Tips for IT Support Teams
IT Tips & Insights: A Softensity Helpdesk Rep shares tips for providing better service, faster.
By Nestor Velasquez, IT Helpdesk Representative
In the tech industry, good support is crucial as it’s the first point of contact between the company and the user. Good user support directly impacts the reputation of the company from the point of view of the end customer.
That’s why I want to share a series of tips and strategies to help teams provide excellent support service. Whether you’re a team leader or a member of an IT support team, these tips are essential to boost user support.
Measure and Respect Response Times
We all know that time is money, and how much time an IT representative takes to solve a problem is crucial. Approach the user as quickly as possible and solve the problem no matter how simple or complex it is.
Once you know the optimal flow to solve certain problems, you can establish the approximate time it takes to solve those problems so you can measure how efficiently you manage the time you spend solving each problem. This is known in IT as a service level agreement (SLA).
An SLA establishes the expectations between the service provider and the customer/user and describes the products or services to be provided, the single point of contact for end-user issues, and the metrics by which the effectiveness of the process is monitored and approved.
Better customer service translates to solving the problem as quickly and efficiently as possible. Be observant, and always try to provide added value. For example, if while solving a specific problem you notice that there is something else that may be the cause of a major problem, dedicate that time to solve it. If you take this approach, users will likely keep you in mind when they need help in the future.
Use Words That Are Easy To Understand
When we’re speaking, our main objective should be to relay the message to users as simply as possible. Even those that are experts at solving issues often lack the ability to make themselves understood, despite trying. Others may neglect this aspect for different reasons.
Communicating simply may be more difficult than it seems, but when achieved, the listener becomes much more involved in what is being said. One way to improve communication, especially with the user, is to always use non-technical language. Even if there are specific terms to refer to this or that thing, always try to use words that best describe those terms, or use a synonym that is easier for the user to understand.
For example, if during the troubleshooting process via telephone with a user who indicates that his computer stopped turning on, it can be easy or tedious to find the cause of the problem. For these cases I like to imagine that I am in a doctor’s office where I am the doctor, the computer is the patient and the user is the patient’s father/mother. I start with the diagnosis by asking routine questions such as: when did the computer start to fail, has this ever happened before, etc. In other words, use simple questions with simple language to extract the information you need to provide the best possible solution.
Always be as descriptive as possible, using words that any user without computer knowledge can understand. When you are easy to understand, it will be much easier to provide technical support for all kinds of problems, which will make you more efficient and valuable for both users/customers and the company you work for.
Make It Simple, Fast, and as Good as Possible
Going hand in hand with the first point of this series (measure and respect response times), a tip that can help you to be much more efficient and optimize your work is to gain the ability to solve virtually any situation or perform any job in the simplest, fastest and best possible way. But how can you acquire this ability?
Just like an athlete, the first thing you have to do is learn how to perform an exercise or task with the correct technique. Then practice and repeat until you master the task to perfection. In the world of technology, there are many ways to solve a single problem or perform a specific job. As IT professionals, we must always look for the best way to solve problems and/or perform a job or task.
It’s a process of trial and error while we solve the same problems and perform the same job over and over again in different ways. Eventually, we will find the best strategy or “technique” and then, like an athlete, perfect that technique to master it. This will help us solve problems in the best possible way, in the shortest possible time, using as few resources as possible. So our approach should always be as follows:
- Learn how to solve the problem.
- Find the best way to solve it.
- Learn how to solve that problem faster and faster and better until you master it.
About
Hi everyone, I’m Nestor. I’m 26 years old and I’ve been in the technology world for more than 4 years at a professional level. Currently I’m an IT helpdesk representative at Softensity. I’m mostly dedicated to providing technical support using various helpdesk tools to companies in different areas.