Help Desk Customer Service Skills for User Support.

Help DeskHelp Desk

Customer Service Skills for Customer Service Skills for User SupportUser Support

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Certificate III Software ApplicationsCustomer Service Skills for User

Support

Customer Service Skills for Customer Service Skills for User Support AgentsUser Support Agents

Communication and interpersonal skills are Communication and interpersonal skills are very important for help desk and user support very important for help desk and user support staff. Whether they supply help to end users staff. Whether they supply help to end users personally or via phone, fax or email, all personally or via phone, fax or email, all successful support staff must be able to:successful support staff must be able to:

ListenListen UnderstandUnderstand CommunicateCommunicate Work effectively with users to solve end user Work effectively with users to solve end user

problemsproblems

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Communication Skills & Communication Skills & Customer ServiceCustomer Service

Communication is a two way process that Communication is a two way process that

involves listening, speaking and involves listening, speaking and

understandingunderstanding..

A support organisation that can solve user's A support organisation that can solve user's

problems effectively and efficiently, and does problems effectively and efficiently, and does

so using good interpersonal skills, creates so using good interpersonal skills, creates

customer satisfaction and demonstrates that customer satisfaction and demonstrates that

the support organisation provides excellent the support organisation provides excellent

customer service.customer service.

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Satisfied customers are repeat customers.Satisfied customers are repeat customers.

Dissatisfied customer is more likely to generate Dissatisfied customer is more likely to generate user support results that could include:user support results that could include:

lengthy callslengthy calls repeated call-backsrepeated call-backs complaints and ill will among clients (which can complaints and ill will among clients (which can

translate into poor public relations and lost translate into poor public relations and lost sales)sales)

calls to rerouted to a higher level support calls to rerouted to a higher level support specialist or a user support managerspecialist or a user support manager

product returns for a refundproduct returns for a refund

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A customer service ethic means that, in the pursuit of A customer service ethic means that, in the pursuit of

customer service excellence, support staff customer service excellence, support staff

employees:employees:

provide users with the information, service, or provide users with the information, service, or

solution they need if there is any reasonable way to solution they need if there is any reasonable way to

do so.do so.

explain to customers what they can do for them, if explain to customers what they can do for them, if

they cannot solve their problems.they cannot solve their problems.

treat customers and potential customers with treat customers and potential customers with

respect.respect.

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communicate to callers how long they are communicate to callers how long they are

likely to be on hold and provide time likely to be on hold and provide time

estimates of how long it may take to estimates of how long it may take to

provide information or solve a problem.provide information or solve a problem.

return calls when promised, even if it just return calls when promised, even if it just

to report that no progress has yet beento report that no progress has yet been

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To create customer satisfaction and help To create customer satisfaction and help reach an organisation customer service reach an organisation customer service goals, support specialists must master the goals, support specialists must master the essential communications skills.essential communications skills.

listening carefullylistening carefully

build understandingbuild understanding

respond effectivelyrespond effectively

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Listening

In any support conversation, learn to listen In any support conversation, learn to listen

before you speak. Listen to the caller's before you speak. Listen to the caller's

description of the question or the description of the question or the

problem; develop a thorough problem; develop a thorough

understanding of it.understanding of it.

InterruptingInterrupting the caller is one indication the caller is one indication

that you are not listening carefully.that you are not listening carefully.

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ListeningFirst:- listen also to the listen also to the languagelanguage that the that the

caller uses to phrase the question or describe caller uses to phrase the question or describe the problem. This will give you clues as to the problem. This will give you clues as to whether the user is a novice or an whether the user is a novice or an experienced user.experienced user.

Second:- listen to how the caller describes the listen to how the caller describes the problem, which can provide further insight problem, which can provide further insight into the problem and the caller. What tone of into the problem and the caller. What tone of voice does the caller use, are they angry or voice does the caller use, are they angry or sound frustrated. Do they hesitate or struggle sound frustrated. Do they hesitate or struggle with technical terms. Cues such as these with technical terms. Cues such as these provide you with valuable information on how provide you with valuable information on how to handle the call and the caller.to handle the call and the caller.

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Build UnderstandingOnce you have listened and understood the Once you have listened and understood the

users problem, try to develop an users problem, try to develop an understanding of the users situation.understanding of the users situation.

You should ideally develop a level of empathy You should ideally develop a level of empathy (an understanding of and identification (an understanding of and identification with another person's situation, thoughts with another person's situation, thoughts and feelings).and feelings).

Try to understand, for example, why the Try to understand, for example, why the problem is important to the caller.problem is important to the caller.

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Respond Effectively

There are three important aspects that you

should be aware of when speaking

effectively. They are:

call greeting

call scripts

tone and style

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Use a Sincere GreetingThe greeting is the ice breaker which can

affect the course of the entire call. First impressions of the organisation and support staff are formed on the basis of the greeting.

A sincere positive greeting can work towards calming an angry or frustrated customer. Most organisations have a standard method which often includes the employee's first name and name of the organisation.

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Use Scripts Appropriately

Many support organisations supply and use

scripts to help handle routine calls.

A script is a prepared list of questions and

statements that cover the important parts

of the call. They direct support staff

according to responses.

Scripts are useful training aids for new

support staff.

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Use Tone and Style EffectivelyUse Tone and Style Effectively

How you communicate with a caller is often

more important than the content of the

communication. Your tone and style have

a direct impact on the caller's satisfaction

level.

Consider the following caller statements:

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"The support specialist did provide me with the minimum of information I requested, but I felt throughout the whole conversation that I was

intruding on their time. They spoke rapidly and curtly, and weren't very pleasant.”

oror"The support specialist couldn't tell me what I needed

to know, but explained why the information wasn't available yet, when it would be, and invited me to call back. I felt like a valued customer and that my

call was important to them. "

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Use Tone and Style EffectivelyUse Tone and Style EffectivelyOften an organisation will indicate which type of

communication style they would like their employees to use: formal, informal, casual or professional. They realise that the style is important because it communicates the organisation's image.

Use clear succinct speech and match your speed to the callers or users proficiency level.

Communication with callers / users should be Communication with callers / users should be positively phrased rather than negatively.positively phrased rather than negatively. The The followingfollowing example highlights this: example highlights this:

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"The problem with your file occurred

because YOU didn't follow the procedure described in Chapter 2 of the

manual“

useuse“I think the procedure on file handling in Chapter 2 of the manual describes a way

to avoid the problem with the file you experienced. Let me find the page for

you….....................”

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Develop an Incident Develop an Incident Management StrategyManagement Strategy

An incident management strategy is a collection of tools, techniques and approaches that successful support specialists use to move through a call effectively and efficiently, from the initial greeting to the end of the call.

The four goals of incident management are: Provide the user with the information he or she

needs. Manage stress levels for both the user and the

support specialist. Ensure that the incident progresses from start

to finish in an effective and efficient way. Make the user more self reliant.

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All support specialists develop and refine their own

strategies in relation to incident management.

Resources that you can build on and incorporate

into your own personal strategies could include:

Organisational policies on incident management

philosophy and expectations.

Incident management strategies covered in

support specialist training programs.

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Observation and imitation of respected

senior support staff agents.

Your personal communications experience

and style.

Feedback from users, peers, and

supervisors on your call management

strengths and areas for improvement.

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An incident management strategy begins with knowledge of the support organisation's philosophy and policies, an understanding of : :

an automated helpdeskan automated helpdesk helpdesk software packagehelpdesk software package user support toolsuser support tools guidelines that user support specialists guidelines that user support specialists

have found usefulhave found useful

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Listed are some examples of incident management guidelines:

ask goal directed diagnostic questions be honest say “I don’t know” when “You don’t know” apologise say thank you use incident management NOT user

management teach self reliance

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Strategies for Difficult Strategies for Difficult Clients and IncidentsClients and Incidents

A difficult client is one that requires special

handling strategies because the user is

angry, uncommunicative, rude or in a

variety of other states. The challenge for

the support worker is to transform the

difficult call into a successful one.

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Strategies for Difficult Strategies for Difficult Clients and IncidentsClients and Incidents

users who complain contacts from power users incidents that get off the track users who are upset or angry users who are abusive users who won’t to talk users who won’t stop responding

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Comprehensive Comprehensive Customer ServiceCustomer Service

Communications and interpersonal skills are essential to excellent customer service. Yet a comprehensive approach to excellent customer service is also based on specific values, attitudes and actions.

Firstly:- client service starts when each employee in the organisation recognises that clients are the primary reason for the organisation's existence. Each employee's job depends directly on client satisfaction.

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Comprehensive Comprehensive Customer ServiceCustomer Service

Secondly:- client service excellence is based on whether the support staff is willing to take extra steps to make sure clients are satisfied. This can be by keeping clients apprised of the progress or lack of progress towards a problem solution. This promotes a win ‑ win outcome for each call.

Thirdly:- excellent client support depends on adequate support resources. Client service excellence is the result of planning, adequate staffing, and a sufficient budget for help desk tools and information resources.

Help Desk Customer Service Skills for User Support.

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