1. Chapter 3 Customer Service Skills for User Support Agents

2. Learning Objectives
The importance of communications skills and customer service relationships
Reasons for careful listening and reading
How to build and communicate understanding
Important aspects of effective speaking in a support interaction
How to develop an incident management strategy
Strategies for difficult clients
Other components of excellent customer service
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continued

3. Communication and interpersonal skills are important to learn and use
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are often more challenging for new support workers to learn and use than technical or business skills!
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

4. A Customer Service Ethic
an organization-wide philosophy
shared by everyone
viewpoint: client relationships and client satisfaction are the most important aspect of a business
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

5. Satisfied versus Dissatisfied Customers
Satisfied customers are likely to be repeat customers
Dissatisfied customer incidents usually take longer to handle
Dissatisfied customers generate:
Lengthy incidents
Repeated help desk contacts
Complaints and ill-will
Incidents that must be rerouted
Product returns and refunds
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6. A Customer-Service Ethic translates into a commitment
Provide users with information, service, or solution they need
Explain to customers what can be done for them if the problem cannot be solved
Treat clients with respect
Communicate to clients when they should expect to receive the service or information they need
Return calls or s when promised
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7. Communications Skills for Customer Service
Three essential communication skills
Listen carefully
Build understanding
Respond effectively
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

8. Listen Carefully Problem description
Language used to describe the problem
Clues to caller’s experience level
How the caller describes the problem
Tone of voice
Use of technical terms
Strategy: Look for a communication skills course to build listening skills
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

9. Build Understanding Develop empathy with a client
Empathy: An understanding of and identification with a client’s situation, thoughts, and feelings
Example: “It sounds like you’ve had a frustrating morning, but I think I can help you with this...”
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

10. Build Understanding (continued)
Try to express the problem in your own words
Communicate to a client that you view him or her as a person rather than a phone call or a problem
Techniques:
Visualization
Inclusive language: We, rather than I
Smile!
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11. Respond Effectively Recognize the importance of a sincere greeting
Icebreaker
First impression
Example: This is Joel in Computer Support. Thank you very much for calling. How can I help you?
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12. Use Scripts Appropriately
Prepared sequence of questions and statements used to handle parts of an incident
May include decision points and branches to handle different situations
Tip: Don’t read lengthy scripts or responses to questions; restate the response in your own words if possible
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13. Use Tone and Style Effectively
Use clear, succinct speech
Speak slowly but not so slowly as to sound condescending
Use short sentences
Avoid a rising inflection at the end of sentences
Avoid empty phrases
Phrase communication with clients positively
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14. Relative importance of elements of communication
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15. Develop an Incident Management Strategy
Techniques, tools and strategies that support specialists use to move through an incident effectively and efficiently from initial greeting to the end of the incident
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

16. Goals of Incident Management
Provide user with information she or he needs
Manage stress levels for both the user and support agent
Ensure that the incident progresses from start to finish in an effective and efficient way
Make the user more self-reliant
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17. Resources for Incident Management
Organizational policies on incident management philosophy and expectations
Strategies covered in training programs
Observation and imitation of respected senior support agents
Personal communication style
Feedback on strengths and areas for improvement
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18. Incident Management Suggestions
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19. Customer Service and Personality Types
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
A test that measures basic personality on four dimensions
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20. Customer Service and Personality Types (continued)
Four Dimensions:
Where do you direct your energy?
Introversion (I) versus Extroversion (E)
How do you process information?
Sensing (S) versus Intuition (N)
How do you make decisions?
Thinking (T) versus Feeling (F)
How do you organize your life?
Judging (J) versus Perceiving (P)
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21. Customer Service and Personality Types (continued)
Use: to help understand how users and coworkers use different approaches to problems, communications, and learning
Examples of 16 possible types
ISTJ (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judging)
ENFP (Extrovert, Intuition, Feeling, Perceiving)
Each person is a mixture of the 4 types
No personality type is correct or best
Most people are a mixture of pure types
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22. Strategies for Difficult Clients and Incidents
Difficult client is one who requires special handling strategies because the user is angry, not communicative, rude or abusive
Focus on:
the specific problem
getting the needed information to the client
providing excellent customer service in a respectful manner
getting on to the next incident
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23. Callers Who Complain
Give ample opportunity for the user to voice complaints
Use empathy
Don’t take the complaint personally
Tip: Remember that complaints can be a valuable source of feedback
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24. Calls from “Power Users”
Power user is one who is technically knowledgeable, or thinks they are, or who believes they warrant special treatment
Use inclusive language that makes the user feel like a member of the team
Use an authoritative tone
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25. Incidents that Get off the Track
Refocus the incident
Apologize for lack of prompt resolution
Summarize the basic problem information
Offer to continue to work toward a solution
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26. Users Who Are Upset or Angry
Let users vent their anger
Reassure user that the problem is an important one and that you are willing to help resolve it
Remember that angry users may continue to vent
Avoid defensiveness
Don’t sound patronizing
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27. Users Who Are Abusive
Abusive user is one who is rude, uses inappropriate language, or makes personal attacks on a support agent
Goal:
First transform an incident into one where the user is just angry (no longer abusive)
Then work to satisfy the needs of the user (result is a successful incident)
Follow the support organization’s policies and procedures for this type of incident
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28. Users Who Are Reluctant to Respond
Use very simple language
Avoid technical jargon
Try different kinds of questions
Give positive feedback when the user provides useful information
Suggest exchanging information in a different mode ( , chat session, face to face)
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

29. Users Who Won’t Stop Responding
Use behavior that indicates the contact is over
Summarize the incident and describe the conclusion
Thank the user for calling
Express your belief that the problem is solved
Use short answers that don’t provide a lead-in to additional conversation or communication
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

30. Client-friendly Web Sites
Support Web site is primarily a one-way method of communication via the Internet
Cost effective method of user communication
Customer-service ethic applies to Web site design
Common purposes:
Provide product information
Take sales orders
Contact technical support
Provide software updates and downloads
Communicate with end users
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

31. Criteria for Evaluating a Support Web Site
Content
Organization
Format
Mechanics
Accurate
Up-to-date
Well-organized
Avoids information overload
Avoids graphics that download slowly
Organized by clients needs
Uses small units of information
Effective navigation aids
Correct spelling
Correct grammar
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

32. Comprehensive Client Services
Excellent customer service is based on specific values, attitudes, and actions
Clients are the primary reason for the support organization’s existence
Willingness to take extra measures to satisfy clients
Ability to provide client satisfaction depends on adequate support resources (staffing, equipment, budget)
Excellent client service skills apply to telephone, face-to-face, and written communications
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

33. Chapter Summary
Communication and interpersonal skills are the foundations of excellent customer service
Listen carefully to a user’s problem description, language and tone
Build understanding by restating a problem and through empathy with a user
Respond effectively with a greeting, use of scripts and an appropriate tone and style
Develop a personal incident management strategy
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e

34. Chapter Summary (continued)
Basic personality types can help explain differences in communication, learning and work styles among users and coworkers
Difficult incidents and users require special skills and strategies
A support Web site is cost-effective, but its design should be client-friendly
All forms of communication with users benefit from a comprehensive approach to client services
Guide to Computer User Support, 3e