INTRODUCING…the Kin Help Desk

Over the past few years, we have asked the membership to participate in surveys as a means to improve two-way communication and identify the greatest needs of our Association now and in the future. Your thoughtful feedback consistently reflects the passion that exists across the country, and it truly does influence the direction that Kin Canada takes at the national level. A consistent theme identified from survey data indicated that there is a desire for members to feel better supported by Operations and to improve the way we communicate at the national level.

We have heard you!

On this first day of the new Kin year, we already have a tried and tested plan ready to launch – the Kin Help Desk!

The Kin Help Desk is a “one stop shop” support system that aims to streamline communication so we can consistently provide top-notch customer service and improve member satisfaction – or as I like to refer to it – Create Fantastic Member Experiences.

Why is the Kin Help Desk needed?

It has not been uncommon for the Operations team to field questions that have been submitted through email, text, Microsoft Teams, Facebook Messenger, and phone calls. While we will continue to monitor these channels, the variety of options has become cumbersome. Ultimately, the Help Desk will increase our operational efficiency by streamlining communication and making it easier for members to receive a tracked and timely response.

Why use a ticketed support system?

Many people are already familiar with ticketing systems because they interact with them on a daily basis through work or school. Those who do not have as much experience with these systems have likely engaged with one as a customer. If you’ve reached out to a service-based company for assistance, you were likely entered into a ticketed support system.

Essentially, all you need to do as the user is submit a question and a few contact details. From there, a “ticket” is created and the magic happens on the back end to ensure that you receive timely support from the staff member best suited to assist you.

The Benefits…

1.      The Kin Help Desk will not only give the membership a one stop shop and take the guess work out of who to contact at HQ. Your ticket will automatically be sent to the correct person.

2.      You will receive instant confirmation that your request has been received. You will also be emailed a confirmation code that you can use to check the status anytime. If you do not see the confirmation in your inbox, it may have gone to your junk/spam folder.

3.      The system will alert staff if an inquiry is awaiting a response and it will send an automatic reminder if the deadline to respond is approaching. We have currently set a standard of a maximum of 2 business days.

4.      Kin Canada Operations has “departments of one” which can be a challenge for members when someone is off sick for the day, on vacation, or in their busiest part of the year. As all staff can see tickets in the queue, your query can be picked up by other team members when needed. Staff can also add collaborators or transfer a ticket with ease.

5.      Tickets provide us with more insights as to how long it takes to respond, the time it takes to complete, and the degree by which the customer/member is satisfied. It also helps us track trending topics and identify where we could do a better job in communicating processes, procedures, and information.

6.      The system itself is very easy to navigate. So much so, I don’t believe I will need to provide you a lot of instructions. But to get started, all you have to do is click www.kinsupportservices.ca. You will be taken to the Kin Help Desk platform. From there you will provide us some basic information, a quick description of your question or request and then you hit the submit button.

We know that it will take a little time for our members to get used to this platform and it certainly does not replace the one-to-one conversations that are sometimes more conducive to requesting and receiving great support. In time, almost everything will have had a ticket created (either by a member or the respective staff member) so that we can track data and ensure that our members are satisfied with the interaction and the outcome.

There are still a few more things in development that will make this experience even easier, but for what we have so far, I think you will find the experience addresses some of the needs you have shared with us.

If you have an inquiry, I invite you to submit it through the Kin Help Desk. Please DO NOT try the system out just to see if it works as this creates unnecessary tickets to sift through and distracts the Operations team from responding to legitimate tickets. If you a curious, take a look at the infographic available on iKin Express.

THANK YOU…

A special and important shout out to Michael Loggie who was able to research and then develop this platform for us. Michael took on this project with you the member in mind and he ensured that the platform was user-friendly and at the same time would contribute to Creating Fantastic Member Experiences.