ICAT3025A - Run standard diagnostic tests Information and Communications Technology (ICA05)

Provide advice to clients  Analyse client support issues  Provide advice on software, hardware or network  Obtain client feedback

Analyse client support issues  Check for new problems logged by client  Check previous logs for similar problems or requests from client  Investigate and document the support issues affecting the client  Notify client of the results of investigation and provide advice and support on findings  Obtain client feedback and make changes

Provide advice on software, hardware or network  Confirm software, hardware or network requirements with client  Investigate and document a solution  Document additional requirements discovered in the investigation and refer them to the client  Obtain approval from the client to implement the solution  Investigate and document the amount of technical support the client may require  Discuss and agree the level of technical support identified with the client  Arrange a time with the client when support will take place  Provide technical support as part of group or one-to- one instruction to the client  Provide manuals and help documentation to the client

Obtain client feedback  Create an appropriate evaluation or feedback form or other mechanism to gather feedback about the solution and support provided  Provide client with instructions on how to complete the form or use other means of providing feedback  Distribute the evaluation or feedback to the client  Review the feedback from the client to identify areas for improvement

Key Terms and Concepts  acceptable timeframes  advanced features and functions of software  advice and support  approval policies and procedures  audit trails  basic features and functions of operating system  benefits and limitations of solutions  benefits of client feedback  benefits of good customer service  client feedback  client needs analysis/assessment  client support issues  constraints  contract and service agreements with vendors  details to be documented  features of different types of hardware  good customer service  interaction with client  internal and external clients  investigation  investigation methods  known solutions to predictable problems  log  acceptable timeframes  macros and templates  manuals and help documentation  methods to obtain client feedback  naming standards  paper-based and electronic records  personal attributes  problem-solving  report writing  research skills  review client feedback  security and network guidelines and procedures  sources of information  standards for workplace documentation  technical information  technical support  tracking process  verbal and non-verbal communication  version control.

Client  a client is anyone who needs your assistance; your client could be external (someone from outside your organisation) or internal (someone from inside your organisation) Customer service  assistance provided by an organisation to the people who buy or use its products or services

Client-focused organisation Benefits :  promotes goodwill  client loyalty/repeat business  new business  productivity  credibility  promoting company/organisation service ethic.

Client-focused ICT Staff Are :  sincere  confident  enthusiastic  efficient  interested in other people.

Client-focused ICT Staff Will document:  client contact details  a description of the problem  progress of each task  actions taken (both successful and unsuccessful) to answer enquiry fulfil request solve the problem  Keep an up-to-date list of outstanding or urgent tasks.

Good customer service  knowledge of company/organisation product/ service policies  use language that is targeted to the specific customer  present a friendly and courteous manner  use positive gestures and body language  ensure prompt response to enquiry/request  adopt a solutions-oriented approach  follow-up to maximise customer satisfaction.

Service level agreement (SLA)  a written document that details the services a company will provide to a customer, the customer’s responsibilities and how the service performed will be measured (eg what a response time will be) Organisational guidelines  the policies or procedures that are used to correctly perform a specific activity or operation within an organisation

Methods to investigate the support issue  interview the client using open, closed and reflective questions combined with active listening  on-site observation/examination  questionnaire  focus group  contacting vendor/maintenance organisation  existing documentation

Constraints that apply to provision of advice/support  cost  time available  business policies and practices  staff skills and training requirements  room or building geometry.

Sources of possible solutions  colleagues  company/organisation policies and manuals  consultants  suppliers  personal/professional contacts  ICT industry publications  trade shows  the internet  technical manuals  help documentation.

Process for developing solutions  analyse client requirements  design solutions  discuss solutions with the client and choose a solution  create and test solution  demonstrate solution to client  refine the solution  document the solution.

Types of solutions  hardware upgrades new  software upgrades new  user training  implementing a whole new system.

First level support  Refers to the initial support offered to a customer by a help desk operator; in this initial point of contact, the officer determines the nature of the call and will try to solve the problem if it is straightforward; support organisations usually have quite clear outlines of what constitutes first level support

Technical support Technical support can take many forms;  installation of hardware or software  documentation of hardware technical specifications  help documents for software

Escalation  Transferring a help desk call that cannot be resolved to personnel at a higher level such as an IT specialist or IT manager

Ticket  a term for a job currently logged Knowledge base  a knowledge base contains knowledge on how to solve specific problems – often an online database or website the customer support officer refers to.

Feedback  learner communicating to the instructor on whether the training meets their needs/expectations; instructor communicating to the learner on whether their progress has met the training/learning objectives

Value of client feedback  improving business relationships  identifying and overcoming existing problems  eliminating entrenched work practices  improving productivity  enhancing output quality  future development of the company/organisation.

Methods to obtain client feedback  questionnaire paper electronic  interview  focus group.

When designing feedback  use of language targeted to client plain English minimising technical/industry jargon  questioning technique open, closed and/or reflective avoiding bias/leading questions  opportunity for ‘free-response’.

Methods to distribute/enable feedback  written mail electronic mail internet/intranet facsimile  verbal telephone one-on-one meeting.

Types of feedback  positive  negative  constructive.

Reporting feedback to appropriate person  supervisor/team leader  management  vendor  supplier  trainer  colleagues.