Running an underperforming helpdesk is like trying to assemble IKEA furniture without instructions—you end up with a pile of mismatched pieces, frustrated customers, and a nagging sense that things could be better. Luckily, with clear expectations, a touch of accountability, and some lessons learned (often the hard way), you can get your team back on track. Here’s how I’ve approached fixing struggling helpdesks, peppered with some personal stories of what worked and what didn’t.
Step 1: Define (and Enforce) Clear Expectations
Think of your helpdesk as a sports team: everyone needs to know the rules of the game and their role in it. Set expectations that are measurable, client-focused, and non-negotiable. For instance, I once set a 12-minute triage goal for incoming tickets. At first, some team members grumbled, claiming it wasn’t realistic. But after walking them through how delayed responses directly impacted client retention, they bought in. Within a month, triage times had drastically improved, and client complaints about response delays dropped.
What Worked: Breaking down why the expectations matter and tying them to outcomes like client retention.
What Didn’t: Assuming everyone would just “get it” without proper context.
Step 2: Morning Huddles That Don’t Waste Time
A morning huddle is a quick, efficient way to align your team. Keep it to 5 minutes and focus on a single actionable question:
“What’s happening right now that will prevent us from hitting our numbers today?”
I once introduced this to a team that was constantly drowning in backlogs. At first, the responses were generic grumbles about being “too busy.” But with gentle nudging, they started sharing specific obstacles, like needing clearer escalation rules for tricky tickets. Addressing these small issues daily had a massive impact over time.
What Worked: Encouraging the team to be specific and solution-oriented.
What Didn’t: Letting the meeting spiral into a complaint fest. Keep it focused!
Step 3: Weekly Meetings for Systemic Issues
While daily huddles address the now, a weekly 30-minute meeting is for digging into long-term problems. This is the time to tackle why tickets aren’t being billed, why follow-ups aren’t happening, or why certain clients always seem unhappy.
For example, I once had a tech confess during a meeting that they weren’t billing time because they were afraid of “looking slow” compared to peers. That transparency helped us create a billing checklist and normalize tracking all work, even troubleshooting dead ends. The result? More accurate billing, better reporting, and no more unbilled projects.
What Worked: Creating an environment where team members felt safe bringing up challenges.
What Didn’t: Letting the meeting become a history lesson on what went wrong without proposing solutions.
Step 4: Accountability Through Dashboards
If your team can’t see their progress—or lack thereof—it’s easy for things to slip. A simple dashboard showing metrics like tickets closed, response times, and hours billed can work wonders.
Once, I implemented a “Daily Metrics Board” in our office. It showed response times, unresolved tickets, and SLA compliance. At first, some team members saw it as micromanaging, but over time, it became a source of pride. Techs started competing (in a good way) to see who could clear their queue fastest without sacrificing quality.
What Worked: Displaying clear, relevant metrics in a visible place where the team could track progress.
What Didn’t: Overcomplicating the dashboard with too many data points. Keep it simple.
Step 5: Consequences That Matter
Here’s the hard truth: perks and flexibility are privileges, not entitlements. If the team abuses early release policies or doesn’t meet expectations, those perks need to pause.
For example, we once had an informal “leave early if the queue is clear” policy. When tickets started piling up while techs disappeared, we clarified the rule: No one leaves early until all tickets are triaged and updated. The first time someone left without clearing their queue, I followed up immediately, reminding them of the policy. After a couple of weeks, the team adapted, and early releases became a reward for solid work.
What Worked: Being consistent with consequences and tying them to measurable goals.
What Didn’t: Assuming people would follow the rules without clarification or enforcement.
Step 6: Hire or Promote a Queue Manager
Sometimes, the issue isn’t laziness—it’s a lack of structure. A dedicated queue manager can make a huge difference. Their job? Keep the tickets flowing, ensure escalations happen smoothly, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.
I once promoted a highly organized Tier 2 tech into this role. Initially, they resisted, worried they’d miss hands-on work. But after a month of mentoring, they saw the impact they were having on the entire team’s productivity. Having someone monitor the queue gave other techs the space to focus on solving tickets rather than worrying about juggling priorities.
What Worked: Giving the queue manager real authority to hold others accountable.
What Didn’t: Assigning the role to someone without clear guidelines or support.
Step 7: Fire (Yes, Fire) Underperformers
This is the hardest step, but it’s essential. If someone isn’t meeting the expectations after clear coaching and support, it’s time to let them go. Keeping underperformers drags down the whole team and undermines your credibility as a leader.
I once hesitated to fire a tech who consistently ignored SLAs, thinking I could coach them into improvement. The result? Other team members started slacking because they saw there were no consequences. When I finally made the decision to part ways, the team’s morale actually improved—they appreciated that we were holding everyone to the same standard.
What Worked: Setting a 30-day improvement plan and being clear about the consequences of not meeting it.
What Didn’t: Waiting too long to take action, which hurt team morale and client satisfaction.
