Help Desk joins with U.K. firm/ Newly combined operation to be based

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Nov 24, 1999 | by Joanna Bean

Colorado Springs-based Help Desk Institute has merged with a United Kingdom group to form the world's largest membership group for customer service and support professionals.

Help Desk has combined operations with Customer Service Management Group, based in Orpington, England.

The new organization, called ThinkService Inc., will operate with headquarters in the Springs and England, said Ron Muns, who founded and owned Help Desk Institute and is now co-chairman of ThinkService. Howard Kendall, managing director of Customer Service Management Group, will be co-chairman of ThinkService.

ThinkService will offer training, certification, conferences, publications and the like to people involved in customer service and support.

ThinkService employs 56, including 20 in Colorado Springs. Membership in the combined organization is about 5,500, and revenue is expected to hit $12 million next year, Muns said. "Size matters, and our focus is to be the largest affinity group for service and support professionals."

Customer Service Management Group was founded in 1988 as the Helpdesk User Group and later changed its name. The company has focused on offering services to customer-service reps who work in call centers and on help desks.

Help Desk Institute, founded in 1989, is a membership organization for employees who provide support to their company's employees and customers.

- Joanna Bean may be reached at 636-0368 or bean@gazette.com. Story editor David Fondler; headline by Jim Wilson