"For the average end user, the help desk is their only real point of contact, so they are going to form an opinion based on those interactions. That is basically all they have to go with," she said.

Overlooking the help desk and leaving the opinion-building in the hands of the end users as opposed to taking control of it can be a bit of a gamble, according to Perrier-Knox. "You actually want to do something proactive and constructive and with intent to build the reputation," she said.

A bad reputation can have further implications down the road, she pointed out, such as problems getting co-operation from other groups in the organization and being seen as just a cost centre versus a strategic enabler.

"(One) big benefit of shaping up the help desk and having it being welcoming, responsive and effective at solving problems" is that it gives IT visibility and credibility in the organization, she said.

It's important for IT to try to meet the needs and wants of end users because IT at its heart is a service organization and the primary recipients of that service are the business users in that organization, said Perrier-Knox.