Could A Help Desk System Save Your Business?

When I recently downloaded my email, and there were 13,000+ messages that had made it past my filters, I knew that I had to do something. It's simply impossible to work through that many messages in less than a few days... which is what my team and I did. In the process, I'm sure that we deleted more than a few that we didn't really intend to.

Before working through that PILE, I realized that I needed a better solution immediately! After discussions with many advisors and close friends, I settled upon using a help desk. Now I force many contacts to go through that system rather than emailing me. I has reduced the sheer volume by about 90%.

In researching help desk options, I asked a lot of friends what they used. I also posted to several popular discussion boards. What I discovered was that there are many different excellent options. They range in price from free to very expensive. I delayed the decision on a final option, but implemented a temporary one that may turn into a permanent one. I simply had to give myself and my assistants some breathing room :-)

The advantages of setting up a help desk, and encouraging your customers to contact you through it, are countless. Let me share with you just a few:

1) It can completely eliminate the barrage of spam sent to random email addresses. Depending upon how you configure your help desk, you can allow customers to file a help ticket via email. However, it has to be sent to a very specific email address. So you could theoretically shut down all other email addresses on that domain.

Many web hosts allow you to delete or "black hole" all email not sent to legitimate addresses. This is a life saver. The host that I've set up numerous accounts with, and have my help ticket system set up on, allows this. Not only that, but this host is so gracious that I'm using 1000 meg of disk space and 120gig of monthly bandwidth and it's free. Actually it's not totally free. It's part of a monthly membership site that I belong to where members get unlimited free hosting.

I'm getting slightly sidetracked here, so if you want to know more about how I get unlimited free web hosting, check out: http://MassiveCashFromArticles.com.

2) A help ticket system can organize those numerous email dialogues that many of us have going at the same time. Often, I'll respond to 30 different people about consulting or various projects/ proposals that we are contemplating. A few hours or days later, some of them might respond. In the past, the problem was that the response was often something like "Yes, let's do option 2"... and they would have not included the body of the original message.

That use to drive me crazy - because I had to try to reconstruct what specific conversations they were responding to. Please don't YOU do that. If you're replying to someone, be sure to include at least enough of the original message to confirm what the conversation is about.

With the help desk, the system allow you to keep a running record of the conversation, all in one window on your computer screen. It's wonderful!

3) It allows enhanced teamwork. You can set it up so that "trouble tickets" are broken down into various categories. Then you can allow assistants access to certain assigned categories. That way, anyone on your team with the proper authority can take care of problems, questions, etc.

This also allows team members to see what transpired on a particular issue or help ticket. It provides a running record.

4) There is no hazard of communications being totally blocked by filters. Certain ISP's are notorious for blocking email. This is especially a problem if you send out email in any quantity... as in... if you publish an ezine.

I've had customers send me 8-10 emails on a problem or concern - and NONE of them get through. I've also received emails from certain customers and responded half a dozen times, but not have them receive any of the responses. I've sometimes had to phone to resolve such issues.

My trouble ticket system does send an email notice telling me and/or customers when a response has been posted to a given ticket number. So, there is still the danger of that notice not getting through. However, if it's a pressing issue, the person is more likely simply to log back in and check on a given ticket number.

5) I've found it at-least three times faster to log in and respond to trouble tickets than it is to deal with the same issue via email. It depends upon how cumbersome your trouble ticket system is, and what email client you use, but to me it just take a fraction of the time to coordinate issues. That makes a trouble ticket system a MAJOR productivity booster.

Those are just a few of the reasons that I absolutely LOVE my new trouble ticket system. I'm sure that once you start using one, you'll probably feel the same. If you?re drowning in a sea of email, it may very well save your business.

The system I'm using temporarily... and may turn into a permanent solution, is one that was pre-loaded into the Fantastico control panel on my hosting account. Installing it was just a matter of selecting that option, following on-screen prompts through a few steps ,and the basic trouble ticket system was ready. Then you can log in to your admin panel and customize things for your preferred options, look and feel, etc.

Your web hosting account probably comes with one or two trouble ticket systems already available to you as free options. If not, check out my host and save yourself some dough. They're called Content Desk, and they're at: http://MassiveCashFromArticles.com. This is a membership site designed to teach you how to grow your business through building high quality content sites. It's a great site, and the free hosting is just icing on the cake. Tell them Willie sent you ;-)

By the way if you need to contact me for any reason, the easiest way to do it is via my trouble ticket system at: http://WeddingFireSale.com/helpdesk/.

Willie Crawford serves as a consultant, mentor, and confidant to some of Internet marketing's top income earners. You can tap into his 9 years of online experience and million-dollar, success-creating advice at http://BlueprintToInternetMarketingSuccess.com

How to Deliver Technical Support That Delights the End User

"Technology, like art, is a soaring exercise of the human imagination.", according to sociologist Daniel Bell in his 1980 book, The Winding Passage. The art of what we do, as information technologists, lies in how we deliver creative solutions to workplace problems. The truth of the matter is that our jobs, in information systems and technology, are not really about technology at all. Our jobs, instead, are about solving workplace problems. Technology is merely the vehicle we use to accomplish our true objective. Increasingly, the help wanted ads in our industry require not only technical skills, but also skills in dealing with people. People are, after all, our customers. The old jokes about the I.T. guys commenting about how great their jobs would be if only it weren't for the end-users can no longer apply. The few I.T. people who still believe that are at risk of being outsourced out of a job, automated out of their jobs, or otherwise replaced in the modern workplace.

Are people skills becoming more important than technical skills in today's workplace? Absolutely not! Are people skills as important as technical skills in today's workplace? Quite possibly, depending on the job. For example, most of us are not overly concerned with an airline pilot's human skills, but we're very concerned with her skills as a pilot. The commercial pilot, however, who doesn't consider the comfort of his passengers in how he flies the plane may soon find himself flying freight instead of people. Even the freighter pilot who fails to practice good customer service skills with her employer and her employer's clients may soon find herself replaced by another pilot who values human relationships. There may always be a place for the rare individual whose extremely high level of technical competence makes him so valuable that his absence of human skills is overlooked, but don't count on that for your long term career growth. The reality is that, if people like you, they're a lot more forgiving of human error and when they don't like you, they look for ways to get rid of you.

What are the skills that can help you in today's workplace? You can break them down into five fundamental skill sets:

-Dependable and Reliable Service
-Responsiveness
-Competence
-Empathy
-Professionalism

Dependable and Reliable Service means providing reliable and accurate service - consistently accurate answers and follow-through on your promises. Your users should get the same courteous, pleasant and knowledgeable service every time they contact the Help Desk. In part two of this series, I'll show you practical tips to make sure your end-users say you provide dependable and reliable service.

Responsiveness is the willingness to respond to customer needs by answering their phone or email requests quickly, and being willing to do what it takes to respond effectively to a service request. In part three of this series, I'll show you how to prioritize requests to ensure that the most important requests get the fastest response while still servicing the lower priority requests.

Competence means providing correct, knowledgeable service, performed with accuracy and confidence. Technical competence goes without saying, but how can you maintain your technical competence even if your employer doesn't pay for training? In part four of this series, I'll share with you realistic techniques to use to demonstrate your competence and some practical tips on maintaining your competence on your own.

Empathy means providing caring and personal service. You can convey empathy when you listen for the hidden meaning in what a user is saying, acknowledge the emotion, and offer caring assistance. In part five of this series, you'll learn key phrases to use to demonstrate empathy and techniques for conveying your empathy to the upset end user.

Professionalism means that how you speak and act and the emails or other materials you send reflect a high level of training and expertise. This becomes the professional image that you project to your end users. In the sixth and final part of this series, you'll learn five powerful, yet simple techniques for conveying professionalism in your dealings with end-users.

Delighting your user is really easy most of the time. When you find ways to help your users be more productive and creative in their jobs, you'll find your job is more satisfying and more rewarding. As a support desk professional, you have tremendous opportunities for personal growth and you have daily opportunities to make a positive difference in people's lives. That's powerful!

Visit soundtraining.net to learn more about soundtraining.net's business skills training programs for IT professionals, plus accelerated technical training programs for IT professionals in the areas of Cisco, Microsoft, and Linux products. For a free copy of Don's article, "Ten Ways to Delight Your End-User", visit the soundtraining.net resource library.

Computer Help Desk Stupid Questions Brought To You By Computer Service Now

Computer Help Desk Stupid Questions brought to you by Computer Service Now (CSN) CSN Helps desk technicians know first hand that the phrase 'there are no stupid questions' is untrue. It's understandable that people are nervous about computer technology, but everyday computer technicians are asked to help people out of problems that leave them asking...
...how do you get to work?
 

Here is some proof from the help desk stupid questions archives at CSN:

A customer was enraged because his computer had told him he was "Bad and an invalid." The tech explained that the computer's "bad command" and "invalid" responses shouldn't be taken personally. Another customer called tech support to say her brand new computer wouldn't work. She said she unpacked the unit, plugged it in and sat there for 20 minutes waiting for something to happen. When asked what happened when she pressed the power switch, she asked, "What power switch?"

Computer companies have change the text to their manuals from "Press Any Key" to "Press Return Key" because of the question where is the "Any Key"?

A confused caller was having trouble printing documents. He told the technician that the computer had said it "couldn't find the printer." The user had also tried turning the computer screen to face the printer-but that his computer still couldn't "see" the printer.

A woman called with a problem with her printer. The tech asked her if she was "running it under windows." The woman responded, "No, my desk is next to the door. But that is a good point. The man sitting in the cubicle next to me is under a window and his printer is working fine."

And last but not least:
TECH SUPPORT: "O.K. Bob, let's press the control and escape keys at the same time. That brings up a task list in the middle of the screen. Now type the letter "P" to bring up the Program Manager."

CUSTOMER: "I don't have a 'P'".
TECH SUPPORT: "On your keyboard, Bob."
CUSTOMER: "What do you mean?"
TECH SUPPORT: " 'P' on your keyboard, Bob."
CUSTOMER: "I'm not going to do that!
 

CSN specializes in nationwide multi-location computer support.

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About CSN: A nationwide business to business computer service company, Computer Service Now, the CSN website can be found at Computer Service Now and can be reached toll free at 877-422-1907.
About the Author
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Web-Based Learning Management Systems Deployed in Customer Support Settings

In many respects, e-learning has matured as a technology and industry. Today we will look at how web-based learning management systems can and are being used as part of the customer support function in a company or organization.

What is a learning management system?

Learning management systems (LMSs) are web-based software application platforms used to plan, implement, and assess learning processes related to online and offline training administration and performance management. LMSs provide an instructor a way in which to create and deliver content, monitor learners’ participation, and assess student performance. They also provide learners with the ability to use interactive features such as threaded discussions, web conferencing, discussion forums, and other methods of communication.

Where and why are learning management systems being used in customer support settings?

LMSs are being used in business-to-business, high process, value added, and technology-oriented business environments in industries like telecommunications, advanced electronic technology, semiconductor manufacturing, insurance, banking, medical products manufacturing, and others. Learning management systems are being used in customer support settings because they can be a cost-effective solution to providing customer and performance support for a company’s products and services.

Why is it cost-effective to use an LMS for your company’s customer support operation?

Learning management systems can be used to create a library of custom online courses that demonstrate how to use your company’s products and services. The course can be updated at will, so you’re not paying every three months to print new product guides and support manuals.

LMSs can be used to track and monitor your customers, instead of using a bunch of spreadsheets. This is very effective in scenarios where customers must be certified in order to use your products and services. The learning management system can be set up to notify a user when their certification is set to expire using an email tickler so they can recertify on your product.

What other features in learning management systems can be used for the customer support function?

A good LMS comes with a help desk feature that can be used for 24/7 customer support. Learning management systems can have integrated web conferencing technology which can be used in a number of ways to support customers such as synchronous training used in product implementation; a web conference on a new feature set that can be archived for later viewing; actual, on-the-spot tech-support using the “share your desktop” feature so your tech can go in and fix any problems necessary; and more.

LMSs can have a built in survey tool that allows you to query your customers with the results stored in the learning management systems database for later use. Learning management systems can have a single sign-on/e-commerce registration feature that can be used to sell add-on features. They also may have events management/seminar logistics add-on application that can help you manage both your off-site and onsite customer support training, and much more.

A company can realize effective resource planning and substantial cost savings by using learning management systems in customer support settings. Even greater gains in productivity and cost savings can be achieved using a learning management system in hosted business model environment. The virtual customer support campus is created to have the same look and feel as the company’s web site. Since the customer support campus is hosted and maintained on the learning management systems providers’ servers, the company only pays for set-up, its level of desired functionality, and usage. In conclusion, web-based learning management systems can be a very useful, cost effective way to manage a company’s customer support function.

Dave Boggs is the founder and CEO of SyberWorks, Inc. He has been involved with computer-based and web-based training for more than twelve years. Before founding SyberWorks, Dave was the VP of Sales and Business Development for Relational Courseware. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from Union College in Schenectady, NY, and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL.