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Automation & Workflow

Automation features to improve agent productivity and ensure process compliance.

Approval Workflows: Supports ticket or action approval chains for compliance.
Automated Ticket Assignment: Rules-based or skill-based engine to assign tickets automatically.
Automatic SLA Enforcement: Enforces deadlines and reminders to comply with service-level agreements.
Custom Workflows: Ability to define custom workflows for different ticket types.
Duplicate Ticket Detection: System detects and flags possible duplicate tickets.
Escalation Rules: Automatic ticket escalation if certain criteria/time limits are reached.
Follow-up Reminders: Automated reminders for agents/client responses.
Macro/Template Actions: Pre-configured actions or responses triggered by single clicks.
Scheduled Actions: System performs time-based updates or notifications.
Workload Balancing: Automatically distributes tickets for workload balancing.

Client Communication

Features supporting multi-channel communication between clients and support teams.

Automated Responses: Ability to send automated replies or follow-ups using predefined rules.
Chat Integration: Real-time client-agent chat within the platform or via website integration.
Client Feedback Collection: System allows for collection and management of client satisfaction surveys.
Client Portal: Web-based portal where clients can submit and track their own tickets.
Email Integration: Two-way ticket communication via email.
Multi-language Support: Supports communication with clients in multiple languages.
Phone Call Logging: Ability to log and track phone call interactions within tickets.
SMS Notifications: Notification and response support via SMS.
Service Level Agreement (SLA) Communication: Automatic updates to clients as tickets approach or exceed SLA deadlines.
Social Media Integration: Support for client communications via Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Customization & Branding

Options to tailor platform workflows, branding, and client touchpoints.

Custom Domain Support: Portal can be hosted on a custom URL.
Custom Email Templates: Customize notification content/style for branding and compliance.
Custom Logo and Colors: Allows brokerage branding throughout the portal.
Custom Ticket Fields: Define business-specific data points for ticket tracking.
Custom Workflows: Create and adapt workflows for brokerage-specific processes.
Localization: Customize platform to reflect regional settings (language, date/time).
White-label Capabilities: Platform can be fully white-labeled for client presentation.

Deployment, Reliability & Scalability

Technical characteristics related to system deployment, performance, and uptime.

Backup Frequency: How often data is automatically backed up.
Cloud/SaaS Deployment: Available as a secure, cloud-based service.
Disaster Recovery Plan: Documented and tested plans for full disaster recovery.
Horizontal Scalability: Ability to scale performance with additional users or tickets.
Maintenance Window Configuration: Scheduling of maintenance periods for minimum impact.
Mobile App Availability: Dedicated app for smartphones/tablets for agents or clients.
On-premise Deployment: Option to deploy within client-controlled infrastructure.
Performance Under Load: Maximum number of active users or concurrent tickets supported.
Redundancy/Failover: System maintained across multiple data centers or clusters.
Uptime Guarantee: Minimum platform uptime in SLA.

Integration & API

Features facilitating integration of help desk with brokerage, CRM, analytics, and external tools.

API Access: Availability of documented REST or SOAP APIs for custom integrations.
Active Directory/SSO Integration: Single Sign-On with internal identity management systems.
Brokerage Platform Integration: Integration with order/trading systems for richer context in tickets.
CRM Integration: Direct integration with customer relationship management systems.
Calendar Integration: Support for scheduling and calendar syncing (Google, Outlook, etc.).
Knowledge Base Integration: Bidirectional sync or referencing between help desk and knowledge base.
Reporting Tool Integration: Direct export/integration into BI or data visualization platforms.
Third-party Chatbot Integration: Ability to tie in chatbots for automated first-line support.
Webhooks: Support for outbound event notification via webhooks.

Knowledge Base & Self Service

Resources and tools enabling clients or agents to resolve inquiries independently.

AI-powered Article Suggestions: Automatic article recommendations based on ticket content.
Article Feedback: Users can rate or comment on articles for quality assessment.
Article Usage Analytics: Tracks which content is viewed most, helping optimize the knowledge base.
Community Forums: Discussion areas for peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing.
Integrated Knowledge Base: Built-in searchable database of articles, FAQs, and guides.
Multilingual Knowledge Base: Articles available in multiple client languages.
Self-Service Portal: Clients can access solutions and submit tickets from their own dashboard.
Version Control for Articles: Maintains version history of knowledge base entries.

Reporting & Analytics

Insight and analytics features to monitor and optimize support operations.

Agent Performance Metrics: Tracks and analyzes agent productivity and quality metrics.
Custom Report Builder: Ability to build custom reports based on ticket data.
Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Tracking: Tracks CSAT scores and feedback trends.
Export Capabilities: Export reports/data to CSV, Excel, PDF, etc.
Real-time Dashboards: Live visualization of key support metrics (tickets open, SLA breaches, etc.).
SLA Adherence Rate: Percentage of tickets handled within agreed SLAs.
Scheduled Reporting: Automated generation and distribution of regular reports.
Time to First Response: Tracks average duration to initial agent response.
Time to Resolution: Measures average time taken to resolve tickets.
Trend Analysis: Track trends in ticket volume, categories, and issues over time.

Security & Compliance

Safeguards and controls to protect sensitive client and financial data while ensuring compliance.

Audit Logging: Comprehensive logs of all system access and actions.
Data Masking: Sensitive client info is masked in UI and exports.
Data Retention Policies: Configurable rules for archiving and purging old ticket data.
End-to-End Encryption: All data in-transit and at-rest is encrypted.
GDPR/CCPA Compliance: Tools to help meet major privacy regulations.
IP Whitelisting: Restrict platform access to specified IP addresses/networks.
Incident Response Tools: Mechanisms for monitoring, managing, and reporting breaches.
Role-Based Access Control: User permissions can be set at various levels (agent, supervisor, admin).
Session Timeout Control: Automatic logout after periods of inactivity.
Two-Factor Authentication: Supports 2FA for platform access.

Support & Vendor Service

Services and support options offered by the help desk platform vendor.

24/7 Vendor Support: Round-the-clock support from the vendor.
Community Support Forums: User forum or community for tips, hacks, and user-to-user help.
Custom Development Options: Ability to contract for custom feature additions.
Dedicated Account Manager: Assigned point of contact for escalations and account issues.
Implementation Support: Guided/setup implementation assistance for onboarding.
Knowledge Base / Help Center: Comprehensive documentation and support articles.
Migration Assistance: Help moving tickets and data from legacy systems.
Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Defined SLAs for downtime, response, and resolution from the vendor.
Training Materials / Sessions: Full training (live or recorded) for agents/admins.

Ticket Management

Core functionalities that enable efficient creation, tracking, and resolution of client support requests.

Attachment Support: Ability to attach files (screenshots, logs, etc.) to tickets.
Automated Ticket Routing: Rules-based or AI-driven system that routes tickets to the correct agent/team.
Bulk Ticket Editing: Ability to edit or update multiple tickets at once.
Custom Ticket Fields: Support for custom data fields in tickets.
Merge/Split Tickets: Ability to merge duplicate tickets or split one ticket into multiple cases.
Ticket Activity Log: Full audit log of all actions and interactions related to each ticket.
Ticket Assignment: Automated or manual assignment of tickets to appropriate agents or teams.
Ticket Categorization: Tickets can be categorized by issue type or department.
Ticket Creation: System allows staff or clients to open new support tickets.
Ticket Prioritization: Capability to set and modify ticket priority levels based on severity or type.
Ticket Status Tracking: System tracks status changes (open, in progress, resolved, closed) for each ticket.
Ticket Templates: Pre-defined templates for common issues to streamline ticket creation.
Ticket Update Notifications: Automated notifications/alerts for ticket updates or status changes.

User Interface & Usability

Design features that enhance the ease and productivity of both agents and clients.

Accessibility Features: Compliant with WCAG 2.1 or similar accessibility standards.
Bulk Actions: Perform actions on multiple tickets simultaneously from list views.
Customizable Dashboards: Users can personalize their workspace layout and modules.
Dark Mode: Alternative color scheme for strain reduction.
Easy Navigation: Intuitive and minimal-step navigation flows.
Global Search: Instant search across tickets, clients, and knowledge base.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Support for productivity shortcuts and navigation.
Low Latency UI: Interface responds quickly to user input.
Notification Center: Centralized alert and reminder system for all events.
Responsive Design: Interface adapts for desktops, tablets, and smartphones.

Help Desk Software features explained

for Client Services