Help Desk Customer Service Quiz #4(3, Quiz questions)

*Tickets (continued)* Data field

An element of a database record in which one piece of data is stored

*Homework* Which of the following uses everyday language to ask users questions and interpret their answers?

CBR

*Using Email Effectively to Communicate with Customers (continued)* Email does not provide the capabilities of an incident management system

It cannot be used to automatically create trend reports or as a knowledge base

*Blogs* Blog (web log)

a journal kept on the Internet • Typically updated frequently and display entries in reverse chronological order • Often contain links to other useful sites • May be used to make announcements, share tips and tricks, promote services, and share statistics, trends and accomplishments • Enable and encourage readers to respond and share

*Email Best Practices (continued)* Form

a predefined document that contains text or graphics users cannot change and areas in which users enter data often corresponds to the ticket entry screen so contacts can be quickly or automatically logged

*Customer Support Via the Internet* Some companies give customers access to secured information via

an extranet

*Technical Writing* Technical writing

writing documentation that explains technical issues in ways that non technical people can understand

*Email Messages* Well-written email messages

• Are as clear and concise as possible • Convey a positive, friendly tone • Provide as much of the needed information as possible the first time • Anticipate follow-up questions a customer may ask and volunteer the information

*Technical Writing Best Practices (continued)* *Select an appropriate style (continued)* Corporate style guides offer specific guidance such as:

• Document format (such as whether and how to specify headers and footers) • Narrative mode (such as second-person narrative) • How terms are defined • How figures are presented • How documents are secured (based on their target audience) • How the company's brand and intellectual property rights are protected - To avoid rework, become familiar with any applicable standards before you begin writing

*Scripts*

• Enable the creation of effective videos • Used to specify purpose and address audience needs • Simplicity is key • Clear opening statement - state benefits • Simple language and shorter sentences • Tell a story (beginning, middle, end)

*Reports*

• Entry-level analysts may not prepare reports but senior analysts and managers often do • Reports may be statistics or detailed accountings produced from the data collected in an incident management system • Creating reports requires knowledge of: - The system used to collect the data - The available data - The reporting package used to pull the data out of the system • Reports may also reflect the results of a study, the status of a project, or the analysis of statistics

*Homework* Which is a self-service typically offered via a web site?

- A knowledge base that customers may use to resolve incidents on their own. - Online forms to submit incidents and service requests. - A link to live text chats with service desk analysts. Ans: All of the above

*Procedures* procedure

- A step-by-step, detailed set of instructions that describes how to perform the tasks in a process

*Customer Support Via the Internet (continued)* • Functionality and ease of use are the keys to a successful service desk web site • Well-designed web sites offer customers

- A variety of options - The ability to obtain assistance easily when they cannot obtain the information they need - The ability to personalize their support experience • Web sites enable companies to cost-effectively deliver support to their customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

*Blogs* Effective blogs are

- Based on a strategy - Aimed at a specific target audience • An editorial policy can be used to determine topics

*Technical Writing* Dramatic changes have affected how technical support organizations

- Collect information - Deliver support services • All have prompted the need for technical writing skills

*Tickets (continued)* Tickets are typically made up of two basic parts

- Data field - An element of a database record in which one piece of data is stored - Text field - A field that accepts free-form information • Text fields are used to collect detailed information • Reports are usually created from data fields • Many companies establish standards for how to enter certain words or phrases into text fields - Standards help analysts write consistently and minimize confusion caused by inconsistent terms

*Knowledge Management System Solutions* Solutions do not

- Describe things to attempt when diagnosing incidents or responding to inquiries • Checklists and tip sheets provide this capability - Contain the details of a single specific incident or service request

*Knowledge Management System Solutions (continued)* Many service desks develop standards that describe how to write resolutions Standard resolutions typically contain:

- Fields that are used to index the resolution and link it to the type of incident or service request being solved - Text that describes the resolution • The description of a resolution may contain links to online documents, or a multimedia presentation such as a video or audio clip

*Using Instant Messaging and Online Chat to Facilitate Communication (continued)* • Service desks typically use IM to communicate internally (e.g., with level two service providers) • Many limit IM communications with customers

- IM does not provide many of the capabilities of an incident management system - There can be security concerns in terms of the data transmitted When IM is used, analysts are required to record status updates obtained in the service desk's incident management system • A variety of factors are causing an increase in chat use (see pp. 139-140)

*Email Best Practices (continued)* Acknowledge the person

- Just as you would if you were interacting in person or over the telephone - Be considerate and respectful - In business, it's best to take a formal approach

*Using and Creating Knowledge Bases (continued)* Organizations that have adopted Knowledge-Center Support (KCS) often establish roles such as

- KCS Candidate - KCS Contributor - KCS Publisher - KCS Coach - Knowledge Domain Expert • These roles represent increasing levels of competency and responsibility relative to the KCS methodology

*IM and Chat Messages* IM and chat messages form a record of a communication

- May be recorded - Must convey a positive, friendly tone - Must provide as much of the needed information as possible the first time

*IM and Chat Messages* Analysts

- Must understand their company's IM and chat use policies, particularly in terms of the audience foreach (e.g., customers, other analysts, SMEs) - Are often provided scripts

*Reports (continued)* Common reports an analyst may create include

- Progress reports - Requirements reports - A business case

*Using and Creating Knowledge Bases (continued)* Knowledge management systems

- Provide information online when needed - Can lead analysts through trouble-shooting steps - Free human resources to work on unique and complex incidents

*Technical Writing Best Practices (continued)* Be specific

- Readers of technical writing seek detailed information, such as facts, figures, data, recommendations, and conclusions • How good, how bad, how fast, or how slow - We respond to email messages within 4 hours

*Procedures (continued)* • Many service desks create and maintain a Service Desk Analyst's Guide • A Service Desk Analyst's Guide:

- Spells out the policies and procedures of the service desk - Contains information analysts need to do their work - Ensures the knowledge and experience of service desk management and key staff members is always available - Is often used to orient new service desk staff members - Should be considered a "living" document • Helping to create a Service Desk Analyst's Guide is an excellent way to practice and improve your writing skills!

*Homework* Why are knowledge management systems beneficial to service desk analysts?

- They reduce the number of escalations to the second level. - They help improve analysts' problem-solving skills. - They improve the consistency of resolutions. Ans: All of the above.

*Knowledge Management System Solutions* Resolution

A definitive solution to an incident or service request, or a proven workaround • Typically stored as records in a separate file than tickets- - - -- Enables a one-to-many relationship

*Tickets (continued)* Text field

A field that accepts free-form information

*Knowledge Management System Solutions*

Must be accurate and complete or analysts will hesitate to use the system

*Technology-Delivered Support (continued)* Telephone, IM and chat

Provide immediacy and the ability to interact with a human being

*Enabling Customer Self-Service* Self-services

Services that enable customers to help themselves - People have become accustomed to using self-services - Self-services benefit both customers and service desk analysts - Today's demanding customers have come to expect self-services

*Homework* A ____ is software used to manage the content of a web site.

content management system

*Homework* Clicking a(n) ____ might open a pop-up window with a definition, instructions, or a still picture.

hyperlink

*Technical Writing Best Practices (continued)* Third-person narrative

more formal and commonly used in technical writing • Pronouns include he, she, it, and they • To avoid gender-specific pronouns (he and she), avoid pronouns altogether or use plural pronouns such as they and their

*Customer Support Via the Internet* Internal service desks may enable customers to access a web site via

their company's intranet

*Technical Writing Best Practices (continued)* Second-person narrative

typically avoided in technical writing because it is directed at a single reader and can be perceived as commanding • Pronouns include you and your - A key to success is to select a mode and use it consistently

*Technical Writing Best Practices (continued)* First-person narrative

typically considered inappropriate in technical writing • Pronouns include I and we

*Procedures*

• Service desk staff are often involved in the development of policies and procedures .• Procedures may be used by customers, the internal support organization, or within the service desk • Many companies develop a standard format, or template, that is used to prepare procedures(see Figure 4-8)

*Tickets*

• Typically logged electronically at the time an incident or service request is received • Well-written tickets provide: - The information other analysts and service providers need to handle contacts quickly - A historical accounting of steps taken to solve a incident • Analyst should clearly record: - All of the information the customer provides - All steps taken to diagnose and resolve the incident