Help Desk Glossary (R-Z)

Record Locking: A feature for help desk or call center software that only allows one agent access to a record at a time.
Recurring Issues: Actions or incidents that are handled on a frequent basis, such as support training or database management that can be handled by an automatic scheduling tool.
Remote Diagnostic Software: Software applications that can detect computer problems.
Request for Proposal (RFP): A customer solicited action to vendors to gain information about their product or service. RFPs allow the customer to make an educated purchasing decision. Typical information sought after includes product features, support costs, product costs.
Response Time: The average amount of time a caller must wait before action is taken to resolve a reported issue.
Retry Percent: The percentage of callers that will call back after abandoning due to a busy signal or long period in queue.
Retry Time: The average amount of time that a caller will wait before calling back after abandoning a call.
Return on Investment (ROI): The monetary value that an automated help desk brings to your organization. Generally, the return divided by the help desk operating costs.
Ring Delay: A set amount of time, or number of rings before a call is put through to an agent, or put in queue.

Scheduling Tools: Allow help desk Managers to anticipate staff needed based on call load or other criteria.
Self-help Tools: Tools that allow your support staff, or customers access information to resolve issues, such as a knowledge bases, downloadable tutorial, or IVR systems.
Service Level Agreement (SLA): An agreement between the help desk and a customer to provide a certain level of service.

Talk Time: The average time spent by agents on phone calls over a given time period.
Telephone Application Program Interface (TAPI): Program interface developed by Microsoft and targeted to desktop, Windows-based applications.
Telephone Services Application Program Interface (TSAPI): Program Interface developed by Novell and targeted toward LAN-based applications.
Trouble Ticket: Often referred to as a customer or support issue that has been entered into a software program for tracking. Often a tracking case number is associated with a trouble ticket.
Trouble Ticket: Software used to track customer or support issues, which assigned a tracking number to each issue opened.

Voice Messaging: A communication tool that provides a phone option from the main help desk menu that offers additional information. For example, this may be used for a major service interruption, or to provide general information.

Wide Area Network (WAN): A network system that connects a LAN-based system, usually over leased phone lines, at various physical locations.
Web Enablement: An application that provides access to your help desk or call center database of information from any internet-ready PC, Mac or UNIX.
Work Order Scheduling: Allows work orders or tickets to be automatically generated from a call and put into action.
Work Time: Tasks completed by the agent resolving a call after talk time and before the next call is answered. This may include printing an issue ticket or completing order information.

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