Chapter 1:Achieving High Customer SatisfactionA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk ProfessionalThird Edition

ObjectivesIn this chapter you will learn:The role the service desk plays in delivering quality technical customer supportThe four components of a successful service deskTrends influencing the service deskWhat customers need and expectHow to meet and exceed customer expectationsThe mix of skills needed for a career in technical customer supportA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Achieving High Customer SatisfactionEnormous need for technical support Many companies set up service desksService desk - a single point of contact within a company for managing customer incidents and service requestsHistorically a stepping stoneNow a professionA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Achieving High Customer Satisfaction (continued)To work a service desk, you need:A mix of skills including business, technical, soft, and self-management skillsTo understand the characteristics of quality customer service and technical supportTo understand that how you interact with each customer influences that customers perception of your companyA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Delivering Quality Technical Customer SupportPeople may turn to multiple service desksRole has evolved from help deskHelp desk - a single point of contact within a company for technology-related questions and incidentsService desks are key part of a technical support organizationTechnical support - A wide range of services that enable people and companies to continuously use computing technology

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk RoleTechnical support services include:Installing hardware, software, network, and application componentsKeeping the system in good repairUpgrading hardware and softwareProviding customer supportA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Customer support - Services that help a customer understand and benefit from a products capabilities Customer support includes:Answering questionsSolving problemsProviding trainingCustomer - A person who buys products or services or with whom one must dealA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Customer service and support organizations Come in all shapes and sizes Deliver a wide range of servicesTypes of organizations include:Call centerContact centerHelp deskService deskA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Transition from help desk to service desk prompted by ITILInformation Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) A set of best practices for IT service managementBest practice A proven way of completing a task to produce a near optimum resultIT service management (ITSM) A discipline for managing IT services that focuses on the quality of those services and the relationship that the IT organization has with its customersIT service A service based on the use of information technology that supports business processesA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)ITIL Challenges organizations to adopt a service-oriented approach to managing IT servicesVersus traditional product- or technology-centric approachesConsiders technical and customer support vitally importantIntroduced the concept of service deskA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Incident An unplanned interruption to an IT service or a reduction in the quality of an IT serviceA broken device, an error message, a system outageProblem The cause of one or more incidentsHardware defects, corrupt files, software errors or bugs, and human errorService request A request from a user for advice, or a standard changeA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Multi-level support model - A common structure where the service desk refers incidents it cannot resolve to the appropriate internal group, external vendor, or subject matter expertSubject matter expert (SME) - A person who has a high level of experience or knowledge about a particular subjectA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Multi-level Support ModelA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Service desk Resolves as many incidents as possible at level oneEnsures efficient use of level two and three resourcesTakes ownership of all incidents, whether or not they can resolve themTaking ownership Tracking the incident to ensure Customer is kept informed about the status of the incidentIncident is resolved within the expected time frameCustomer is satisfied with the final resolutionA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Many companies have consolidated support services into service deskMany also use technology to absorb activities from other support groups, such as network support, field support, and system administration

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Customer Support and the Service Desk Role (continued)Technologies include:Knowledge management systems (KMSs)Tools and databases used to store, manage, and present information sources such as customer information, documents, policies and procedures, incident resolutions, and known errorsDatabases may be referred to as knowledge bases or known error databasesKnowledge base A logical database that contains data used by a knowledge management systemKnown error A problem that has a documented root cause and a workaroundKnown error database (KEDB) A database that contains known error recordsConfiguration management systems (CMSs)Tools and databases for managing IT asset information and linking that information to related incidents, problems, known errors, changes, and releasesNetwork monitoring systems Tools used to observe network performanceRemote control and diagnostic systemsTools that allow a service desk analyst to remotely control a users keyboard, screen, or mouse to diagnose incidents, transfer files, and provide informal trainingA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Components of a Successful Service DeskPeopleFront-line service providersService desk managementSupporting rolesKnowledge engineerTechnical supportTraining

ProcessesIncident managementProblem managementRequest fulfillmentAccess management Service level managementA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Components of a Successful Service Desk (continued)TechnologyIncident management systemsKnowledge management systemsTelephone systemsWeb-based systems

InformationCustomer dataIncident dataStatus dataResolution dataA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Components of a Successful Service Desk (continued)Customer expectations - Results that customers consider reasonable or dueCustomers have expectations about What a product can do What the company can do to enable them to fully use that productExcellent service meets or exceeds customer expectationsCompetitive edge equals excellent service and a great product A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Components of a Successful Service Desk (continued)High-quality services can be costlyMost companies also strive to deliver cost-effective self-services via the webKnowledge basesFAQsOnline forms Self-services can be Delivered twenty-four hours a day, seven days a weekPersonalized A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Benefits of Quality Customer SupportReturn business Positive word-of-mouth that leads to new businessHigher sales and profitsIndustry recognition recognition as world class A company has achieved, and is able to sustain, high levels of customer satisfactionA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Benefits of Quality Customer Support (continued)Customer loyaltyCustomer feedback (complaints)Happy customers Happy employeesReward and opportunityPride and satisfactionPeople who enjoy the technical customer support field tend to demonstrate a strong sense of purposeThey know their role is important They take it very seriouslyA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Trends Influencing the Service DeskCustomers are demanding cheaper, better, faster support servicesDemand has prompted expansion of the service desk role Service desk has a strategic position Service desk can and does contribute to the companys bottom lineDemand is coupled with a shortage of IT professionalsTremendous career opportunity exists in the field of customer service and technical supportA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Trends Influencing the Service Desk (continued)Service desk opportunities include:Learn about and support a wide range of computing technologiesWork with people and technologyUse previously acquired skills (e.g., customer service skills, multilingual skills) to gain entry into the computer industryGain entry into a company where you want to workA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Trends Influencing the Service Desk (continued)Service desk opportunities include (continued):Learn about the various departments and opportunities within a company Advance along a technical career path or a managerial career pathWork a flexible schedule, work from home, or potentially travel for workAchieve the personal satisfaction that comes from helping othersA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Trends Influencing the Service Desk (continued)Technically savvy customersMultichannel supportCollapsing support levelsMobile workforce support24/7 supportFee-based supportA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Trends Influencing the Service Desk (continued)Global supportUse of best practice frameworks and standardsIncreased and changing workloadOutsourcingService desk as a professionA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Trends Influencing the Service Desk (continued)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Service Desk Analysts Role in the Customer Service Value ChainTwo types of service desks (internal, external)Two types of service desk customers:Internal customer - A person who works at a company and at times relies on other employeesExternal customer - A person or company that buys another companys products and servicesIf you are not supporting the external customers of your company, you are supporting someone who is!

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Service Desk Analysts Role in the Customer Service Value Chain (cont.)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Service Desk Analysts Roles in the Customer Service Value Chain (cont.)Customer service value chain:Shows relationship between customers, internal service providers, external service providersUses feedback to communicate customer expectationsIllustrates that All departments within a company are interdependent and must work togetherEvery role adds value and must be respected and supportedA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Service Desk Analysts Roles in the Customer Service Value Chain (cont.)One of the best ways to become an excellent service provider is to pay attention when you are the customer!A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Influencing Customer PerceptionCustomer satisfaction - The difference between how a customer perceives he or she was treated, and how the customer expects to be treatedService Level Agreement (SLA) - A written document that spells out the services the service desk will provide, the customers responsibilities, and how service performance is measuredA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Influencing Customer Perception (continued)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Influencing Customer PerceptionSLAs Influence customer perception Show how well the service desk is meeting customer expectationsCan be complex or simple one-page documentsAre underpinned by OLAs and contractsOperational Level Agreements (OLAs) Agreements between internal support groupsContracts Agreements with external suppliersA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Influencing Customer Perception (continued)A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding Customer Needs and Managing ExpectationsManaging customer expectations is a challengeExpectations Are influenced by many factors Vary from person to person, situation to situation, and even day to dayCount on customers wantingResponsiveness Be there!A caring attitude Be Willing!Skill Be able!

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Understanding Customer Needs and Managing Expectations (continued)Metrics are used to evaluate service desk performance (see Figure 1-10)To produce metrics, service desks use Data captured by tools and technology Customer satisfaction surveys MonitoringA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Demonstrating a Positive Can Do AttitudeDelivering high-quality customer support is challenging:Customers feelings and expectations can change from minute-to-minuteCustomers today are more sophisticated and demand cheaper, faster, and better serviceTechnology is increasingly complex and changes rapidly

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Demonstrating a Positive Can Do Attitude (continued)A can do attitude - Rather than telling a customer what you cannot do, tell them what you can doA can do attitudeEnables customers to perceive that they have been helpedInvolves striking negative phrases from your vocabulary Enables you to deliver information (e.g., saying no or telling customers about a delay) without offending or alienating themThe customer may not always be right, but they are always the customer!A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Going the Extra MileSatisfied customers are not necessarily loyal

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Going the Extra Mile (continued)Companies must go beyond customer satisfaction to customer delightGo the extra mileGive a little extraWithin the service desks boundaries or the cost will deplete the companys profitsTwo key ways to delight customers:Save them time Enhance their self-sufficiency

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Developing the Right Mix of SkillsBusiness skills The skills people need to work in the business world. Includes:The ability to understand and speak the language of business The skills that are unique to the industry or profession the service desk supports, such as accounting skills or banking skills (industry knowledge) The skills that are specific to the customer service and support industry, such as understanding the importance of meeting customers needs and knowing how to manage their expectations (service industry knowledge)

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Developing the Right Mix of Skills (continued)Technical skills The skills people need to use and support the specific products and technologies the service desk supportsIncludes basic computer and software literacy skillsSoft skills The skills and personality traits people need to deliver great serviceIncludes listening, verbal communication, customer service, problem-solving, temperament, teamwork, and writing skillsA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Developing the Right Mix of Skills (continued)Self-management skills The skills people need to complete their work effectively, feel job satisfaction, and avoid frustration or burnoutIncludes stress and time management, the ability to get and stay organized and to continuously learn new skillsFinding people that have the right mix of skills is one of the most difficult challenges facing service desk managers today!

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Developing the Right Mix of Skills (continued)Companies look for people:With positive can do attitudes who genuinely enjoy helping other people and solving problemsWho are team-oriented and enjoy working with other peopleCompanies are willing to provide technical training to individuals with good interpersonal skills and a customer service orientationCompanies may hire people with very strong technical skills and provide extensive customer service trainingA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Developing the Right Mix of Skills (continued)Smart companies let their customers needs and expectations driving their hiring decisionsPeople who understand that all of these skill sets (business, technical, soft, and self-management) are important will create for themselves the greatest opportunityA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Chapter SummaryThere is tremendous demand for technical customer supportThe service desk is the first point of contact for this supportA successful service desk utilizes all of its assets: people, processes, technology, and informationPeople are by far the most important componentA Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

Chapter Summary (continued)Numerous trends are influencing the service desk industryEach affects how service desks are run and the opportunities they presentThe support industry is evolving and its dynamic nature represents a tremendous opportunity for people with the right mix of skillsSkills needed include business, technical, soft and self-managementSoft skills and self-management skills are universal and will serve you well regardless of your chosen profession!

A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional, 3e*

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