Get the Most From Your Call to Technical Support

I have spent a lot of time taking help desk and technical support calls. I often wonder how much of my time is spent actually solving problems over the phone as opposed to dealing with all the other things that don't relate or hinder the troubleshooting process. I decided to make a simple little guide that everybody should follow when calling a support line or their help desk for their technical related problems.

1. Stop complaining and let me solve your issue
 

Us people that take support calls, we are problem solvers. We want to solve your problem and get you off the phone. Ok, so your issue has been happening for a while, and you've been dealing with other people in my department, I understand that. Can we please get to solving what you called for please? If I can just do that, there will be no reason to complain. I can understand some level of venting, but when it goes on forever it hinders our ability and desire to help you.

2. Follow our direction and do nothing else

Call, describe your problem and then let us take over. It's now time for us to direct you now. Click only where we tell you to click and type only when and where we tell you to type. Forget about the screens you were on before or other areas where there was a problem. Bouncing around and doing your own thing will only result in a longer call.

3. Don't say that you are a tech

If you are a computer tech yourself and you feel you are going to win points with the tech you are calling by saying "I'm a tech.", forget about it. Understand that 9 out of 10 people that claim they are "techs" aren't able to follow the simple direction they are provided. If you truly are a tech, you won't need to tell me, because I will know just by the way you follow direction. I also know you want to solve the issue now by trying your own things in the middle of what I'm trying to tell you, but please see #2. People that say they are technicians are the #1 violators of rule #2.

4. Have the error message written down

If there was an error message, please be sure you can recite it to the tech when you call. That way we can search for it in our knowledgebase or on the internet and come up with a quick solution. If you don't have the exact error message VERBATIM, it helps us very little. Don't just make up an error message that sounds similar to what you read.

5. Be in front of the computer when you call

It amazes me how many people call and think that a problem can be troubleshooted while they are on their morning drive miles away from their computer. This should be a no brainer, but I guess people feel they are somehow saving time instead of wasting mine.

6. I can't help you in getting compensation

If you want money back because your computer problems are making you suffer, I can't do anything about it. Seriously! I have no "pull" in that direction, nor do I care to. Take all that up with your salesman or our billing department. We are problem solvers. We solve the technical issue you are having and that is our only function.

7. No, we don't know it all

Some people expect all of the answers to their problems right now. They get frustrated when they don't get them right away. Please understand that things need to be researched and that may take time.We also may give information that is not true from time to time. Again, we don't know it all and we are human and may slip up from time to time. It doesn't mean we are stupid or have less knowledge than somebody else.

8. Before calling support, please try restarting your computer

I hate asking people to restart their computer, but sometimes I have to. Sometimes I don't even remember to ask until an hour into the call because this should be tried by the user before they even call. Computers malfunction and sometimes just need to be restarted. If that does the trick, then move on. By doing so you avoid wasting our time and your own.

9.Be sure you are calling the right people
 

Check to make sure the product you are using is supported by the people you are calling. If you bought a Dell computer loaded Adobe software on it, Dell is not going to help you with it. They know nothing about it. Call Adobe.

Most tech's really want to help you out, although there are a few that have a bit of attitude. In that case, ask for a manager, or just hang up and call again to get somebody else. In most cases though, you can simply follow these guidelines and you will be ensured your problem gets solved as quick as possible.

This article is featured at Technipages where you can find articles and downloads related to anything technical. Submit your own technical article or post a message at the Computer Help Forum to obtain free computer help

Helpdesk Performance Metrics

As more and more business are making use of helpdesks to interact with customers, both in terms of orders and customer complaints or technical questions, it is apparent that such call centers should have standardized measurements to use in determining level of performance for both the individual customer representative and the entire facility. Some of the common performance measurements which are used to track helpdesk performance are listed below.

Wait time in the queue - This is usually stated in minutes on the average, that the caller is likely to experience in the wait line. Some helpdesk software will inform the caller with statements such as 'the estimated wait time is XX minutes' The caller can then determine whether or not he wants to wait for a helpdesk professional to come on the line.

Average Talk Time - This is the amount of time that the helpdesk professional and the caller spend on the line in conversation. Call center employees are often urged to cut the average talk time to some arbitrary figure. Employees may be disciplined at some level if they are not completing their calls within a specified length of time.

Average Handling Time - The average handling or dealing dime is the talk time plus any wrap-up or hold time.

Service Level - Service level or service level percentage is the percentage of calls answered within a specific time frame. Software often is programmed to see that one particular person doesn't end up taking the majority of the calls while other helpdesk personnel are clocking lower numbers.

Calls per hour - The number of calls or inquiries per hour is agent specific. Again, these are often used as quotas which agent personnel are held to.

After Call Work - Also known as Not Ready Time/NR or sometimes Wrap-Up time, this is the amount of time utilized during which the call center agent processes a customer requests but are not speaking to the customer.

First Call Resolution - This is a measurement of customer satisfaction. It's determined by measuring the number of calls where the customer doesn't call back with the same problem after a certain period.

Total Calls Abandoned - This is sometimes displayed as the percentage of calls abandoned. It usually occurs when a call center is experiencing a high call volume so that there are unduly long hold times and the customer gives up on the call.

Idle time - This is the amount or percentage of time spent by an agent when they are not ready to take the next call. These percentages are usually monitored closely by call center administration.

Each call center will have staff assigned to be part of the quality assurance team. They will look at factors such as First Call Resolution to determine if the customers are being served properly, but they QA team may also listen in on random phone calls, during which the customer representative is being rated on how well the established guidelines are being met.

If you are interested in helpdesk metrics and other ways of measuring helpdesk performance, check Sam Miller new web-site.

How To break Free of the Help Desk

In today's saturated IT industry, there are many capable employees who find themselves stuck in a help desk position. Many of these people have college degrees and even some more advanced certifications to their credit. Still, for many of these people, they are unable to find a way to break out of this entry-level IT position and avoid career stagnation.

I am going to share with you five key strategies that have allowed me to stand out in this sea of similarly qualified IT candidates and further my career. Like many of you, my first job was supporting software for customers in my company's help desk. I knew from day 1 that I could not let myself become complacent in that job. Here are five things I did to work towards getting out of that help desk:

1. DO work towards the more popular industry certifications.

Computer certifications such as Microsoft's MCSE and Cisco's CCNA may be more popular and widespread than ever, but that doesn't mean you should dismiss working towards and obtaining them. In fact, it should be the exact reason you WANT to obtain them. They've almost become prerequisites in many IT positions beyond the help desk. Employers EXPECT to see that you've taken the time to earn these popular industry certifications. There may be many candidates out there with them, but be certain you're not one of the candidates without them.

2. DO make your current employer aware of your desire to advance.

Don't wait for your boss to talk with you about more specialized positions in the company. You need to take the initiative and let them know that you're eager to be considered for positions that open up. If you don't show them that, then they will most likely be happy letting you stay at the help desk. After all, if you're doing a good job there and seem to be content...they have no reason to consider you. Make them consider you.

3. DO create an account and resume on the major IT job sites.

Tech job employers put many of their job openings on the major job search sites, such as Monster.com and Dice.com. Both of these sites allow you to create an account and resume that includes your skills and certifications. Often, just having your resume on those sites will draw employers to YOU if they are looking for certain skills. They may be looking to fill a position for a junior network admin and putting in "CCNA" as a keyword search. If your profile/resume contains "CCNA"...they may contact you to interview.

4. DON'T make yourself into something you aren't.

The IT industry is the wrong field to try and fake your way through an interview. If a job posting puts emphasis on SQL Server database administration for example, don't assume you can read a book on it and you're suddenly qualified. If you were to squeak by in an interview, you would certainly be found out while on the job. Shoot straight with employers. Let them know what you're really strong in and that you're willing to learn quickly in areas you're less qualified in. Honesty and enthusiasm in an interview are a much better policy than fluffing yourself up.

5. DO build up your skill set

The most important thing to employers in the IT industry is EXPERIENCE. They want to see that you have verifiable experience in the skills they're looking for. Education is important and can help in advancing, but an impressive skill set is worth so much more. Do you have experience administering Microsoft Exchange Server? How many years experience can you show them that you were a network administrator? Emphasize your skills and experience above everything.

Chris Baker is a systems administrator for a Hispanic Business 500 company in central Florida. Reviews and news about affiliate marketing programs - http://www.affiliatereviewblog.com

4 Easy Steps to Better Online Customer Support

Customer support is very important when you're running a business, whether your business is on or off the net. If your customer support is hopeless, you'll soon find your customers running away from you and worse, telling others to stay away too.

If you're like many of us out there, the last thing you want to do is to spend the whole day replying to customer support emails. Here are 4 easy steps to help improve your customer support and at the same time reduce the time you spend replying to queries. The trick here is to help your customers help themselves before you help them.

- Step 1: Start with a Knowledge base / FAQs

The first step to your support system is to set up a knowledge base or, if you have a quite straight forward product, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section. This will save you a lot of time. Your customers will also be happier since they can find answers to their questions immediately. If you're just starting out, it is still a good idea to set up a knowledge base/FAQs. Just sit down and think of all the possible questions that your customer would ask. Maybe not all. Start with a few and you can always add more to it as time goes by.

- Step 2: Set up a Forum

A forum is a great addition to your customer support system. The forum should be the second place your customer would turn to for help. A lot of people associate a forum to discussions, moderating, a lot of work and a headache to maintain. This is only true if you use a forum as a discussion area.

Instead, you should use it as a customer support tool. Just create different forum categories for eg., pre sale questions, member questions, one category for each product. A forum is an excellent way to provide customer support because:

 

• There is a search function for the customer to find related posts
• You could easily set up a forum for free. Most good web hosts now has a one click forum installation function.
• You don't have to worry about your replies being caught by your customers' email filters
• If you get a question you've answered before, just give them a link to the answer in another post.
• Usually, other forum members are willing to answer a question that they've managed to solve ... for free.
• Hiring extra help is as easy as adding a new moderator.

 Step 3: Install a Ticket help desk

Not all queries can be handled via a knowledge base and a forum. Sometimes there is a need for your customers to send you private information such as usernames and passwords.

When a situation like this arises, you will need a way for your customers to send you the information without others being able to see it. One of the best ways to handle this is to set up an online ticket help desk.

A ticket help desk system will allow your customers to create a user account and log a ticket into your system. They can then send whatever information they need to send. You can even allow them to attach files. Most good help desks will also allow you to prepare pre-written responses for repetitive queries.

Again, a good web host would also have some kind of help desk script installation available at a click.

- Step 4: Use a good email software

And finally, you have the good ole e-mail. Which should be the last thing your customers resort to. After implementing the above three systems, you will find a remarkably reduced amount of e-mails you need to reply to. Customers are getting wiser. Most know that e-mails are seldom replied to. So, they would only resort to this as a last resort.

Don't make a mistake of putting your email address on your web site. Use a form. With email filters rampant on the net, also remember to inform your customers that your e-mail may be trapped by their email filter.

There you go. Just set these up and you'll find your customer support a lot easier to handle.

Bina runs the WebSite Workshop that provides tools & training to help newbies build web sites. Subscribe to Bina's ezine 'WebBriefcase!' & get your free course on "How to Make Your Own Web Site in 7 Easy Steps" mailto:subscribe@website-workshop.com

The ABC's of Online Customer Support

Want to provide great online customer support? Want to provide the kind of customer support that will grow your business, by building customer loyalty and satisfaction? It’s not as hard as it sounds! Just remember your ABC’s.

A-Add value

Don’t just do the bare minimum when it comes to providing customer support on your website. Go above and beyond to provide the customer with an exceptional experience. Remember, there are probably several sites out there right now trying to sell the same products or services that you are. Differentiate yourself by the high level of customer service you provide. Don’t simply answer questions. Provide solutions. Don’t just give a suggestion. Be an expert! If your customers or potential customers come to your site with a question or problem, help them as if you’re the foremost expert in your field. For example, let’s assume you run a website that sells bird houses. A potential customer visits your site and has a question about a specific model. How do you help them? First and foremost, I hope that you answer their question. But you have a great opportunity to go above and beyond. Ask the potential customer what types of birds she’s hoping to attract, where she is going to be putting the bird house, and where she’s located. With this information, as the world’s foremost expert in bird houses, you can recommend the right model in size, style, and material for her desired result. Now, you’re more than just a bird house salesman to this customer, you’re a bird house expert! You’ve added value through your online customer support.

B-Be There

A customer is on your site looking at your information and they have a big question. Where are you? The idea of ‘being there’ is twofold. First, it means making customer support channels easily accessible via your website. Regardless of what channels you use, you want them to be easily accessible from any page on your site. Either put your customer support channels on each page, or provide a clear and easy-to-find link to your support page from every page. As soon as your customer has a question, you don’t want them to have to look far to find a way to get in touch with you. Second, ‘being there’ means being available when your customers contact you. Be ready to answer the phone when they call, respond to all emails within a couple hours, or be prepared to handle incoming chats or support tickets. What good is customer support when a customer finds no one on the other end to assist them immediately? ‘Be there’ for your customers and you will be rewarded with better relationships and stronger loyalty.

C-Count the Cost

Let’s face it, your time and money are valuable. So, how do you provide great customer support on a budget? Come up with a plan. Determine what options are available to you, weigh the advantages vs. the costs, and implement your decisions. Here are some considerations regarding different online customer support options:

Phone support: Convenient for your customers, but potentially costly and time consuming for you. If you have an 800#, that is a large expense, and you can only talk to one person at a time.

Email support: Less effective for the customer than phone support. It is quick and easy to send their questions to you, but uncertainty over the length of time for responses is a concern. For you, email is one of the cheapest and easiest forms of support. You probably already have email, and you can respond to inquiries on your time.

Live chat software: Most effective channel of online customer support for the customer. Their questions can be answered immediately on the website by a real person. For you, the key is finding quality and affordable live chat software, and it is available. Also, live chat requires that you, or an employee, are available to handle incoming chat requests as much as possible.

Knowledge Database/FAQ/Self-Help: This can be a quick and easy way to get answers for your more savvy customers. However, it can also be burdensome for customers if they aren’t quickly and easily able to find answers to their questions. This is probably the easiest channel of customer support for you. After the initial time investment required to dump all of your information to the site, it is there and available for customers from then on.

These are just 4 of the channels for online customer support. You may also consider support tickets, forums, and others. As you can see, each channel has its advantages and disadvantages, both for you as the business owner, and for your customers. The best websites for online customer support usually offer a blend of several of these channels.

Providing great customer support on your website is not difficult, and it will have tremendous advantages for you. To provide excellent support for both you and your customers, simply remember the ABC’s of online customer support: Add value, Be there, and Count the cost.

Dan Cavanaugh is an online customer support expert with the Customer Support Network, an organization committed to the improvement of online customer service. To learn more about online customer support and the role it plays in e-commerce, click here: http://www.customersupportnetwork.com