of local small to mid size companies with IT support needs.

What challenges you were facing prior to using Mojo?

Our diverse client base is spread around the country and our clients come to us for support 24/7. We needed to centralize the management of the requests and we needed a help desk to be bullet proof and accessible from EVERYWHERE.

How do you use Mojo day to day?

Tickets come in via email to help@moonrivers.com and our techs can grab them and get to work. It also integrates with our existing site and Google Apps both of which were great for us.

Tell us about the results.

We can search the tickets for answers to questions people submit again and again. We can show them how to self-help and login to their own custom profile with all their tickets.

We also get the original requests via email and then the help@moonriver address sends the tickets to a few email boxes and to the helpdesk so we can see them every which way and respond as appropriate.

We combined the helpdesk with our remote software support and now we have a GREAT helpdesk.

Melissa Gallagher, co-owner, MoonRivers Media. (Photo credit: Zoe Isaac)

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If you're a IT consultant or tech consulting firm looking for a help desk or ticket tracking software, you can visit our website: Mojo Helpdesk or send me an email at ryan @metadot (dot) com .

How to Turn Tweets into Helpdesk Tickets

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:24:00 +0000

Turn customer Tweets into helpdesk tickets with our latest mash up.
(Photo credit: @daskeyboard)

You may not have asked for it, but it's happening.

Your clients are using Twitter to reach out to you when they need customer support.

Their question, requests, and complaints are in the public eye; your responsiveness and service quality are out in the open for anyone to see.

It's the perfect time to start getting systematic about how you address support via social media channels.

Having your customer's Tweets automatically turn into helpdesk tickets is a great place to start so we've setup a little hack to make it happen.

You'll need a Gmail account and a Mojo Helpdesk account for this to work.

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Step 1 (Optional). Create a Helpdesk Queue for Tweets

If you haven't done so yet, sign up for a trial of Mojo Helpdesk.

From your Mojo Helpdesk navigation bar, click 'manage' >> 'Queues and email addresses' and click the 'New' button. Enter a queue name and an email address and then click the 'create queue' button. You now have a place for all your customer's Tweets to be stored as tickets that you can follow up on.

Make note of the email address you created because you'll need it for Step 3.

For this example, I created a new helpdesk queue called Twitter and set my queue email address as twitter@ryanluedecke.mojohelpdesk.com:

If you already have a Mojo Helpdesk account, you may prefer to use an existing queue that you've already setup. To use an existing queue, click 'manage' >> 'Queues and email addresses'and find the email address associated with the queue you plan to use. Take note of this email address because you'll need it for Step 3.

Step 2. Link Twitter to a Gmail address.

Log in to Twitter. Click the gear icon in the upper right hand corner of the navigation bar, then click Settings. In the Account view enter a valid Gmail address in the email field.

Check Gmail to confirm your account is receiving Twitter notifications. You should have a verification message from Twitter.

Step 3. Tell Twitter which Tweets to send to Gmail.

Click the gear icon in Twitter and select Settings. In the Email Notifications screen you need to tell Twitter which Tweets to send as email notifications to your Gmail inbox.

For my helpdesk I selected "My Tweets get a reply or I'm mentioned in a Tweet - By anyone" and "I'm sent a direct message" as these are the types of Tweets that are most likely to contain a customer inquiry, a new feature request, or a complaint.

Step 3. Tell Gmail where to forward Tweets.

Open Gmail. Click the gear icon in the upper right, then select Settings. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

Enter the queue email address from Step 1. Gmail sends a confirmation code that you need to grab from your 'Unassigned' tickets view (or 'Unassigned' >> 'Guest Requests' view if you have special filters or automations set up).

After verifying your code, click the 'Disable' forwarding button and scroll down and click the'Save Changes' button. When you finish this step, your settings will look like this:

Step 4. Tell Gmail which Tweets to Forward.

Log into Gmail. Click the gear icon in the upper right, then select Settings. Click the Filter tab. Click the 'Create a new filter' link and fill in the filter pop up form as follows:

From: *@postmaster.twitter.com

(this is the email domain Twitter uses to deliver every email notification as of 5/15/13. The asterisk tells Gmail to include any email with a domain of postmaster.twitter.com)

Has the words: "mentioned" OR "direct message"

Leave the other field blanks. When finished, click the 'Create filter with this search' link.

Here's how it will look on screen:

Now you need to check the 'Forward it to:' box and select the forwarding address you set up in Step 1. Click 'Create filter' (or 'update filter' as shown below) and you're finished.

Note 1: Filter fields in Gmail work just like Google Search by giving you more control with search operators like the asterisk (*). The asterisk (*) serves as a placeholder for any unknown or "wildcard" terms. Here it protects our filter if Twitter changes the local part, or first part, of the email which looks like something this for notifications:"n-elna=zrgnqbg.pbz-ab31d".

Note 2: There are probably several ways to set this Gmail filter, but unless you are an expert and willing to troubleshoot, I'd recommend using the filters as shown in the screen shot above. The filter example is especially useful if you've having Twitter send you notifications for new followers and retweets as you probably don't want those flowing into your helpdesk as tickets.

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Once these steps are complete, you'll get notices when people Tweet you, reply to a Tweet, or send you a direct message on Twitter.

Questions about this Twitter mash up or about our hosted helpdesk software in general? Send them to me at ryan (at) metadot

All the best,

Ryan

How To Save $1,500 to $21,300 A Year on a Helpdesk...

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:53:00 +0000

What could you buy with the money you save by using Mojo Helpdesk? How about a 3-story office slide. (Photo credit: Ben Terrett)

How much does web hosted help desk software really cost?

What is the yearly investment required to run web hosted ticket tracking & request tracking software?

How much budget should I set aside to equip our customer service team with an online help desk support system?

If you've ever had one of these questions, take a look at the web hosted help desk pricing table below. It shows yearly costs for some of the most popular web hosted help desk and ticket tracking apps.

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Web Hosted Help Desk Pricing ($ per year)

Table Notes:

- Last updated 4-29-2013.
- Assumes month-to-month pricing with no long term contract.
- Competitors' most popular plan chosen for pricing comparison (where listed):

Mojo Helpdesk - Business Plan
Zendesk - Plus Plan
Desk Dot Com - Full time Agent Plan
Freshdesk - Garden Plan
UserVoice - Enhanced Plan

- Competitor pricing rounded to the nearest hundred.
- Agents are individuals who responds to support ticket and/or can change settings. Most web hosted help desk software is billed per agent. Mojo Helpdesk charges one flat rate per month for unlimited agents.

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If you're looking for an affordable web hosted helpdesk solution that's easy to implement, then consider Mojo Helpdesk. It can save your organization an average of $1,500 to $21,300 a year on web hosted help desk software...

...and that assumes your organization has 50 agents or less. We have several users with 60+ agents who save their organizations $30K+ a year with our flat rate pricing.

Need to demonstrate your value to current or prospective employers? Imagine adding this to your list of accomplishments:

"Saved my company $XX,XXX per year and increased department productivity by researching and implementing a web-based ticket tracking system."

Switching over from old help desk software? What if you had this data point for key decision makers:

"By switching help desk systems we can save an estimated $XX,XXX per year on IT and customer service costs."

Running a small business? Imagine adding thousands of dollars to your income every year just by choosing Mojo over the other guys. At the end of the year you'll have this good news for employees and investors:

"We implemented a simple web-based helpdesk solution this year that helped us solve customer requests faster, reduced our online data storage needs, and saved us thousands relative to other technology investments we were considering."

This isn't fluff. The numbers in this post are the proof.

-Ryan

ryan (at) metadot dot com

How to Create Help Desk Tickets from Google Calendar in 5 Steps (or Less)

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:06:00 +0000

Girl Talk's new mash up makes the crowd go wild. Mojo's will too. (photo credit: milkshake media)

It's a Google Calendar event. It's a help desk ticket. It's a do-it-yourself mash up that can be configured in 5 steps or less. If you've ever wanted your Google Calendar events to flow straight into helpdesk a ticket, here's how you do it:

(Author's note: You'll need a Mojo Helpdesk account to get started. Sign up on our home page for a 30-day free trial.)

Step 1 (Optional). Create a new queue for your Google Calendar events

From your Mojo Helpdesk navigation bar, click 'manage' >> 'Queues and email addresses' and click the 'New' button. Enter a queue name and an email address and then click the 'create queue' button. Make note of the email address you created because you'll need it for Step 3.

For this example, I created a new queue called Google Calendar and set my email address as calendar@ryanluedecke dot mojohelpdesk dot com :

Instead of creating a new queue, you may prefer to use an existing queue that you've already setup. To use an existing queue, click 'manage' >> 'Queues and email addresses' and find the email address associated with the queue you plan to use. Take note of this email address because you'll need it for Step 3.

Step 2. Set up email reminders in Google Calendar.

Open Google Calendar. Click the gear icon in the upper right, then select Settings. In the Calendars Settings screen, click the 'Calendars' link. On the Calendars page, click the link for 'Reminders and notifications' and then set up email reminders as shown below (don't forget to hit the Save button).

Step 3. Set up a forwarding address in Gmail.

Open Gmail. Click the gear icon in the upper right, then select Settings. Click the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.

Enter the queue email address from Step 1. Gmail sends a confirmation code that you need to grab from your 'Unassigned' tickets view (or 'Unassigned' >> 'Guest Requests' view if you have special filters or automations set up).

After verifying your code, click the 'Disable' forwarding button and scroll down and click the 'Save Changes' button. When you finish this step, your settings will look like this:

Step 4. Set up a filter in Gmail.

Keep Gmail open. Click the gear icon in the upper right, then select Settings. Click the Filter tab. Click the 'Create a new filter' link and fill in the filter pop up form as follows:

From: <calendar-notification@google.com>

(this is the email Google uses to deliver every Calendar reminder as of 4/29/13)

To: your Gmail address
(I entered my Gmail address: ryan |at| metadot dot com)

Subject: Reminder

(Optional) Has the words: #mojo
(If you only want certain events to show up as tickets, set this filter and tag your Google Calendar events with '#mojo' in the title or description. In the example below, I want all Google Calendar events to create Mojo tickets so I didn't use this filter.)

Leave the 'Doesn't have' field blank. When finished, click the 'Create filter with this search' link.

Now you need to check the 'Forward it to:' box and select the forwarding address you set up in Step 1. Click 'Create filter' and you're finished (see example screen shot below).

Step 5. (Optional) Auto-assign the Google Calendar tickets to yourself.

Now that your Google Calendar event reminders are creating tickets in your help desk, you may want to auto-assign them to yourself using an automation.

To get started, click 'manage' >> 'Automations' then click the 'new' button. Give the automation a title and then scroll down to the 'Assign to:' field and select yourself from the drop down menu. From there, click 'Create & Activate'. When this automation is activated, you'll be able to manage your Google Calendar tickets from your My Assignments view as shown below.

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Did you enjoy this mash up? If so, please tweet this message and help us spread the word about Mojo Helpdesk. Every tweet is appreciated.

Questions about this mash up or about our ticket tracking software in general? Send them to me at ryan (at) metadot

All the best,

Ryan

Sync Google Apps users instantly with Mojo Helpdesk

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Mojo Helpdesk is excited to announce our new Google Apps User Sync integration. With user sync you can import all your Google Apps users into Mojo Helpdesk in a few mouse clicks. For example:

Businesses that have large classes of new hires starting every summer can now import them all seamlessly from Google Apps.
School or universities with hundreds of new students enrolling each fall can now add them to Mojo with no manual data entry.
Government agencies now have the ability to quickly add temp workers and seasonal employees as Mojo users.

If you've already integrated Mojo Helpdesk with Google Apps, all you have to do is click the 'Google Apps Users Synchronization' in the Admin menu and you'll be given the option to import all your Google Apps users (see below).

If you haven't integrated Mojo Helpdesk with Google Apps, you'll need to do so in order to take advantage of the user sync feature. As a first step, watch this short video on how to integrate with Google Apps. As a final step in the integration process, check the box for 'Import Google users' as shown below and you'll be all set.

Here are a few additional things you should know about the Google User Sync integration:

All of your Google Apps users are imported as 'users' in Mojo Helpdesk, so if any help desk staff are imported you'll need to change their 'Role' status from 'user' to 'technician.'
During the synchronization, existing Mojo users will not be duplicated but Mojo will update their user profile to be consistent with Google Apps.
Users whom you've suspended in Google Apps will be imported to Mojo Helpdesk as inactive users.

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If you have any questions about the Google Apps User Sync integration or want to learn more about request tracking, help ticketing, or ticket tracking software, please contact ryan |at) metadot (dot] com.

How Ticket Tracking Software Helps Homeowners Associations Work More Efficiently

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:48:00 +0000

Homeowners associations and other property management organizations can streamline operations and handle requests more efficiently by using web hosted ticket tracking software.

Requests can include internal assignments related to the HOAs tech infrastructure (computers, laptops, phone lines, etc) as well as maintenance and support requests that come in from homeowners (landscaping, grounds keeping, security alerts, etc).

While using email to handle requests can seem simple at first, as your residential community grows, it becomes highly inefficient.

For example, how do you know all incoming requests are being followed up on and how do you know who is responsible for handling which requests? How do you keep track of projects that started months ago or years ago (such as a major park or pool renovation)? With email, it's impossible to track everything and keep everything organized but with a help desk & ticket tracking system you can monitor projects to completion.

Your residents will also feel comfort knowing they can email your support desk or login to the portal to create a support ticket. They can also track their issue with you until completion by logging into the portal to check the status.

Below we provide an example of how a web hosted ticket tracking software, like Mojo Helpdesk, could be used by homeowners associations. Managing tickets with Mojo Helpdesk is simple and works much like a group email inbox. With Mojo Helpdesk's reporting tools you will be able to track issues assigned to your HOA staff members and know what issues are being handled in a timely manner and which are not.

{Author's note: We've also included several references to one of our all time favorite cartoons. If you can name the cartoon, then send an email to ryan (at) metadot (dot) com and I'll send you a special prize.}

How Ticket Tracking Software Helps HOAs Work Efficiently

1. Centralizes homeowner requests for you

We're using the fictitious Orbit City HOA in our example and have assumed they have the following responsibilities:

Community landscaping
Maintain recreational facilities
Provide security
Arrange for maintenance of streets and curbs
Enforce deed restrictions

In this case, it will be helpful to centralize all the requests and then sort all the requests into topic specific queues:

Each queue is then assigned it's own email address where homeowners can send messages. The email addresses for each queue would be listed on the HOA's website for homeowners to reference.

In the example above, all landscaping requests are sent to landscaping@orbitcityhoa.com and then centralized in the 'Landscaping and Grounds' queue, all street and curb maintenance requests are sent to streets@orbitcityhoa.com and housed in the 'Streets and Curbs' queue, and so forth.

Orbit City HOA could assign staff members to each queue and have staff members automatically notified via email when a new ticket arrives in their queue. In the example above, Jane receives email notifications for all landscaping requests and Spencer receives all inquiries related to neighborhood security.

If an HOAs responsibilities expand, new queues can be added. Similarly, staff members can be reassigned to different queues or added to new queues as necessary.

2. Helps you turn requests into tasks and assign those tasks to staff

Homeowner issues often require some kind of follow up. Maybe a tree has fallen in the street and the debris needs to be hauled away. Maybe a sprinkler has gone haywire and needs to be repaired. Maybe homeowners have been given notice to remove holiday decorations by the end of the month and someone on the HOA team needs to confirm compliance.

In these situations you need a system like Mojo Helpdesk that lets you delegate tasks to your HOA staff or outside suppliers and then monitor those tasks to completion.

In the example below, George assigns the task of curb repainting (also called a ticket) to the HOA team member in charge of streets and curb maintenance, Rosie. Once George clicks 'Submit Ticket', Rosie receives real time email notification that she has a task to complete.

The ticket includes a text description of the task and priority level indicator (normal, low, urgent or emergency) so that the assignee knows how to prioritize the task.

3. Allows you to tracks tasks to completion

When assigned a task in Mojo Helpdesk users can add comments to the ticket and give status updates so that anyone with permission can view the progress made on the task.

In the example above, George has added comments to the tickets indicating key milestones for a task as it moves towards completion.

4. Lets you search solved requests

Often times it's helpful to check previously solved tickets for instances of precedent. For example, if a new homeowner has a question about attaching a basketball goal to his garage, it may be helpful to search previous tickets relating to 'basketball goals' to ensure that the HOA response to similar questions is consistent.

Once you've completed a search you can save it for later reference and make the search available for others on your HOA team using the Saved Searches feature.

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The example above gives a basic overview of how ticket tracking software such as Mojo Helpdesk lets HOAs centralize, assign, and track requests until they're done. There's also other benefits to consider:

It's affordable for HOA's, especially those managed by volunteers on a tight budget.
You can easily add new HOA members and de-activate past members.
Support tickets can be raised, tracked, and closed by residents.
HOA members can use the messaging feature to communicate with residents about important updates or notices, for example messages such as, "please remove all holiday decorations by the end of the month," can be sent to all residents.
All resident contact information is stored in the user profiles, so each time a ticket is raised you have their profile info and ticket history right in front of you.

If you have any questions about ticket tracking software or you'd like to receive a demo of Mojo Helpdesk, please send an email to ryan |at| metadot (d o t ) com.

Simplify school support with Mojo Helpdesk - Ticket Tracking for Education

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 15:00:00 +0000

We recently reached out to our customers who work in schools, universities, and other educational institutions to hear their thoughts on Mojo Helpdesk.

They reported that 24/7 accessibility, out-of-the-box email integration, Google Apps integration, and affordability were the key reasons they chose Mojo Helpdesk as their ticket tracking system. You can read the full story here.

In this blog we follow up with a few excerpts from the stories we received.

Enjoy:

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Henry Britt, Information Technology Director, Trinity Episcopal School Charlotte, North Carolina

"Before Mojo Helpdesk, we did not have a tracking program other than the list I carried in my back pocket which was known as the Butt List! Now Mojo Helpdesk is used by all of our faculty and administration from kindergarten through 8th grade.

The work does not go away but now everyone knows how much work you are doing and cuts you a little more slack... not much, but it helps!"

- Henry

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Brandon Howe, Multimedia Specialist, Institute of International Education New York, New York

"I can be OCD when it comes to messages and trying to keep conversations organized, Mojo Helpdesk allows me to stay organized, on track with my requests and free of clutter which allows me to work more effectively and cover more ground every day.

I like the simplicity of using Mojo Helpdesk. I had a good idea of what I was looking for in a product, and Mojo Helpdesk was everything I needed and more."

- Brandon

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Greg Long, Director of Technology, Community Schools of Frankfort
Frankfort, Indiana

"Mojo was the answer for us! We use it exclusively for IT help desk support and will be rolling it out to school maintenance departments over the summer. It integrates perfectly with Google Apps for Education, it's 100% cloud based, and it's a small fraction of the cost."

- Greg

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If you have any questions about our help desk and ticket tracking software for schools and universities, please feel free to contact ryan (a) metadot (dot) com or call me at 512.346.0360.

The Top 4 Reasons Schools and Universities Use Mojo Helpdesk

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 21:49:00 +0000

Mojo Helpdesk is a trusted provider of web hosted help desk & ticket tracking for schools & universities worldwide.

Mojo Helpdesk is proud to be the preferred help desk and ticket tracking tool for schools and universities who need an efficient way to manage support requests. Our users include a diverse collection of K-12 schools such as Texans Can Academy in Dallas and Cherry Creek Schools in Denver as well as top notch universities like Stanford and Yale.

We recently polled our school & university users to see why they chose Mojo Helpdesk and here's what they had to say:

1. Accessible anytime, anywhere for students, faculty, and admin.

Since Mojo Helpdesk is web-hosted online software, it's accessible anytime and anywhere for your students, faculty, and admin. Whether it's projector bulbs that need to be replaced, laptops that need to be configured, or internet connections that need to be restored, Mojo Helpdesk lets your users submit their support requests 24/7.

2. Works with email.

Create tickets, review responses, and add comments from email. Works with all email clients right out-the-box. No IMAP or POP3 configuration required. Supports unlimited email addresses.

3. Integrates with Google Apps.

You can import your Google Apps users directly into Mojo Helpdesk. We also offer single sign on and universal navigation so that that users can log into Mojo Helpdesk with a single click from their favorite Google applications such as Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Docs.

4. Fits school budgets.

You can sign up today for a 30 day free trial and after that it's as low as $49 per month for unlimited users and unlimited agents (agents is the word we use for technicians, techs, support staff, seats, etc). We don't charge per agent so your costs won't increase when you add new support staff to your team.

We also offer special discounts for annual invoicing and accommodate school & university Purchase Orders.

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If you have any questions about Mojo Helpdesk for education, please send an email to jill (at) metadot (dot) com or call 512.346.0360 and ask for Jill.

How an Art Department became 25% More Productive after using Mojo Helpdesk

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Jay Roth is the Director of Programs & IT at Action Specialties
and a Mojo Helpdesk customer since August 2011.

The meeting reminder said "Brainstorming for Photo Shoot" but the phone call felt more like a conversation with an old friend. I was speaking with Jay Roth, Director of Programs & IT at Action Specialties LLC in New Iberia, Louisiana. Jay had been a customer of Mojo Helpdesk since August of 2011 when his growing screen printing business started getting overwhelmed with support requests.

For the photo shoot we decided to have a robotic spider* in the background and giant replicas of Mojo Helpdesk support tickets for the props. This was going to be fun. It was also going to be convenient because Jay generously offered to have Action Specialties make the replica tickets for the photo shoot.

I'm excited to have Jay on the blog today to share his story about Action Specialties and their integration with Mojo Helpdesk. Enjoy...

Enter Jay

Can you describe your business?

Action Specialties provides top-of-the-line printing and monogramming services that make us one of the most prolific sources for workwear, uniforms, and printing services in the South.

Whether we are providing creative promotional products that give your business reach, or organizing online company stores that give your employees performance incentives, our goal is to simplify the way you promote your business and run your employee-centric initiatives

"We find ourselves less stressed out, more organized, and this leads to more production. Our department has seen a 25% increase in production of art."

Why did you need Mojo Helpdesk?

With the expanding growth of our business, keeping track of IT helpdesk issues was becoming more difficult. We have more than 150 online web stores and program storefronts, planning the deployment stages and trying to manage all of them in an organized manner was becoming one big headache.

Our art department was processing art orders using email created from Adobe form based entry, however no one could share the status of art in production. We wanted a web-based solution to be able to access the information from anywhere, and we didn't want to rely on our systems to support the solution through the life of it's necessity.

How do you use Mojo Helpdesk day-to-day?

We purchased one helpdesk domain for our IT & programs support and one for our art department. Now we can keep track of things and take advantage of the custom form that Jill Ward, Mojo Helpdesk product manager, created for us to replace our old Adobe art form.

Mojo helps keep two of our most critical departments running efficiently, keeps us all in the know, provides us excellent records, and makes it easy for our employees to request the things they need.

What results have you seen with Mojo Helpdesk?

We find ourselves less stressed out, more organized, and this leads to more production. We always have vision of what is on our plates and the priorities of the work in our respective departments. We are able to shift work and tasks to others without losing information or causing confusion among those who are engaged with the project. Our department has seen a 25% increase in production of art.

What is your favorite thing about Mojo Helpdesk?

I like being able to access it from anywhere, that it is always available, and that the support has been personable and complete. I also like the fact that we can change the owners of our tickets.

### By the Numbers ###

Company: Action Specialties LLC

Mojo Helpdesk Customer Since: August 2011

# of Employees using Mojo Helpdesk: 14

# of Tickets: 2,879

*The robotic spider is also known as the Action Specialties screen printing machine (pictured above).

How to Sort Tasks by Due Date with Mojo Helpdesk

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:56:00 +0000

Comic book superhero, The Tick, once proclaimed that gravity is a harsh mistress (after confidently jumping off a tall building expecting to fly and then promptly falling to the ground). For task managers, I think inertia is the more troublesome bedfellow. When our task list starts to pile up, we often have no idea where to get started.

Help desk tickets that once started as simple requests turn into scary, insurmountable projects. The sheer magnitude of work in front of us becomes demotivating and we spend tons of time mulling over where to get started. Meanwhile, nothing actually gets done.

This is the perfect time to embrace the 'one thing at a time' task management mantra. Pick one thing and do it. When that's done, pick the next thing, and do it.

Having trouble picking the first task to attack? Use this tip to help: search and sort all your open Mojo Helpdesk tickets by due date (see below). Whichever ticket is due first, do it.

How to Prioritize Tickets by Due Date:

Step 1 - Click 'Advanced Search' link next to the search bar

Step 2 - Select your name and email in the 'Assigned to' field.

Step 3 - Set ticket 'Status' to 'open'

Step 4 - Select 'due date' in the 'Sort by' menu

Step 5 - Check the 'reverse sort' box. (closer the due date, higher on the list)

Step 6 - Give your search a name in the 'Search name' field (leave all other fields blank)

Step 7 - Press 'save this search'. Trust me, you'll want to do this again.

Step 8 - Select your search from the 'Saved searches' menu (in this case it would be 'Ryan's Due Date List')

Here is an example ticket list prioritized by due date:

Mojo Helpdesk Customer Success Story: Jim Hayes and 24 Hour Flex

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:51:00 +0000

Jim Hayes is the Operations Manager at 24 Hour Flex.

Jim Hayes is the Operations Manager at 24 Hour Flex where they manage employee benefit programs for organizations across the United States.

In the summer of 2011, Jim signed up for Mojo Helpdesk to help his organization track customer requests. Little did he know that, about a year and a half later, we would be sending a photographer to his office in Greenwood Village, Colorado (just south of Denver)...and our photographer wasn't just packing a camera. He came with signs, lots of goofy, press board signs.

Luckily, Jim was a good sport and held up our signs while flashing his best smile. He was also kind enough to answer some questions about his experience with Mojo Helpdesk.

Enter Jim

Jim, please tell our readers more about 24 Hour Flex.
We provide employee benefits (FSA, HRA, HSA and COBRA administration) to clients across the United States. Our goal is to make your day better by doing our jobs really well and hopefully making you smile or laugh from time to time. We want to free up Human Resource teams and employees time by running your benefits plans well.

What sort of challenges was 24 Hour Flex facing?
We needed a way to track issues that could not be resolved immediately in order to provide the best customer service possible to our clients.

Which Mojo Helpdesk solution did you choose?

We chose the Enterprise solution because it gave us all of the features we needed. We use Mojo to track outstanding issues and give visibility to problems across the organization that we used to lose because only one or two people knew about the problem. Mojo also provides a great way to see issues that have not been resolved and bring more firepower to the table to solve them.

Describe the results you experienced with Mojo Heldpesk?

We are much more proactive in solving client problems and issues, and they don't get lost in people's email.

What is your favorite thing about Mojo Helpdesk?

Direct integration with Google Apps. Not having another login to deal with for users is huge. The ease of setup and simplicity of the design are also awesome.

###

[Note from Ryan at Mojo Helpdesk: We loved hearing Jim's story. Now we want to know yours. Share your Mojo Helpdesk success story here and we'll feature your organization in an upcoming customer spotlight.]

[PS. Here's one more photo of Jim that we love!]

[Thanks again, Jim!]

Mojo Helpdesk Twitter Contest: Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 17:51:00 +0000

Update: This Twitter contest is now completed. Thanks for participating. Congratulations to our winners @edwardchang13 and @bbpinktaz!

Amazon. It's great for boring days when you feel like walking on water, want to build a condo for your fish, or need a life-sized T-Rex delivered to your backyard.

That's why Mojo Helpdesk has started a contest where you and one of your Twitter followers can win a $50 Amazon gift card. And the great thing about this contest is that it takes less than 10 seconds to enter...

To participate:

1) Follow @mojohelpdesk on Twitter.

2) Retweet this message: I want to win a $50 Amazon gift card. Do you? Follow @mojohelpdesk and RT this to win! Details: http://bit.ly/Xt6hQ6

We'll randomly select two lucky winners and send them $50 Amazon gift cards.

Last day to participate is Friday, February 15, 2013.

Winners will be contacted directly on Twitter on Monday, February 18, 2013.

Tweet, tweet,

Ryan Luedecke

One of the People who Loves working at

www.mojohelpdesk.com

Mojo Helpdesk now has One-Click Login

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 17:41:00 +0000

Do you keep forgetting where to login to your helpdesk? You'll never have to worry about that again because we've added one-click LOGIN to our home page.

To set it up:

1) Click the LOGIN link on our home page.
2) Enter your Helpdesk URL on the launchpad page.
3) Enter your email address and password.

The next time you visit the Mojo Helpdesk home page and click LOGIN it will take you right into your helpdesk portal. Enjoy!

Small Business Owners: Try the Mojo Helpdesk Form Widget

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:29:00 +0000

Have you tried the Mojo Helpdesk form widget?

The form widget places a small tab on your website that visitors can press to access a simple ticket submission form. It's perfect for organizations looking to add a 'Contact Us' or 'Get Support' button to their home page.

To use the form widget, select 'manage >>all settings' from the Mojo Helpdesk navigation menu, then look under the 'Owner/Admin' column and click the 'Form widget' link. The link will take you to a page where you can customize the tab and form. Follow the simple instructions to copy & paste the resulting code to your web page(s) and then site visitors can use the form to submit tickets to the queue of your choice.

Want to see an example? Visit the Das Keyboard support page and press the 'Get Support' button on the left side of the page. That's the Mojo Helpdesk form widget in action. See screenshot below.

Don't have a Mojo Helpdesk account? You can sign up for a free 30-day trial here.

Important Update: Restricted Technician Role Available on the Business Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Ward) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 22:19:00 +0000

Business Plan subscribers now have the ability to restrict access rights for agents (also known as queue-based access rights). Previously the ability to set an agent as a restricted technician (RT) was available only on the Enterprise and Enterprise Plus plans.

The restricted technician role can be selected when creating or editing an agent record. Restricted technicians are only allowed to access tickets in their specified queues. It's most useful when tickets are assigned to outside vendors, or when certain tickets need to be kept confidential, or when tickets for different departments are managed by one helpdesk.

For more information on how to set up agents with restrictions, please visit our help page.

New: Activity Reports Link To Tickets

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 21:33:00 +0000

Now there is an easy way to see a list of the tickets that have been created recently. Click on the numbers in the Activity Today table to reference the tickets that have been created or resolved during the specified time frame.

The Mojo Helpdesk Team

New Feature: Users may CC 3rd Parties on New Tickets

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 22:24:00 +0000

All Mojo Helpdesk users can now copy someone when creating a new ticket. Previously, the CC field was only available on follow up messages.

Also, we added the view of the cc'd users on the actual ticket, so the agent can see who was cc'd when the ticket was created. This way, an agent can include those recipients on any future correspondence.

Have a Merry Christmas.

The Mojo Helpdesk team

Happy Holidays from Mojo Helpdesk!

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Winter Wonderland - Photo Credit Sister 72

From all of us here at Mojo Helpdesk,

We'd like to wish you and your family Happy Holidays!

Sincerely,

Daniel, Jill, Ryan, Jason and Mirko

New Feature: Include Due Dates in Helpdesk Emails

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Ward) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 22:20:00 +0000

Mojo Helpdesk has two updates to announce:

#1 Email templates can now be configured to automatically include the Start Date and Due Date for a ticket using our new due date variable {{ticket.due_on}} and scheduled date variable {{ticket.scheduled_on}}.

#2 Staff member messages and email comments will be visible to the ticket submitter on all tickets. The previous default setting made staff member messages from email private on all unassigned tickets. Private comments can still be added anytime (as shown in the screenshot below).

If you have any questions about these updates, please send an email to mojohelpdesk@support.metadot.com.

Thanks,
The Mojo Helpdesk Team

Get Notifications for New Tickets: Introducing the Mojo Helpdesk Desktop Notifier, a Google Chrome Browser Extension

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Luedecke) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 21:22:00 +0000

We're excited to announce the release of Mojo Helpdesk Desktop Notifier, a Chrome extension available in the Chrome Webstore. Desktop Notifier makes ticket tracking more convenient by giving helpdesk staff a quick view of the number of tickets in their helpdesk and displaying incoming messages on the desktop.

A browser action button is added to the user's Chrome explorer bar and features a badge counter for unassigned tickets and a click-activated pop-up display that includes up-to-date counts of open tickets, unassigned tickets, and tickets assigned to the user.

In addition, subtle desktop notifications appear when there are new tickets and new messages.

To download the new Chrome extension:

#1 Make sure you have an active Mojo Helpdesk account. If you need an account, you can start a free trial by clicking the Sign Up For Free button in the top right hand corner of the blog.

#2 Follow this link to our extension listing in the Chrome Webstore and click the Add to Chrome button. {Alternatively you can search for Mojo Helpdesk in the Chrome Webstore and then click Extensions and then Add to Chrome.}

#3 Once Mojo Helpdesk Desktop Notifier is installed, it will automatically begin working as long as you are logged into your helpdesk. If you are not logged in you can do so directly from the extension pop-up by clicking the Mojo star icon on the right hand side of the address bar.

#4 When the Mojo Helpdesk Desktop Notifier is working you'll see a red badge counter on the Mojo Helpdesk star icon that represents the number of unassigned tickets in your helpdesk. You can click on the star icon to see a drop down display that includes up-to-date counts of open tickets, unassigned tickets, and tickets assigned to you, as shown in the screen shot below.

#5. You are able to manage the settings for the desktop notifications by right clicking the Mojo Helpdesk star icon and selecting Options. De-selecting "Auto-close notifications" will leave the notifications on your desktop until you decide to close them. By default, they auto-close after a few minutes. The "Play sound?" option will play a sound when a notification is first displayed on your desktop.

#6. You are able to change the location of the notifier on your screen by clicking the light grey wrench icon in the top right corner of the notification and selecting 'Choose Position'.

This blog post should cover most of the details, but if you have any questions about the new Desktop Notifier, please email us at mojohelpdesk@support.metadot.com.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

- The Mojo Helpdesk Team

Introducing the Mojo Helpdesk Launch Pad

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Ward) — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 16:50:00 +0000

With Mojo Helpdesk's new Chrome launcher, go directly from your Chrome home page to Mojo Helpdesk in just one click. It's simple to install, go to the Chrome Web Store, find Mojo Helpdesk and click 'Launch Application'. You will need to set your helpdesk domain once and you will be automatically directed to your Mojo Helpdesk account every time.

New Feature: Queue Access Rights for Agents

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Ward) — Fri, 28 Sep 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Mojo Helpdesk customers have expressed the need to have agents access tickets in certain queues only. We are happy to announce that this is now possible using a new user role called Restricted Technician.

For Enterprise and Enterprise Plus accounts, this role can be selected when creating or editing an agent record. Restricted Technicians are only allowed to access tickets in their specified queues. They don’t have access to anything else.

This new agent role is perfect for organizations that need to set up multiple departments under one helpdesk, to assign tickets to outside vendors, or to keep some requests strictly confidential.

For more information on how to set up agents with restrictions, please visit our help page.

New Feature: CC'ing from Mojo Helpdesk

noreply@blogger.com (Jill Ward) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 16:33:00 +0000

We are happy to announce we recently upgraded Mojo Helpdesk's functionality. We wanted Mojo messaging to behave more like email, so when agents add a message or private message they are able to CC co-workers, supervisors or any others who need to stay in the loop. This means messages can be transferred to outside sources without having to register those users as staff in the helpdesk. Mojo will keep track of all communication on the ticket.

Mojo Helpdesk handles responses on the ticket intuitively by marking outside messages as 'private' by default (that is, any message sent from someone other than the assignee or submitter). Alternatively, when the ticket submitter needs to be in on the communication, text can simply be copied to a non-private message by the agent.

Mojo Helpdesk is enthusiastic about our new communication feature. We hope you enjoy it, and look forward to our customer feedback.

How the Generation Gap Affects Customer Service

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 17:21:00 +0000

All customers, young and old, have different ideas of what customer service means to them. These varying expectations require customer service departments to accommodate all types of customers, as well as support the different ways those customers communicate.

Researchers and social commentators divide age groups into a few particular categories, defined by certain experiences and traits.

Teens

Millennials/Generation Y: 20’s and 30’s

Generation X: 30’s and 40’s

Baby Boomers: 50’s and 60’s

Retirees: Late 60’s and up

Generation X, Millennials and Teens are most comfortable with computers, so they tend to prefer online channels when they communicate with customer service departments. Since Millennials and Teens use social media sites, they expect to use these accounts to communicate directly with customer service reps.

Baby Boomers and Retirees tend to stick to more traditional and personal means of communication. Though some in this group may consider themselves just as computer-savvy as younger generations, research shows they usually prefer to make a phone call or even go directly to the business to talk face-to-face if they need help.

Recent research also demonstrates a generational gap when it comes to customer loyalty. With age comes a greater sense of product and company loyalty uncommon in younger groups who are more inclined to go after the best deal or follow a trend.

Keep in mind, these descriptions are flexible and many exceptions to these common behaviors exist. However, in order to provide service tailored to each and every generation, all possible lines of communication should be used.

The Mojo Helpdesk Blog

How to Stop Hating Conference Calls

Use social media to build rapport

Record the conference call

Earn credibility by taking control.

How IT Consultants Use a Hosted Helpdesk to Manage Client Requests

How to Turn Tweets into Helpdesk Tickets

How To Save $1,500 to $21,300 A Year on a Helpdesk...

How to Create Help Desk Tickets from Google Calendar in 5 Steps (or Less)

Sync Google Apps users instantly with Mojo Helpdesk

How Ticket Tracking Software Helps Homeowners Associations Work More Efficiently

1. Centralizes homeowner requests for you

2. Helps you turn requests into tasks and assign those tasks to staff

3. Allows you to tracks tasks to completion

4. Lets you search solved requests

Simplify school support with Mojo Helpdesk - Ticket Tracking for Education

Henry Britt, Information Technology Director, Trinity Episcopal School Charlotte, North Carolina

Brandon Howe, Multimedia Specialist, Institute of International Education New York, New York

Greg Long, Director of Technology, Community Schools of FrankfortFrankfort, Indiana

The Top 4 Reasons Schools and Universities Use Mojo Helpdesk

1. Accessible anytime, anywhere for students, faculty, and admin.

2. Works with email.

3. Integrates with Google Apps.

4. Fits school budgets.

How an Art Department became 25% More Productive after using Mojo Helpdesk

Enter Jay

Can you describe your business?

Why did you need Mojo Helpdesk?

How do you use Mojo Helpdesk day-to-day?

What results have you seen with Mojo Helpdesk?

What is your favorite thing about Mojo Helpdesk?

### By the Numbers ###

How to Sort Tasks by Due Date with Mojo Helpdesk

How to Prioritize Tickets by Due Date:

Mojo Helpdesk Customer Success Story: Jim Hayes and 24 Hour Flex

Enter Jim

Mojo Helpdesk Twitter Contest: Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card

Mojo Helpdesk now has One-Click Login

Small Business Owners: Try the Mojo Helpdesk Form Widget

Important Update: Restricted Technician Role Available on the Business Plan

New: Activity Reports Link To Tickets

New Feature: Users may CC 3rd Parties on New Tickets

Happy Holidays from Mojo Helpdesk!

New Feature: Include Due Dates in Helpdesk Emails

Get Notifications for New Tickets: Introducing the Mojo Helpdesk Desktop Notifier, a Google Chrome Browser Extension

Introducing the Mojo Helpdesk Launch Pad

New Feature: Queue Access Rights for Agents

New Feature: CC'ing from Mojo Helpdesk

How the Generation Gap Affects Customer Service

Greg Long, Director of Technology, Community Schools of Frankfort
Frankfort, Indiana