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After studying this chapter, you will be able to:
J Explain the difference between a help desk and a call center.
J Describe the three levels of technical support.
J Identify desirable communications skills.
J Explain how body language influences customer and client perceptions.
J Identify the traits that exhibit a professional image.
J Identify strategies for dealing with difficult customers and clients.
J Explain the importance of performing a follow-up in customer relations.
23 Customer Support,Communication,and Professionalism
A+ ExamKey Points
The Communication and Professionalism d omain is new and is part of the
Com pTIA A+ 2006 exams: Essential, 220-602 (IT Tech) an d 220-603 (Remote
Tech). In these exams, you will most likely encounter questions related to
customer relations, such as communicating clearly with the customer, listening
to the customer, and conveying to the customer a p ositive attitud e. A+
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Key Words and Terms
The following w ords and terms w ill become imp ortant p ieces of your
compu ter vocabulary. Be sure you can define them.
call center help desk
customer support live supportdepot technician professionalism
emoticons teamwork
This chapter covers the basic skills necessary to function in a customer- or
client-related environment. Not a ll compu ter jobs require you to m eet and work
with custom ers and clients. How ever, most jobs do require working with
customers and clients on a regu lar basis. You probably assum e you already
know how to deal w ith peop le. There are some specific skills required to keep
customers and clients happ y that you m ay not be aware of.
In this chapter, you will be introduced to specific customer- and client-
support scenarios. You will learn abou t the forms of condu ct that have been
accepted as an indu stry standard. You m ay be the most skilled technician in thecompany, but if you do not deal with people in a p rofessional and courteous
manner, you will most likely lose your job or be banned from dealing w ith
custom ers and clients. You w ill also never be raised to a p osition of leadership
or managemen t, and a ll other career options may become limited. The impor-
tance of learning the skills in this chap ter cannot be emp hasized enou gh.
Reading, und erstanding, and being able to pu t into practice the skills covered in
this chap ter may d etermine your futu re in a computer-related career.
Customer Support
Simply pu t,customer support is the delivery of customer assistance,
customer training, and customer services. This section provides an overview ofcustomer sup port. In it, you are given the big picture of how the organization
mod els work together to resolve customer and client compu ter p roblems. You
will learn h ow different levels of supp ort can be d istributed across these mod els
and will be made aware of the level of customer interaction typical of each
model.
Cust omer Support Organizat ion Models
There are several customer support organ ization m odels that are recognized
as standard. Some of these models are help desk, call center, small business,
service counter, depot technician, and corporate enterp rise supp ort. The exact
model of your company and how you fit within that model depends on threemain factors:
I The number of people requiring support.
I The p roduct being sup ported.
I The custom er location (local or global).
788 Compu ter Service and Repair
customer support
the delivery of
customer assistance,
customer training,
and customer
services.
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Some organ izations are a combination of several mod els working together
as a team . For example, a help desk service may be ou tsourced to a foreign
country such as India. This help desk m ay w ork closely w ith an organization in
the USA that performs the actual physical work. In the following sections,
several of the most common support organization mod els are presented.
Help desk
Ahelp desk is a central point of contact that p rovides technical support to
clients. The clients m ay be comp any emp loyees or customers. The u sual m ethod
of contact is by telephone or e-mail. Examples of organizations that typically
provide h elp desk supp ort are Internet Service Providers (ISPs), hardw are and
software m anufacturers, corporate businesses, and edu cational and government
institutions.
The help desk is the first level of support used to resolve common compu ter
hard ware and software p roblems. In most instances, a service request and repair
ticket is generated from the first moment of contact with a client.
The help d esk can be a d edicated, single location or p art of a larger organi-
zation, such as a call center, Figure 23-1. For example, a large enterprise, such asDell, could ou tsource their first level of suppor t to a call center. If the call center
cannot immed iately resolve the problem, the supp ort request is forwarded to
the next level of support, which may be a technician located at Dell. The techni-
cian is trained to hand le more d ifficult problems that requ ire intervention by a
person w ith much more expertise.
Call center
Acall center is typically a large collection of support people located in a
common facility equipped with telephones and computer network support.
Many call centers provide supp ort for more than one company or p rodu ct. The
center may be located anywh ere in the world.
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 789
Callcenter
Business 3Busin ess 2
Call Center Mod el
B
Help Desk Model
A
Business 1
Helpdesk
Figure 23-1.
Help desk model
and call center
mod el. AIn the
help desk m odel, the
help desk is part of
the company. BIn
the call center
mod el, the help desk
is a par t of a call
center. The callcenter p rovides
support to many
different bu sinesses.
help desk
a central point of
contact that provides
technical support to
clients. The clients
may be company
employees or
customers.
call center
a large collection of
support p eople
located in a common
facility equ ipped
with telephones and
computer network
support. A call
center can p rovide
supp ort for more
than one company
or product.
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790 Compu ter Service and Repair
Call center employees do not necessarily have technical skills required for
repairing compu ter-related problems. They are m ore likely trained to read
prepared scripts correlated to the m ost comm on general p roblems. If they
cannot adequ ately fix the problem, the support request is forwarded to the next
level of repair technician. This repair technician is usually located at the
company who manufactures the equipment or writes the software.
Small business service counter
Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy. Over half of all
American emp loyment op portu nities are in small businesses. You will very
likely start you r career in a small business environmen t. You m ay even star t
your own small business. In the small business environment, you will meet face
to face with customers on a regular basis. Good customer relation skills are a
key factor to your success.
The customer m ay be at the coun ter to make a pu rchase, request assistance
in a purchase, or solicit technical sup port for an item p urchased a t the vend or
location. In the small business environment, a service technician will most likely
fulfill multiple roles for their em ployer. They m ay be resp onsible for sellingcompu ter hardware and software and related m aterials. They may also be
responsible for technical support and for answering custom er questions in
person, by telephone, or through e-mail. They m ay be d ispatched to a customer
location to install or troubleshoot comp uter equ ipment or provide training.
Depot technician
The ma in job of adepot t echnician is to perform repair work u sually
covered by w arranty. The depot technician receives the hard ware item after the
client has contacted customer su pp ort through a call center or help desk or if
the p roblem is not immed iately resolved by the first contact. Once the equip-
ment arrives at the d epot, it is assigned to a technician for inspection an d for
repair or replacement. A dep ot technician has very limited customer contact orno customer contact at all.
Corporate enterprise support
In the large corporate environment, technical sup port services can be
composed of many people w orking as a team. Typically, an emp loyee contacts
a help desk. The help d esk technician generates a repair or inciden t ticket,
Figure 23-2. If the help desk technician fails to assist the fellow employee to
make th e necessary ad justm ents to the item, the ticket is then assigned to a tech-
nician who will report to the employees location.
At the location, the technician will either repair or replace the piece of equip-
ment in qu estion. This organizational mod el is found wh ere there are su fficient
numbers of compu ters and related equipm ent to justify the cost of a full-time
staff dedicated to this function.
Support Softw are
There are many different software packages designed to keep track of
service requests and the final results. This is typically how service is organized
and tracked. For example, wh en a customer or client first contacts the help d esk
depot technician
a technician that
performs repair
work, u sually
covered by warran ty,
and has very limited
customer contact or
no customer contactat all.
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Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 791
Repair Ticket
Job Request Number:
Contact Information
Name:
Department:
Equipment information
Brand:
Equipment description (CPU, amount of RAM, etc.):
Operating system (if applicable):
Problem description:
Repair Information
Service date:
Diagnosis:
Actions taken:
Parts used:
Date repair completed:
Contact signature:
Technician signature:
Initial contact date:
Phone number:
Model:
Service technician:
SN:
Date:
Date:
Figure 23-2.
Example of a repair
ticket for the corp o-
rate environment.
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792 Compu ter Service and Repair
with a service request, the call is logged, Figure 23-3. This includes ad ding the
date and time and a d escription of the problem. The software will typically
generate a repair ticket.
The help desk technician may resolve the p roblem imm ediately or may
dispatch a t echnician to the clients location. The copy of the repair ticket is
distributed to the technician who w ill report to the physical location of the
problem.On resolving the p roblem, the technician comp letes the ticket by add ing the
procedu re used to resolve the problem. Any hard ware or software that needs to
be provided or has been provided to remed y the problem is also listed. A
follow-up of the incident can be reviewed at the end of the day to ensure all
problems have been resolved and that no incident has been left unresolved.
Levels of Support
There are typically three levels of support within an organization, Figure 23-4.
Level-one support is the initial technical support contact. This is typically made
with technical support from a help desk, Web site, or call center. Most problems
can be corrected at this level.Level-two supp ort is when the p roblem is elevated to a p erson with m ore
experience or expertise than the first person contacted. While level-one sup port
hand les most problems, the person at level one typically answ ers technical
support questions from queue cards or a software program that has answers
available for the m ost comm on customer problems and questions. Level-two
Figure 23-3.
HelpStar service
request. (Help Desk
Technology
International
Corporation)
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support is provided for problems that are much less commonly encountered or
more u nique in na ture. For example, a new software ap plication that has just
been released to the p ublic may be conflicting with another software ap plica-
tion. The p roblem is so new th at there is no or very limited information. The
level-two sup port technician w orks closely w ith the customer to solve the
problem. The technician m ay need to recreate the p roblem before being able to
find a p rocedu re for correcting the problem.
Level-three sup port is typ ically p rovided outside the immed iate technical
support location. For examp le, a third-party comp any, such as Microsoft and
IBM, provides level-three sup port when a problem cannot be solved locally by
level-one or level-two support. This is often a combined effort to solve a
customer problem and is coordinated by the original supp ort team mem ber
wh o is a level-two m ember at th e home comp any. Level-three support m ay
involve software program mers and engineers. Consum ers are generally never
involved with level-three supp ort personnel.
Most level-one technical supp ort is free, at least for a limited time. The
highest level of supp ort is typically not free and is set up on a cost per inciden t
basis or through a service contract. It may also be based on a specific num ber of
incidents or minu tes of live sup port.Live support is when you actually talk to
support p ersonnel rather than u sing e-mail as a means of technical support.
Outsourcing
Customer su pp ort is often outsou rced to a compan y that specializes in tech-
nical support. The outsource comp any m ay reside in the United States or be
located overseas. The main reason for outsourcing is cost of the support service,
of which the major cost is employee wages. It is often less expensive for a
company to u se a call center located in a foreign country because the wages
may be far less than if the same service was provided locally.
A software or hardw are comp any m ay find it more cost effective to
outsource level-one support an d op t to provide level-two support on a local
basis. All common or rou tine problems encountered by customers or clients can
be answered by the ou tsource service. Problems requ iring a level-two technician
are reserved for the company at the local location or authorized service centers
scattered across the United States and world .
For examp le, the ABC Laptop manufacturer has all client and customer
support requests directed to a 1-800-number or to e-mail sup port. The first level
of supp ort is provided by the ou tsource comp any XYZ Corpora tion located in
Bombay, India but authorized to rep resent the ABC Laptop manufacturer
company in the United States. The XYZ Corporation handles all routine calls
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 793
liv e support
support in which a
customer o r client
talks d irectly to
support personnel
rather than using
e-mail or FAQs.
Level one
Level two
Level three
Help desk, Web site, or call center.
Sup ervisor over the level-one response team.
Sup ervisor (level two) working with th ird-party sup port from
a larger compan y.
Su pp ort Level Descrip tionFigure 23-4.
The levels of
support through
wh ich a problem can
flow.
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and provides help to customers. They cover the basic problems tha t may be
encountered an d talk customers th rough such items as verifying the following:
I Power LEDs are lit.
I All cables are connected .
I Memory has been reset.
They may also talk the customer through the p rocedu res for using thesupport CD to reinstall the operating system and through other basic tasks. If
the problem cannot be resolved, the outsource supp ort company forward s the
problem to the ABC Laptop manufacturer. This is wh en m ore sophisticated
troubleshooting diagnostics are requ ired or the actual p hysical replacement of
hard ware items. The customer is provided an ad dress to send the laptop to or a
pickup ticket for FedEx, UPS, or similar service. The laptop is then sent to the
ABC Laptop manufacturer for diagnostics and repair.
Frequently Asked Q uest ions (FAQ s)
Most businesses have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section posted
on their Web site. The FAQ section is designed as the name implies, to answer
the most comm only asked customer qu estions and inquiries. This is a very valu-
able tool that can help save m any h ours of customer su pp ort. It is especially
valuable if the company or business does not have a technical staff available
24/ 7. Large companies typ ically have a very extensive FAQ section on their Web
site. One such company is Dell.
Dell has set up a comprehensive customer support Web page using the most
commonly asked customer support questions, Figure 23-5. The major FAQ topic
areas are customer su pp ort questions, technical supp ort questions, and my
account questions. Figure 23-6 shows th e Dell Web page for the m ost frequently
794 Compu ter Service and Repair
Figure 23-5.Dell provides on
their Web site
(www.dell.com) a
FAQ for customer
service questions,
technical support
questions, and
account questions.
8/14/2019 Unprofessional Verbal Communication
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asked topics concerning Internet security. After selecting a topic, such as,How
Do I Clear My Temporary Internet Files, Cookies, and History in Internet
Explorer?, step-by-step instructions appear similar to those in Figure 23-7.
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 795
Figure 23-6.
This Dell TechSupp ort FAQ lists
the top Internet
security top ics.
Figure 23-7.
Dell provides proce-
du res for How do
I type questions.
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Dell saves thousand s of dollars in m anpower by p osting answ ers to the
most common ly asked customer questions. They also satisfy customer needs all
around the globe by providing customer support 24/ 7. It is interesting to note
that Dell provides the very sam e information that could be found on the
Microsoft Technical Sup por t Web site; however, Dell has p ersonalized the infor-
mation for their customers.
Communication Skills
Comm unication skills are an area of customer supp ort in wh ich compu ter
technicians w ill most likely have the greatest room for improvement.
Comm un ication with a customer is not limited to just the actual conversation. It
includ es other aspects, such as body language and a ttitud e. Although both of
these communication skills are unspoken, they present a clear m essage to the
customer abou t you r level of willingness and concern for fixing their p roblem.
This section discusses various aspects of communicationspecifically verbal
communication, body language, attitude, listening skills, telephone skills,
writing skills, and e-mail.
Verbal Communicat ion
The secret to a successful business is repeat customers. The secret to having
repeat customers is customer satisfaction. Customers are satisfied w hen you are
helpful, courteous, and express a genu ine sincerity when d ealing w ith their
problems and complaints. This may sound like a simple task, but one slip of
your tongu e wh ile you are frustrated could m ean the d ifference between
success and failure in customer relations.
When comm un icating with customers an d clients, always speak clearly and
concisely. Never u se comp uter an d network jargon and acronyms if you can
avoid it. You m ay think that u sing such language makes you sound smarter or
more knowledgeable. In reality, it makes the customer or client feel less valu-able and stup id. It breaks down their confidence even further than it already
mu st be. The customer or client shou ld feel comfortable while engaged in a
conversation w ith you.
Always begin your conversation w ith a warm greeting. For examp le, Good
morn ing, what can I do to be of service to you? While engaged in conversation
with a customer or client, use positive words to establish a Can d o! attitude.
Use reinforcing sta temen ts, such as, Dont worry, Ill have th is fixed in no
time, or This is a very common problem. Lots of people have trouble at first.
Do wh atever you can to bu ild their self-esteem an d th eir confidence in you and
in your company. The following are some good and bad examples of statements
used w hen commu nicating w ith a customer or client:
Good examples:Yes, we can fix that.
No p roblem, we can hand le that.
Yes, we fix that type of problem all the time.
If you have any more problems, dont hesitate to call.
You are no bother. This is wh at I am here for.
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Bad examples:I hope we can help you.
Ive never fixed that type of problem before.
I dont know, but Ill try.
Ill be busy later, so lets get th is finished now.
Body Language
Body language and mannerisms can say more than the spoken word and
reveal your true feelings. For example, as an emp loyee you may say, How may
I help you? How ever, if you continue to work on a custom er s comp uter an d
avoid eye contact with the customer, you are send ing the nonverbal message, I
am very busy right now and really do not have time for your problem. If you
greet a person w ith open arm s or hand s, you w armly say nonverba lly, I am
open to your p roblem. On the other hand, if you greet the customer w ith arms
folded across your chest and a scowl on you r face, you are sending the non -
verbal message, Keep ou t. The following a re some body language key p oints
to keep in m ind:I Smile.
I Maintain eye contact with the customer w hile listening, Figure 23-8.
I Face the customer squarely.
I Never look aw ay from the customer or stare off at a distant point wh ile
conversing.
I Do not fold your arms across your chest or take a d efensive posture.
Always face peop le directly and squarely. Do not turn away wh ile
addressing a person or engage in other activities wh en you shou ld be giving
your comp lete attention to the customer. If you are alone in a shop and mu st
answer a p hone, always apologize and ask if you can retu rn their call at a better
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 797
Figure 23-8.
By maintaining eye
contact with the
customer w hile
listening, you tell
that customer you
are truly interested
in helping him or
her w ith their
problem.
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time. All customers appreciate that they are being given fair attention. If you d o
ask to return a call at a better time because you are helping another customer,
return the call.
Attitude
Attitude is easily perceived by a customer bu t is very hard to define inobjective terms. Everyone knows a good attitude or a bad attitude w hen
they experience it. It is critical to your success to always maintain a positive atti-
tud e wh ile working w ith people. Without it, you may not have a job. It doesnt
take long to earn a repu tation for your attitudegood or bad.
For this chapter, the best definition ofattitude is a subjective judgment of
character m ade by the customer based on the p erception of how the technician
presents himself or herself and meets the customers needs.
Show the customer that their p roblem is your m ain concern. You do this by
asking probing questions such as, How long have you h ad th is problem?
Never be judgm ental or indicate that the customer caused the problem, even if
they d id. You will use training techniques and suggestions to help them avoid
the problem in the future.Avoid d istractions. A customer or fellow worker will feel you are not inter-
ested if you do n ot give them you r full attention. For example, when w orking
on a project, always stop your work to talk to a customer. This will give the
customer a feeling of imp ortance and show that you care about their problem. It
will also keep you from making an error on you r p roject because you are
distracted. In m aking a customer feel important, you will gain their confidence.
Listening Skills
Listening skills are the most important trait listed by employers in recent
surveys condu cted to identify the trait most desired in customer sup port. They
all agree that emp loyees who work with clients and customers mu st have excel-
lent listening skills. It seems like listening is such a simple task. So why do not
all people have good listening skills? Many people, especially the type of
personalities that gravitate toward the compu ter field, are often bright and artic-
ulate and may a lready be thinking ahead of the customer. Avoiding this habit
will keep your customers from feeling small and inadequ ate. The following
are a list of guidelines to put into practice:
I Always m aintain eye contact while listening.
I Avoid d istractions wh ile listening. Do not try to perform other tasks w hile
the customer or client is talking to you. Focus on the speaker.
I Never eat or d rink wh ile talking w ith a customer.
I Always allow the customer or client to complete his or her sentence. Never
cut off or interrup t them , anticipating what they are going to say.
I Restate the problem to the customer or client. This will ensure that you
know wh at they are saying or describing to you as the problem.
Check out www.listen.org, a Web site dedicated to listening skills. There you
will find many interesting facts, such as only 7% of the meaning in a conversa-
tion is transmitted by actual word s.
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Telephone Skills
Many of the same skills used in face-to-face communication also apply to
telephone sup port. Always speak clearly and concisely and avoid trad e jargon,
slang, and acronyms.
Never engage in other activities while talking to the customer or client. A
person can a lways tell when someone is not focused on his or her conversation.When you are engaged in another activity, like working on a compu ter wh ile
talking to th e customer on the telephone, the customer will be able to tell you
are not fully engaged with their conversation. This will generate a feeling that
you are not tru ly concerned w ith their problem or need an d w ill probably irri-
tate the customer.
Always avoid talking on a speakerph one, as this only confirms that you are
not paying atten tion to the caller. You are a techn ician. If you m ust be hand s
free, get a headset. At least this way, the customer will feel that they are the
focus of your conversation. Unless it is necessary to use the keyboard or
remotely access the customer s compu ter, keep your hand s off the keyboard.
Customers can hear that you are u sing the keyboard an d w ill nearly always
conclude that it does not have to do w ith their problem.Smile while on the ph one, Figure 23-9. It might sound crazy, but it actually
works. A person on the other end of the telephone conversation can actually
perceive wh en a person is hap py on the telephone. This is interpreted as a
feeling that the sup port p erson is pleased to hear from the customer an d w ants
to help them. A good idea is to hang a mirror near the telephone with a sign
that says Smile!
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 799
Figure 23-9.
Smiling while on the
telephone can help
you convey that you
are pleased to hear
from the customer
and w ant to help
them.
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Again, do not use acronyms, jargon, or sophisticated technical terminology.
Customers are not typically sophisticated compu ter users and are frequen tly
intimidated by your conversation. Always use language that anyone can und er-
stand, no m atter wh at his or her technical background . You d o not impress
customers w ith technical terms. If you w ant to imp ress a customer, use term s
that express your sincere desire to help them with their problem.
Writing Skills
Writing is a part of all customer sup port technician du ties. As a customer
support p erson, you will either write by hand on repair tickets or enter into a
computer the specifics about a repair. Content typically consists of a description
of the problem an d the repair procedure u sed to fix the problem. Often, your
wr iting and docum entation of specific problems and the method used to fix the
problem w ill become valuable company information for p roblems encoun tered
in the future.
When creating written comm un ications, always use app ropriate gramm ar
and correct spelling. All word processing packages and software p rograms that
require written responses have sp ell checkers and usually gram mar checkers.Use them! Do not disable them or ignore them. When w riting, use sentences
limited to 15 to 20 words. Avoid long, run-on sentences.
Always be p olite in your correspond ence, and never u se sarcasm. Sarcasm is
always inapp ropriate because the customer or client may very w ell misinterpret
your intent. Sarcasm is based on familiar p ersonalities, and you are not familiar
with all who might read your correspondence.
Many help d esk supp ort software p ackages contain sections to sup port
e-mail directly from within the software package. You w ill need to respond to
customer and client e-mails. E-mail correspondence is covered in the next
section.
Another function of customer support m ay involve wr iting training manuals
or a set of procedures for a company. Often, part of a contract of installingcompu ter equipm ent and software involves training the customers on how to
use the equipm ent. Many times technical support p ersonnel must w rite training
packages to supp ort the customer. You may very w ell find yourself responsible
for part of the written package.
Customer supp ort may requ ire a great deal of time answering e-mails from
customers and clients. When writing e-mails to customers and clients, avoid
compu ter jargon, acronym s, and abbreviations, just as you wou ld in spoken
language. Comm un icating in writing w ith other technicians is not the same as
communicating in w riting w ith customers and clients. While it might beperfectly all right to u se an acronym or abbreviation on a customer repair ticket,
you should avoid acronyms and abbreviations when communicating with
customers.
E-mail auto responders
Using an e-mail auto responder can show a customer or client that you care
about them and their problem. E-mail auto respond ers are e-mail program s
800 Compu ter Service and Repair
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provided by e-mail service providers tha t create an automatic response to a
received e-mail. The au to respond er gives the illusion tha t someone has just
read th e e-mail sent by the customer or client and that they w ill be answering
the request very soon. The auto respond er allows for an instant reply 24 hour s a
day, seven d ays a w eek. An au to responder can also be used to notify customers
tha t you are ou t of the office for a b rief time. Some mail client software, such as
Microsoft Ou tlook, will allow you to set up an auto response, Figure 23-10.
E-mail acronyms and emoticons
E-mail acronyms are very p opu lar w ith all of the electronic communications
devices, but they are never to be used in customer sup port e-mail. E-mail
acronyms became especially pop ular w hen p hone text messaging started
because th ey save a lot of keystrokes. You m ay receive e-mail acronyms or
emoticons from customers, but you should n ever respond in these terms. The
following are some e-mail acronyms:
I LOL: Laugh ou t loud .
I BTW: By the w ay.
I TIA: Thanks in advance.
I IOW: In other words.
Emoticons are cartoon face characters made from keyboard sym bols to
express emotions in e-mails, letters, and text messaging. The following table
lists some comm on em oticons.
Emoticon Emotion
: ) Smile or happy.
: o Shock.
: ( Frown.
; ) Wink.
If you have trou ble comm un icating w ith customers using e-mail, practice
regularly in a bu siness format. Try send ing a few e-mails every d ay to friends
and relatives. Writing e-mail messages daily will sharpen your skills. Use the
principles previously mentioned. The following is a list of key points you
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 801
Figure 23-10.
Microsoft Ou tlook
has a tool called the
Out of Office
Assistant, wh ich is
used to send an autoreply to senders.
emoticons
cartoon face charac-
ters mad e from
keyboard symbols to
express emotions in
e-mails, letters, and
text messaging.
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should always remember when communicating through e-mail with customers
and clients:
I Check your e-mail regularly.
I Keep the e-mail brief.
I Do not use e-mail emoticons.
I Limit the size of file attachmen ts. This is especially tru e if the customer isusing a 56 k telephone mod em.
I Never u se all capital letters in an e-mail to emphasize a word or ph rase. If
you m ust emp hasize a word or ph rase, use italics or an asterisk, for
example, *this is very important.* Do not use bold or underline. This can be
misinterpreted as a link.
I Never ever send sensitive or inapprop riate information in e-mail.
I Do not send personal greetings, jokes, or other m aterials that are not suitable
for the work environment.
Professionalism
Professionalism is a businesslike characteristic reflected in a person and
work environment. In relation to a person, it is identified in a p ersons attitude
and dress. In the w ork environment, it is iden tified in its dcor and general
atmosphere. This section explores various aspects of professionalism in an
employee and work environment.
Professional Image
Businesses and their employees are often judged by a customers or clients
first imp ression of them. For example, if a technician looks p rofessional, the
customer feels confident in them. If the technician looks sloppy, dirty, unkempt,
or bizarre, the customer or client might have a less than confident feeling about
the technician.
Dressing app ropriately means d ressing professionally. In the w ork environ-
ment, there are tw o d istinct types of acceptable dress: formal business and busi-
ness casual. Formal business typically m eans a su it coat or sport coat with a
collared shirt and tie (or just a collared shirt and tie) and a pair of dress slacks
and leather shoes, Figure 23-11. Business casual generally means a polo shirt
(often with a company logo) or collared shirt with no tie, dress or casual slacks,
leather shoes, and in rare cases, tennis shoes, Figure 23-12. Some compu ter tech-
nicians believe that they are entitled to wear torn or tattered blue jeans, T-shirts,
tennis shoes, flip-flops, or sandals. These are never acceptable forms of business
attire. Remem ber that your casual attire may reflect a casual attitud e and not
one tha t is serious abou t getting the job done. You are a tra ined p rofessional;dress like one.
Many bu sinesses provide shirts for their sup port staff. When shirts are
provided , the d ress code is clearly stated to th e emp loyees. If the dress code is
not clearly stated, then it is assum ed. When w orking in the area of customer
support, a polo shirt is most app ropriate, but be aware that some companies
require a dress shirt and tie to be worn w hen d ealing w ith customers and clients
at their locations.
802 Compu ter Service and Repair
professionalism
a businesslike char-
acteristic reflected in
a person and work
environment.
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Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 803
Figure 23-11.
This IT person is
wearing formal
attire.
Figure 23-12.
This IT person is
wearing casual
business attire.
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As a computer technician, you will likely be crawling on the floor or
reaching behind desks. Unisex (the same for both men an d w omen) dress is
typically the best and safest choice. Women should never w ear short d resses or
revealing clothing if they have to work in this environment. The following are
some well-though t-out tips that shou ld become a part of your ow n p rofessional
image:
I Dress professionally. Clean, neat slacks and a shirt with a collar is muchmore appropriate than a T-shirt with a slogan. This is especially true if the
T-shirt has a controversial slogan or image printed on it.
I Hair shou ld be neat an d clean. Hair w ith spikes or wild colors might be cool
to you, bu t it is entirely u np rofessional in the workplace.
I Speak to customers in a professional manner. Never u se curse w ords or
inapp ropriate language or term s, even as a way to emphasize certain points.
I Do not eat, drink, or smoke w hile dealing w ith a customer.
Many students feel that if they have exceptional technical skills, they will
never be fired. Nothing could be further from the truth . More employees have
lost their jobs because of their u np rofessional man ner than from technical
incomp etence. An emp loyer w ill tolerate an emp loyee with average technical
skills, but will not tolerate an em ployee wh o condu cts himself or herself in an
unprofessional manner. When em ployers contact other p rofessionals for hiring
recomm enda tions, they typically request someone w ho can w ork well with
peop le rather than request the smar test or most technically able person. The
most important thing to the emp loyer is an em ployees image and personality.
Employers rarely, if ever, call a second tim e if a nonp rofessional p erson com es in
for an interview.
Work Environment
The store or w ork location image is also critical, and is often a direct resu lt
of the employees efforts to maintain a professional image. The work environ-ment m ust represent a p rofessional atmosphere. If the work environment is to
be visited by customers and other emp loyees, it should be maintained so as not
to be offensive to others. For example, you may enjoy a particular style of music
wh ile you are working; however, it may not be the choice of many customers.
The customer should not be offended by loud mu sic of any generation. You
should avoid music in the work environment where customers may be present,
except for soft, neutral background mu sic.
Also, be aware that listening to an MP3 player or other d evice through
earphones is offensive to m any people. You should be concentrating on the
customer or client. This also applies to working at a clients workstation and in
the corporate environmen t as a w hole. The following are some tips to help you
maintain a p rofessional environment in your workp lace:I Keep you r location and workstation clean and well organized.
I Never keep food containers, cup s, and general trash on coun ters or work
areas.
I Do not p lay music that is not in the m ainstream or blast music of any kind.
I Do not let friends han g out arou nd the store or workspace. The workplace
is not a social club.
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I Do not d isplay inapprop riate posters, pictures, or signs. You may think they
are fun or en tertaining, but n ot all customers share you r view.
Handling Difficult Situations
When a client is angry and up set, they will vent their emotions toward the
person w ho represents the company or p roblem. Dealing w ith difficult peop lerequires patience and composure. Do not take complaints personally. Never
react to a difficult customer, but rather listen and respond with em pathy.
Empathy means that you show by your w ords that you und erstand the other
persons feelings and their situation. There is likely always a situation that
wou ld warrant a statement like, I can und erstand how this problem is frus-
trating you.
A coworker or other customer might normally be very pleasant and fun to
be around un til a situation causes them to be very an gry. While in an an gry
state, they say things that they norm ally wou ld never say to another p erson.
Arguing back at an u pset person w ill only make things worse.
Your job is to defu se the situa tion by letting th e client ven t. When
respond ing to the client, use a calm assu ring voice. What you w ant thecustomer to do is stop yelling at you and begin to talk with you. At an opp or-
tune time, simply say, Lets see what I can do to resolve this problem. When
you start to work on the p roblem, or to tell them what you are planning to do,
check if it is all right w ith them .
If the customer continues to vent, find out w hat w ill make them happy. For
example, a customer m ay have brought their compu ter to the shop several times
for the same problem. It may or m ay not be the same p roblem, but that is their
perception. Find out what w ill make them hap py by asking, What do you
think it will take to make you satisfied?
They may w ant their bill adjusted or to n ot be charged for the present repair.
If you are not authorized to waive the costs, simply say, Ill see what we can do
for you, and then check with you r supervisor. If a p erson is up set, it w ill only
become w orse if they think that they are not being taken seriously.
Is t he Customer Alw ays Right?
There is a very old business saying: The customer is always right. Well,
this is true most of the time, but there are times when th is motto just d oesnt
app ly. When the customer or client wishes you to d o something unethical or
illegal, they are w rong. For examp le, a customer m ay request you write a receipt
for more value th an th e actual cost of the repair. Or, a customer m ay ask you to
violate some copyright law. Do not do it.
How about when a customer uses foul language in a loud tone and
threatens you? Can you really make that p erson hap py? You n ever need to fearfor your life or bodily harm. If the customer threatens you , you shou ld p olitely
ask the person to leave, and if they will not, call the police or security. What if
the customer is intoxicated and becomes abu sive? Again, this customer should
be asked to leave, and if they refuse, call the police. An intoxicated or violent
customer is not only a threat to you and the business, they are also a threat to
any other people who enter or are present at the business.
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Follow -Up
A follow-up h elps to build a good relationship w ith the customer or client.
Perform a follow-up after you have had a break in contact with the customer or
contact. For example, after a customers problem has been fixed, follow up a
few days after completing th e repair to see if they are satisfied and all went
well. This technique improves service and builds a clients trust. Customers andclients love the fact that someone is checking if their problem was handled in a
timely fashion and that th ey were dealt w ith professionally.
Your Word
One of the most important assets you have is your w ord, and it costs you
nothing. Your word or p romise can make or break your client relationship. Be a
person of your w ord. Your w ord shou ld be your bond. Sup pose you tell a
customer you will contact them w ith a repair estimate the next day, but you run
into a problem with a vendor. The vend or does not respond to your inqu iry, so,
in turn , you do not have the customer estimate ready. If you told th e customer
you w ould call the next morning, do so, even if it is to say you do not have the
estimate yet. It is imp ortant that you be a person of your w ord.Keep you r p romises. If you say you will be there in the m orning, be there.
The client may have rearr anged their schedu le to accommodate you. If you h ave
a problem, call ahead, and always apologize. How often have you been given a
date an d been required to sit home a ll day to have a service done. Do not allow
this type of behavior to become your business signatu re.
Contracts
If a company is large, it may be necessary to create a w ritten docum ent or
contract to be sure everyone has the same expectations. The contract should
contain a d escription of the work to be p erformed, the estimated or actual cost,
and other terms agreed on . By having a customer signature p rior to work, youalways p rotect you rself against a m isinterp retation of expectations. A client or
customer should always receive exactly what they agreed tomaybe more, but
never less.
Teamw ork
Teamw ork is two or more peop le working toward a common goal. For
example, the goal of customer support is customer satisfaction. When you work
as part of a team, you p lace the common goal of the team customer satisfac-
tion above your ow n ind ividu al goals(s), such as recognition and prom otion.
Teamwork is an essential component of a successful business.
As a team member, you m ust be willing to help other team m embers and to
share your ow n expertise and know ledge with others. For example, a customer
calls and asks about the status of their compu ter. If the p erson assigned to repair
the compu ter is out of work that day, you should check the job ticket to review
the status of the repair. It could be ready for p ickup or aw aiting p arts. You
should try to help the customer even if it is not your assigned rep air. Make a
note of the customer call and record your actions. For examp le, you m ight wr ite
a note on the ticket such as Custom er called and asked the statu s of the repair.
806 Compu ter Service and Repair
teamwork
two or more people
working toward a
common goal.
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I informed h im it was awaiting parts and should be ready in a day or two.
Then, sign the note.
When w orking as a mem ber of a team, you shou ld be willing to share your
know ledge with other team m embers. Knowledge is not just limited to technical
issues. It also covers company procedu res or any other bit of knowledge that
might help another team member perform their duties.
Job protection attitude
A common, yet unattractive trait in the business world occurs w hen a
person w ill not share their ind ividu al knowledge w ith another team mem ber.
The concept is referred to as job protection. This happens, for example, if one
person is the only person that knows how to perform specific tasks and they are
not w illing to share this information or train another person. They feel they are
secure in their position w ith the comp any if they are the only person who
knows how to perform that task.
In reality, this type of person is actually jeopardizing their position with the
company. The compan y managemen t or owner w ill not like the fact that an
emp loyee is not w illing to share their know ledge for the good of the company. Ifthe person is unwilling to share their knowledge or to help other team
mem bers, they w ill most likely find themselves looking for other em ployment.
Remember that working as a team requires supporting other team members,
especially by sharing kn owledge an d reinforcing good work prod ucts. If you are
not w illing to fun ction as a team m ember, then you will most likely not be a
mem ber of the team very long.
Helping team members
You m ust be w illing to d o more than just what you h ave been assigned. For
example, a collection of repair tickets might be d ivided between team members.
Each member is assigned four tickets each. If you finish your repairs before
anyone else, you should n ot assume that you are done for that day. You shou ldsee if you could help someone else with his or her assigned w ork.
Employers do not like to see employees that are doing just enough to get by
or w asting comp any time. Employers love to see employees going above an d
beyond th eir assigned d uties. When you finish your assigned tasks, you should
immediately inform your supervisor and volunteer to help other team members
with their assigned du ties. This will impress your emp loyer and also be appreci-
ated by fellow team mem bers. Remember, the comp any goal is to repair all the
customers compu ters, not just the ones assigned to you that p articular d ay.
Summary
I A help d esk or call center is usually the first contact point for service.I A help d esk can belong to a single comp any or be p art of a call center.
I A call center typically provides supp ort for more than one company or
product.
I Level-one supp ort is the initial contact w ith technical sup port.
I Level-two sup port is supp ort provided by a person w ith more expertise
than someone in level one.
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808 Compu ter Service and Repair
I Level-three sup port is typically p rovided by a comp any outside the level-
one and level-two location.
I Avoid u sing comp uter jargon or computer acronyms w hen talking to
customers.
I Body langu age says more to a customer than the actual spoken w ords.
I Smile when d ealing w ith customers, even when on the phon e.I Always maintain good eye contact with a customer and avoid d istractions.
I A customer makes an attitud e jud gment of your character based on their
perception of how you m eet their needs.
I Listening is the m ost importan t commu nication skill listed by emp loyers.
I Sarcasm is never app ropriate when w orking with customers.
I Keep e-mail messages short and to the point.
I Never send inapp ropriate material in e-mail.
I Avoid large e-mail attachments.
I Keep the work environment p rofessional.
I When han dling angry customers, allow them to vent.
I Respond to angry customers w ith a calm, reassuring voice.
Suggested Laboratory Activities
Do not attemp t any suggested laboratory activities without your instructor s
perm ission. Certain activities can rend er the PC operating system inoperable.
1. Check out the FAQ sections of the Dell, IBM, and Sony Web sites.
2. Write a step-by-step p rocedure for checking the IP add ress of a Windows
2000, Wind ows XP, and Window s Vista computer. This step-by-step p roce-
dure would be used for customer support when, for example, a customercalls an ISP for a connection p roblem. Through the procedu re, the customer
should be able to check if they have an ap prop riate IP add ress assignm ent,
not one su ch as 0.0.0.0 or 169.254.12.34. (IP ad dress 0.0.0.0 means tha t a
connection has no t been established. IP address 169.254.xxx.xxx means tha t
the Autom atic Private IP Add ressing (APIPA) feature has assigned the IP
add ress, instead of a DHCP server.) Make the p rocedu re as clear as possible.
3. Write the step-by-step procedure to have a customer p ing a server located
at www.helpdesk1.com. Include wh at to d o next if the ping is successful
ping or u nsuccessful.
4. Write a step-by-step p rocedu re for using System Restore on a Wind ows XP
and Wind ows Vista compu ter.
Interesting Web Sites for More Information
http:/ / oneorzero.com
http:/ / technet.microsoft.com/ en-us/ default.aspx
www.helpstar.com
ww w.microsoft.com/ smallbusiness/ resources/ management/ customer.mspx
ww w.troubleticketexpress.com/ open-source-software.html
www.unbf.ca/ its/ faculty/ help/ level1.htm
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Review Questions
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Please do not
wr ite in th is book.
1. What is customer support?
2. Explain the difference between the help desk mod el and call center model.
3. Which level of support is provided wh en the problem is elevated to person
with m ore experience or expertise than the first person contacted?
4. Is it permissible to use acronyms when commu nicating w ith customers?
5. What is att itude?
6. What are the key points of body language you should use?
7. Why is sarcasm inappropriate in communications?
8. What are emoticons?
9. What are the key points in writing an effective e-mail message?
10. What two elements are required to deal with difficult people?
11. Why is it important to perform a follow-up?
12. What is the goal of the customer support team?
Sample A+ Exam Questions
Answer the following questions on a separate sheet of paper. Please do not
wr ite in th is book.
1. Which is an example of level-one supp ort?
a. A software engineer at Microsoft.
b. A hardware engineer at Apple.
c. The FAQ section of a customer support Web site.
d. A live conversation w ith a level-one sup ervisor.
2. It is 9:00 AM and you are repairing a customers compu ter that mu st be
ready by 3:00 PM because it was p romised to the customer. The phone
sud denly rings, and you answer to find that it is a new customer calling
about a problem w ith their comp uter. Which is the best way to deal w ith
customer support on the telephone?
a. Do nothing except focus on the customer and their problem. You shou ld
write down key points during the conversation, starting with their name.
b. You should continue to work on the compu ter repair while listening to
the customer. This is the most efficient use of time and your supervisor
will be pleased.
c. Have the customer call back later after another emp loyee comes into the
shop.
d. Tell the customer you are in the middle of an important repair and that
you w ill return their call later in the day. Take down their nam e and
telephone number.
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3. Which is the most expensive element of customer service?
a. Employee wages.
b. Support software.
c. Support hardware.
d. Technical support articles and Web site access.
4. The compan y you work for performs compu ter system repairs in add ition
to selling new compu ters and hardw are. A repair ticket is completed at the
time of repair. The status of the repair is also recorded on the ticket. Some
items that may be recorded on th e ticket are when the repair was comp leted
or wh en pa rts were ordered for the repair. Mr. Smith d ropped h is comp uter
off at your company compu ter shop three days ago. The repair was
assigned to Joe and he is not in at the m oment. You an swer the phone and
find Mr. Smith is calling to find out the status of the repair of his computer.
What is the most ap prop riate response to Mr. Smiths inquiry?
a. Tell Mr. Smith that h is computer is being w orked on by Joe who is not in
today and that Joe will call him back when he return s.
b. Tell Mr. Smith to hold for a minu te wh ile you check the status of the
repair ticket.
c. Tell Mr. Smith that you are not the one that has been assigned to his
repair and to call back later.
d. Tell Mr. Smith to come by the shop and p ick up the compu ter. The com-
puter is most likely repaired, but if it isnt, you can have it repaired
before he gets there.
5. Match the body language image with the conveyed meaning.
a. Its really good to hear from you!
b. How may I help you?
c. I dont have time for your problem.
d. Im open to your problem.
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6. When is it proper to use all uppercase letters in an e-mail?
a. When emphasizing an important point.
b. When making a list of steps in sequential order.
c. When listing parts in an e-mail.
d. Uppercase is never appropriate in an e-mail.
7. A customer calls and starts yelling about how she brought her compu ter
home to find it has the same p roblem it had before she brought it in for
repair. What is the first thing you should do?
a. Smile so that the customer will sense your willingness to help her.
b. Let the customer finish speaking and venting her anger.
c. Interrupt her by asking her w hat it will take to make her satisfied.
d. Hang u p, and h ope she will call back when she is in a better mood.
8. A customer brings into the shop a computer exhibiting a problem you have
never encoun tered before. Which of the following responses wou ld be
appropriate?
a. Yes, we can fix that.
b. Yes, we fix that type of problem all the time.
c. Ive never fixed that type of problem before.
d. I dont know if I can fix it, but Ill try.
9. You need to explain the cause of a boot failure to a custom er. Which of the
following explanations wou ld bu ild the customer s confidence in your
company?
a. A virus corrupted the MBR.
b. A virus corrupted the master boot record.
c. A virus corrupted the boot sector, which stores partition information.
d. A virus corrupted an area of the hard d rive that is required for startup.
10. A customer uses foul language because you w ill not write a receipt for more
value than the actual cost of the rep air. You can tell that th e customer is
intoxicated. What is the first thing you should do?
a. Write the receipt for the amou nt he specifies.
b. Politely ask him to leave.
c. Call the police.
d. Respond w ith empathy.
Chap ter 23 Custom er Sup por t, Comm un ication, and Professionalism 811