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AI has become a trending topic, capturing the interest of many executives seeking to boost efficiency and business performance. Yet, a pivotal question arises when considering AI adoption: does it truly reduce costs or merely add to them? 

After all, not all automation equates to savings.

Take, for instance, the automation of manufacturing processes to cut labor expenses. However, the initial investment, ongoing maintenance, and calibration costs surpass the projected savings. Additionally, the complexities of automated systems may require additional training, increasing expenses. So, despite aiming for cost reduction through automation, the total cost of ownership exceeds benefits, yielding a net negative outcome.

The same skepticism arises when contemplating ITSM automation or AI help desks. It's natural to wonder if they'll truly save costs or just pile on expenses. However, this study indicates that 54% of participants experienced decreased costs through automating service operations, with 8% achieving savings exceeding 20%. 

This article will explore AI help desk software and how automating your service desk benefits your business.

What is an AI Help Desk?

An AI help desk is an automation solution to assist internal staff with IT-related inquiries and support tasks.

Earlier, the employees relied on emails or outdated chatbots to connect with the support teams, which led to delays and unsatisfactory employee experience. 

An AI service desk platform replaces outdated systems to automate repetitive tasks, autonomously resolve queries, and simplify IT service management (ITSM).

Such an AI-powered help desk improves the efficiency of various business functions, such as: 

• Knowledge management — The AI systems create a dynamic knowledge base that evolves with every interaction, ensuring support teams have the latest information. AI converts scattered resources into accessible answers, providing insights to upgrade knowledge management effortlessly. 
• Problem management — These AI systems analyze reported issue patterns and identify root causes. Recognizing recurring problems helps reduce future incidents and enhances overall system stability. You can manage incidents linked to problems with predefined conditions and effortlessly communicate statuses with the internal team.
• Change management — AI streamlines change approval processes and proactively notifies stakeholders about change-related events. It continuously oversees change implementation, annotates procedures for ongoing evaluation, and improves the change rollout process. It minimizes risks, ensures business continuity, and drives sustained improvements in change procedures.
• Incident management — An AI help desk auto-resolves over 50% of tickets, improving efficiency. It asks context-sensitive follow-up questions, routes tickets appropriately, and provides updates via preferred communication channels. 
• Service request management — AI automates service request fulfillment within communication tools such as MS Teams. It accelerates approvals and notifications, ensuring seamless communication and quick resolution. The service catalog becomes easily accessible, extending beyond IT to support various business workflows.
• Employee engagement — AI creates a feedback-rich environment through timely surveys and notifications, enhancing employee satisfaction. It serves as a platform for key notifications and learning reinforcement, enabling you to stay connected and responsive to employee needs.

Benefits of AI Help Desks

While implementing AI service desk software can be an initial expense, its automation capabilities significantly enhance control over — knowledge, core ITSM functions, and integrations. 

Over time, the improved employee experience with a 24/7 assistant reduces the burden on agents from repetitive tasks. This strategic shift enables teams to focus on value-added tasks, ultimately outweighing the initial investment and boosting long-term cost-efficiency. 

Here are five ways that companies benefit from a GenAI service desk.

Proactive Incident Management 

Investors Community Bank transitioned from a traditional legacy solution to an AI-powered system with Rezolve.ai's service desk. In just 12 weeks, they accomplished:

• Overall reduction in ticket volumes - 50% quarter on quarter
• 34% of tickets auto-resolved 
• Average customer satisfaction score (CSAT) of 4.3 on a scale of 5

An AI service desk initiates proactive incident management by engaging in conversations, gathering relevant information, and creating tickets with added context. This process ensures better prioritization and categorization, leading to improved efficiency. Additionally, tickets can be created directly within collaboration platforms like MS Teams, facilitating swift assignment to the appropriate agent. Ticket summarization further helps IT agents, while change management notifications keep everyone informed.

Intelligent Automation

The service desk facilitates the easy setup of IT workflows, from complex tasks like employee onboarding to simpler ones like leave applications. It automates approval processes and streamlines training, enabling teams to focus on strategic tasks. Especially with Rezolve.ai's generative AI capabilities, you get user-friendly interfaces that require minimal coding, allowing custom workflows and processes.

Boost Operational Efficiency

AI service desks auto-resolve routine queries, efficiently handle repetitive tasks and free up resources. Additionally, AI predicts equipment failures by analyzing historical data and patterns, enabling preventive maintenance and minimizing downtime.

As AI service desks streamline operations and improve predictive capabilities, companies like Patelco find relief from the challenges posed by traditional IT Help desks. 

Patelco faced issues when the rollout of a new online banking platform led to a flood of inquiries, overwhelming the existing help desk. Employees resorted to emails and calls for help, causing delays in issue resolution. Service desk agents struggled to meet performance targets in a high-pressure environment, emphasizing the need for a more efficient support system. Here’s how Rezolve.ai marked a significant shift in its ITSM approach, paving the way for enhanced efficiency and support. 

Better Knowledge Management 

AI service desks excel in knowledge management, extracting information from various trusted sources to provide precise resolutions. Multi-layered knowledge management systems enable instant access to relevant information, providing employees with accurate answers to their queries. Easy creation and access to knowledge bases, coupled with continuous learning mechanisms, ensure an ever-evolving repository of information. 

Improve Employee Experience 

AI service desks enhance the employee experience by providing contextual answers and faster responses. These AI-powered chatbots respond to queries within seconds, reducing human effort and leveraging knowledge management systems to auto-resolve issues directly within platforms like Microsoft Teams and Slack.

AC Transit overcame the challenge of supporting frontline staff, who previously relied on voicemails or supervisors for IT requests. Rezolve.ai GenAI employee service desk facilitated a transition to a generative AI bot, enabling direct request submission and access to information. Consequently, operators gained round-the-clock support, improving employee experience.

Top 5 AI Help Desks

Finding the right AI help desk can be challenging; however, not every tool has similar capabilities. Not every AI service desk uses generative AI or analyzes sentiment to improve user experience, nor does everyone provide a comprehensive solution to your ITSM needs. 

Here are the top 5 AI help desks to help you get started:

1. Rezolve.ai: Best for AI-Powered Support Solutions Within Microsoft Teams

Rezolve.ai, an ITSM solution powered by GenAI, seamlessly integrates into Microsoft Teams to revolutionize employee support and provide seamless, personalized assistance. Featuring a conversational AI interface, users can engage directly with the ChatGPT-style chatbot within MS Teams. Its ability to understand natural language and ensure a human-like interaction enhances the user experience. It offers an auto-resolution rate of up to 65% for employee queries and tickets through documented knowledge, task and process orchestration, real-time notifications, and personalized live agent chat.

Rezolve.ai Key Features

• Enables native integration with MS Teams
• Provides advanced incident management to reduce the response and resolution time
• Supports knowledge ingestion from Sharepoint, the website, and manually adding via the portal
• Facilitates seamless automated upgrades, keeping your service desk updated with cutting-edge innovations without manual input
• Sentiment analysis to better understand user queries and provide personalized experience
• Integrates to over 100+ third-party tools and platforms

Rezolve.ai Pros

• Exceptional customer service and support team responsiveness
• Seamless integration with MS Teams and Slack for smooth operations
• Auto-upgradable features at zero cost 
• Responsive to customization requests and receptive to suggestions for enhancements

Rezolve.ai Cons

• No portal for sign-up

Rezolve.ai Pricing

Contact the sales team for a custom quote

Rezolve.ai Ratings 

• G2 - 4.8 out of 5 
• Capterra - 4.8 out of 5

2. FreshService: Best for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses

Freshservice, Freshworks' ITSM platform, is tailored to improve IT operations and elevate internal support for small and midsize organizations. It incorporates ITIL methodologies like change, problem, and release management, ensuring compliance with service level agreements (SLAs) for managed service providers.

FreshService Key Features 

• Offers detailed asset management and a configuration management database (CMDB)
• Analyzes IT support history to identify areas for improvement and offer suggestions to enhance efficiency
• Provides a self-service portal and knowledge base
• Enables streamlined workflows and instant support to users via automation and AI-powered chatbots

FreshService Pros

• Simple-to-use product with flexible licensing
• Provides detailed reports and dashboards for analyzing IT service operations

FreshService Cons

• Needs improvement in asset management and mobile functionality to align with the capabilities of the web version
• Lacks features like intelligent swarming and sentiment analysis
• Some users report slow or inadequate responses from customer support, impacting issue resolution

FreshService Pricing

Freshservice has four pricing plans, with a free trial of 21 days:

• Starter - $19 per agent/ month, billed annually
• Growth - $49 per agent/ month, billed annually
• Pro - $95 per agent/ month, billed annually
• Enterprise - $119 per agent/ month, billed annually

FreshService Ratings

• G2 - 4.6 out of 5 
• Capterra - 4.5 out of 5

3. ManageEngine: Best for Enterprise IT Management Solution

ManageEngine is a unified helpdesk platform with automation, self-service, and integration features. It includes incident, problem, change, and asset management and delivers a full ITIL framework for efficient IT service workflows. It offers flexible deployment options — on-premises and cloud.

ManageEngine Key Features

• Enables tracking of the entire asset lifespan to maximize efficiency and adhere to regulations
• Supports custom workflows for daily tasks to improve response speed
• Offers IT analytics to correlate IT data and assist with capacity planning
• Facilitates customized service catalog that makes it easy for users to request IT services

ManageEngine Pros

• Implementation and installation are relatively easy
• Impressive Desktop Central integration

ManageEngine Cons

• ‍Lack of IP restrictions, resulting in security risks

ManageEngine Pricing

ManageEngine offers perpetual licenses with a simple pricing model and a 30-day free trial. It has three options:

• Standard: Starts from US$ 10 per technician/ month
• Professional: Starts from US$ 21 per technician/ month
• Enterprise: Starts from US$ 50 per technician/ month

ManageEngine Ratings

• G2 - 4.2 out of 5 
• Capterra - 4.4 out of 5

4. Aisera: Best for Large Enterprises Seeking Generative AI Platform

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Aisera provides an AI platform tailored to enterprises with conversational AI, workflow automation, and neural search. It enhances employee support through natural language interactions and automates tasks, boosting productivity and user satisfaction. 

Aisera Key Features

• Generates answers and summaries from multiple data sources using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG).
• Detects sentiment and escalates conversations seamlessly to live agents, ensuring smooth escalation processes and enhancing overall employee satisfaction.
• Streamlines processes through intelligent workflow automation, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency
• Offers domain-specific language models to enhance accuracy while meeting stringent data governance, regulatory, and compliance requirements

Aisera Pros

• Integrates with platforms like ServiceNow, offering highly customizable solutions
• Provides natural language interactions with conversational AI

Aisera Cons

• Occasional delays in support ticket resolution 
• Challenges with reporting, particularly during the integration with OpenAI
• Requires ongoing maintenance for optimal performance

Aisera Pricing

‍Contact the sales team for a quote

Aisera Ratings

• G2 - 4.5 out of 5 
• Capterra - 4.5 out of 5
  
  

5. SymphonyAI: Best for Agile ITSM/ESM Capabilities

SymphonyAI Summit optimizes enterprise IT services by integrating asset management with AI-driven knowledge intelligence. Through its Conversational Interface and Decision Engine (CINDE), it employs natural language processing better to address incidents, service requests, and queries, providing tailored responses. 

SymphonyAI Key Features

• Facilitates an IT management suite, including automated workflows, incident management, and service level agreements tracking
• Offers automated management tools to respond to and resolve incidents quickly 
• Enables tracking of IT assets to ensure optimal configuration with asset and configuration management capabilities
• Provides service catalog to simplify service requests and improve service delivery

SymphonyAI Pros

• Easy to configure workflows with straightforward conditions and validations
• Built-in ITIL rules reduce the need for additional configurations

SymphonyAI Cons

• Implementation is costly and time-consuming
• Real-time analytics have limitations, affecting the ability to generate insights at item level

SymphonyAI Pricing

‍Contact the sales team for a quote

SymphonyAI Ratings

• G2 - 4.2 out of 5 
• TrustRadius - 8 out of 10

Boost ROI With Rezolve.ai’s AI Help Desk 

Rezolve.ai offers a comprehensive solution for organizations seeking to modernize their IT service management. It seamlessly integrates with Microsoft Teams, simplifies employee support and boosts efficiency. 

With impressive metrics like 65% auto-resolution and a 57% reduction in the mean time to repair (MTTR), you get results that translate to tangible benefits. Our commitment to continuous improvement means your service desk stays up-to-date with the latest innovations without any manual effort on your part.

By eliminating complexity and streamlining collaboration, Rezolve.ai empowers your support teams to focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional service to your employees. Whether you're a midsize or a large enterprise, our platform is designed to cater to your needs and drive meaningful change.

Sign up today and discover how our AI-powered IT service management solution can transform your employee support. Experience the difference with Rezolve.ai.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

How is AI used in help desks?

AI in help desks automates routine tasks such as ticket routing and resolution. Using natural language processing (NLP), it autonomously resolves most level 1 queries and enhances user interaction by better understanding queries and offering personalized experiences.

What is the role of AI in ITSM?

AI in ITSM enables teams to automate repetitive tasks, increasing productivity while reducing potential issues. Moreover, it provides valuable insights, forecasting patterns and trends for informed decision-making. This seamless incorporation of AI streamlines operations and improves service quality.

What is a service desk chatbot?

A service desk chatbot is an AI-powered tool that replaces the traditional help desk. It uses natural language processing (NLP) capabilities to interact with users and provide support and assistance 24/7. The chatbot automates responses to common queries, troubleshoots issues, and escalates complex problems to agents if necessary. This technology enhances efficiency and user experience within service desk operations.