The Help Desk in the 21st Century

Where do you go if you have a problem with your satellite television or broadband service provider? Whom do you call if your have a problem with your computer's installation system or if your printer just died on you before a major presentation? Who is the one person who can quickly help you stop that whining noise and smoke that your lap top is generating right in the middle of the conference call you are having with your boss? If you are like me, the auto dial function on your telephone will have the number of your friendly global help desk! According to me, the help desk is the best invention of man in the twenty first century. The computer and all the electronic gadgets are over hyped. Technology changes much before it becomes affordable in the first place. And gadgets and gizmos are flooding the marketplace like never before. If there is anything at all that has remained consistent through all the tumult, it has been the ubiquitous help desk.

Its only over the last 10 years that the Help Desk, as we know it today, has become an important component in the corporation. Before that time corporations were not geared up to offer a streamlined customer service. Customers would have to struggle through detailed instruction unaided, or make numerous calls to the "Customer Service" Department.

The concept of the help desk started off as a service offering, provided by makers of new IT products and services to clients, who were still unfamiliar with the new age technology. But as users have gotten more savvy, the products and services too have become even more complex. Which makes the role of the help desk even more important. Take Windows itself. This simple operating system started off as Windows 1.0. It grew over the years to become Windows 3.0, Windows 3.1, Windows 95, 97, 2000 and now XP. Obviously, each new version has seen the features increase. And each passing year has seen more users start taking up desktop computing as a real option.

This has only meant more work for the people at the Microsoft help desk. As the versions increased and the features expanded, the conventional help desk too expanded to become much more than a mere service offering. Software products and services almost being on par made the quality of the after sales service a critical component in the competitive marketplace. And the help desk, being at the forefront of this arena, has had to adapt and evolve.

So, the typical help desk of today is staffed not just with people who can familiarize you with products and their features, but also specialist engineers and technicians who can troubleshoot your problems and provide you with the correct solution, often within the duration of a simple telephone call. And since the business demands skilled professionals who come with an innate understanding of technology, better prospects have emerged for IT professionals.

In fact, in keeping with the global outsourcing trend, most help desk jobs have moved to countries like India and China where there is no shortage of skilled manpower, and the quality of the professionals is assured. The beneficial cost structures have also contributed to this trend. For like I mentioned earlier, the products may evolve and newer versions may come up. But unless the help desk remains an integral part of the service offering, there will be no exponential increase of market share.

Russel Clark is a consultant specializing in implementing IT Help Desks in large corporates. You can view Russel's other work at WWW.W0RLD0F.COM

Technical Support Psychology - Dealing with Stress

Good people skills are essential.

Each job has its own level of stress, some more so than others. Providing technical support in the IT industry in particular can be extremely difficult because, as well as dealing with sometimes incredibly complex equipment, the engineer onsite must also try to pacify an irate CEO or business executive.

Don't get overwhelmed by the situation

In most companies, time is money and there could be anywhere between 2 and 2,000 people waiting for you, the engineer, to fix the problem. When faced with this kind of pressure it's very easy to be overwhelmed by the situation and go into a 'panic mode', trying various things at random, without any kind of definite plan. This is generally a very bad place to be, as more often than not, you'll make the problem worse and not better.

I have found that the best approach to this is to take a mental step back then a few deep breaths to try and calm your mind. It's going to be a tough day but it's only a few hours of your life so there's absolutely no point in getting too stressed out about it.

Do not confuse relaxing with not caring.

You still have a problem to solve with professionalism and expediency. Once you have control of yourself then you are ready to take care of your client.

Another situation that generates stress is that, during the course of troubleshooting a problem, you will run out of ideas. It's inevitable that at some point in your career this will happen to you. Again, the key here is not to panic or despair.

Go back over the facts and try to think 'outside the box'.

It's possible the solution to your problem is sitting right in front of you but you are simply too close to see it.

Try to get a second opinion if possible.

Sometimes a fresh pair of eyes on a problem is all it takes to resolve it. If this isn't possible then perhaps a sounding board will help - just someone to bounce ideas off to help get your mind back on track. They don't have to be technical or understand what you are talking about. In fact you can even talk to yourself (although I don't recommend this especially if there are other people around...). The main aim here is to get the situation completely clear in your head.

De-stress Your Client

It's quite common to receive a call for help some time after a problem has occurred (sometimes even months may have elapsed). Perhaps the client thought they could fix the problem themselves or maybe they thought the problem would just go away. Anyway, it hasn't, the client is in a panic and now it's YOUR job to fix it.

When faced with this situation your first priority is to calm down your client. Have no doubt that they'll be all over you on site, maybe trying to help or just trying to make you understand the urgency of their situation. Remember, they could be losing thousands of dollars an hour so make sure you respond appropriately. They will be stressed. If they want to know what you are doing, tell them.

Always speak to your clients at their technical level

If your client is a technician then talk technical, if not, then drop the 'jargon' as far as possible. Watch them as you are talking and make sure they're not phasing out. The blank look is a sure sign they don't understand what you are saying and have tuned out. It's very easy to fall into the habit of using technical jargon and acronyms that are completely obvious to people in the industry but mean absolutely nothing to your client. If they can't understand you, they'll just get more stressed.

Another thing you should be aware of is even if your client doesn't understand what you're talking about they may not say anything or ask any questions in fear of looking stupid. Make sure you're all on the same wavelength.

De-stress Yourself

In order for you to fault find effectively you'll require a degree of peace and quiet to be able to think clearly. If your client is panicking or there's too much going on around you try using the following strategies:

Reassure your client that their problem can and will be fixed as quickly as possible.

Speak calmly and firmly so they know you are in control of the situation.

LISTEN to what they have to say. This will also have a calming effect on them and show them you care.

Try to organise one point of contact so you're not constantly disturbed by various people popping their heads in to see how the repair is going.

Once you have your client under control you'll be able to get more useful information from them regarding the problem.

The whole point here is to try to create an environment which is as stress free as possible.

Paperbark Solutions, Robert Verstandig

Robert is a Senior Systems Engineer currently under contract with Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. He has over 25 years of experience in the Avionics and IT industry and has supported a wide variety of technology. Robert is also the author of the book, Secrets of Troubleshooting Systems, which describes the ins and outs of fault diagnosis in complex systems.

A New Type of Customer Support

We all know getting into some of the major stores such as Barney's, Saks and Neimans new Cusp stores can be great exposure, volume and really express the legitimacy of your brand.

But now more than ever you'll see smaller pointedly stylish local boutiques are becoming the new barometer for what's golden in the contemporary market.

My advice...see what retailers tickle your brand's fancy and start your sales efforts at the top of the boutique food chain. If you don't...hence deciding to let your sales efforts run themselves you'll find yourself placed in a lot of stores that are less than......and manage to make yourself a little less desirable.

Example: Think after school special...new girl in school decides to go out with every guy that asks for her phone number. Well she probably will never be able to date the captain of the football team. Unfortunately she lost her appeal.

But lets take it the other way around....New girl, lands the captain of the football team, notwithstanding him being totally blind she's instantly branded as the most beautiful thing walking... resulting in a lot more options if they should ever should every break up.

Excuse me for my teenybopper example but the point is to have a strategy and realize that it is in fact one of the most important parts of your brand launch. You'll want to be able to proudly publicize your store list and have your sales in essence do some marketing for you.

So where are these stores? There are boutiques all over the country you'll find are mentioned again and again in the press. Browse through the pages of US Weekly, Life and Style, Vogue, Elle, InStyle....you'll quickly see who is making a name for themselves and are creating a new definition of customer support.

Here are a few of my favorites.....

Mini Majors:
Scoop NYC and Intermix

LA Local Legends:
Fred Segal, Lisa Kline, Kitson

Other Fresh Faces:
Milk, Presse, Diavolina, Madison

Web Masters:
Shop Bop, Active Endeavors

Ralinda Harvey is the owner of Gloss Marketing, marketing and merchandising firm specializing in contemporary fashion companies. Ralinda has worked in merchandising and marketing for Michael Stars as well as Gap Inc. brands Gap and Old Navy. She has also served as an adjunct marketing instructor at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.

She currently consults a network of clients while conducting fashion marketing seminars with organizations such as Fashion Business Inc.

Website: http://www.glossmarketing.com
Blog: http://www.glossmarketing.com/blog/

How to Assess a Web Hosting Company's Customer Support

One of the key characteristics of a good web hosting company is 24x7 technical support. This support shouldn't be limited to hardware and software issues but also things such as integration with payment gateways, installation of SSL certificates, help with extra features like autoresponders and RSS feeds, etc.

Unfortunately, the technical support at most web hosting companies is not up to the necessary standard. Many of them make big claims but they often don't invest enough in their support staff and systems.

Some hosts aren't even really hosting companies - they're resellers who are essentially a middleman between you and the company on whose servers your site is actually hosted. These resellers have to take your issues to the hosting company when something goes wrong - adding to the time it takes for a resolution.

Before you choose a web host, you should put in a little effort to assess the quality and competence of the host's technical support staff. If something goes wrong with your website, it's these people you'll be dealing with.

What You Should Be Checking

Call their customer support and inquire about the host's maintenance routines and availability, as well the support person's professional certification, years of experience, years working with the host, etc.

Even if you aren't very technical yourself, you'll get a good feel for the quality of the staff by asking a few questions. The way they answer your questions is as important as the actual answer they give.

Ask the person you're speaking with where they're located as well as the location of the web hosting company. The support staff are often in a different location than the host, and this can sometimes lead to additional time when there is a problem that needs to be resolved. They can't just walk down the hall and talk to a network admin.

You can also ask if the support staff are working for the host directly or if they're hired on a contract basis. If they are on contract, it can be a sign that the technical support is outsourced instead of handled in-house.

If you are put on hold a lot by the support person, it could be an indication that they either don't have enough support staff or the "first line" people are not well trained and have to look to a higher level for answers to difficult questions.

Make sure you do your research before deciding on a host. If your website goes down in the middle of an important event, you want to know that you can talk to someone who can get you back up and running sooner rather than later.

John Lenaghan writes about web page hosting for personal and business sites, and other website hosting topics on the Hosting Report website. Find out more at http://www.hostingreport.org.