Tech support involves
more than bits and bytes. It requires many interpersonal and organizational
skills, such as active listening, diplomacy, and time management. But above
all it requires a refined understanding of "customer service." This
2-day course takes a hard look at soft skills.
1. Overview:
The Help Desk Analyst
- A. Role of
the Help Desk
- B. Evaluating
Business Goals
- C. The Skill
and Knowledge Matrix
- D. Transferrable
Skills
- E. Combining
People and Systems
2. Refining
Interpersonal Skills
- A. Elements
of Courtesy
- B. Eight
Points of Professionalism
- C. Team Orientation
- D. The Customer’s
Perspective
- E. Elements
of Diplomacy
- F. Negative
Patterns: Attack and Defend
3. Improving
Telephone Techniques
- A. "Phone
Attitude"
- B. Anatomy
of a Support Call
- C. The Handshake:
Greeting the Customer
- D. Active
Listening
- E. Getting
the Details
- F. How and
When to Use "Hold"
- G. How to
Transfer a Call Correctly
- H. Closing
the Call
- I. Subtleties
of Voice
- J. Difficult
Callers and Techniques for Dealing with Them
4. Writing
Technical Documents
- A. Documents,
Analog and Digital
- B. Defining
the Audience
- C. Key Elements
of Writing Style
- D. Tips for
Creating Tech Notes
- E. Tips for
Writing E-Mails
- F. Focus
on Practicality
5. Problem-Solving
Skills
- A. Verbal,
Mathematical, and Visual Thinking
- B. Problem
Definition and Delimiting
- C. Problem
Conceptualization
- D. Recognizing
and Avoiding Conceptual Blocks
- E. Four Analytical
Techniques
- F. Workarounds
vs. Solutions
6. Identifying
and Using References and Resources
- A. Books,
Directories, Periodicals
- B. Reference
CD-ROMs
- C. Web-Based
Resources
- D. Building
and Organizing a Tech Support Library
- E. Identifying
and Cultivating Resource People
- F. General
Research Techniques
7. Managing
Your Own Technical Education
- A. Education
Sources
- B. 1-Year
and 3-Year Plans
- C. Preparing
for Training
- D. Techniques
for Reinforcing Knowledge and Skills
- E. Self-Training
Techniques
8. Referral
and Escalation Procedures
- A. Time-
and Activity-Based Escalation
- B. Documentation
- C. Routing
Procedures
- D. Following
Up with Specialists
- E. Following
Up with Customers
- F. Closing
Out Referred Calls
- G. Tracking
Performance
9. Personal
Organization Management
- A. Using
Personal Information Managers
- B. Setting
Realistic Priorities
- C. Fundamentals
of Time Management
10. Recognizing
and Avoiding Burnout
- A. Symptoms
of Job Fatigue
- B. Identifying
Burnout Causes
- C. Measuring
Job Stress
- D. Communicating
with the Boss
- E. Internal
and External Techniques for Minimizing Job Fatigue
All
content copyright 2000-2003, Independent Software, Inc.
