What are the most effective technical support practices for end-users?

It is important to be actively listening and show empathy and understanding towards the user. Be prepared to ask questions to clarify, acknowledge their concerns and reassure them that you are there to help. Always offer options and educate gently and provide context. This helps users understand the purpose and importance of the questions. Adapt your approach according to your assessment of the user's level of technical proficiency. Avoid rushing users through the process. Ensure users feel comfortable and empowered throughout the process.

In my experience, it is important for end-users to be able to adequately describe the issues they're facing. If possible, quickly note displayed prompts or error codes and promptly inform the support team. The more information they're able to present in their description, the better. An early response in most instances allows for a prompt and direct de-escalation and resolution of the situation.

Identifying the problem is a process not dissimilar to detective work. Although we'll all have our methods I personally like to establish a timeline first, this involves asking questions or checking logs, cctv footage etc: - what, first - when, second - how/how often, third A pro tip fourth question is - who else has been doing any work on this/in this area.

I had a customer in a busy Pizzeria who hardly spoke English. He triedto explain to me that his computer had a driver error. After 20 minutes of trying to understand the error I discerned that the issue was found by the delivery driver. I asked to speak with the delivery driver who had some confidence with IT. Together we were able to resolve the real issue. The lesson I learned here is to seek different perspectives. The customer may not be confident working with you. Especially if they didn't grow up with IT. If you can, without breaching privacy, ask the customer if there is somebody able to assist them while you work together on the issue.

Personally, I follow?these principles: - Listen carefully,? - Be empathetic, - Ask concerns, - Follow the RCA, - Direct the user towards the details, Listen carefully - Pay close attention to what the end user is saying. If they are discussing the problem, You could learn the problem's core cause from the conversation. Show empathy - This is the only way to have a constructive conversation about the user's problem. Ask Question - Don't?hesitate to ask the user any questions about the problem, doing so might speed up the resolution process. Follow the RCA - Instead of using temporary solutions, a root cause analysis is a method to address the problem from the ground up and find a long-term solution.

The agent should ensure that the end user understands the steps he/she is supposed to be taken and also should confirm every stage of progress, in order for the solution to be placed successfully. This can be done using check questions like "do you see the x icon", "did the y led turned green" etc. For more complexe processes, a visual guide should be available for the agent to send to the end user on a convenient communication path - email, internal chat app, ticketing system.

In the case of a user problem, I guide them so that they are aware of what actions to take next time to avoid the problem from happening again. It is important to communicate in a very simple manner, avoiding technical terms where necessary.

Walk the user through what to expect and what the solution aims to achieve. Be patient and present each step one at a time and explain clearly before moving on to the next. Prepare examples to share with the user visually, visual aids can enhance understanding significantly. Explain the necessity of each step, most users appreciate understanding the why. Prepare analogies to help simplify complex concepts. Compare the technical process to day-to-day scenarios whenever applicable. Always ask for confirmation when guiding the users. Have you completed this task successfully? Was there any message? This allows you to know if the user encountered any error(s). Some error messages aren't that obvious!

In most cases users won't understand the terms we use so we have to walkthrough them step by step and also make sure we are polite enough so users won't get frustrated. And give them proper tips on how to avoid these kinds of issues in future.

Some fixes don't need to be explained, the user really doesn't care... You will quickly identify the level of engagement the client is willing to undertake by not assuming... Sometimes a simple fix and explanation will be a revenue shedding moment;

In my experience, I confirm resolution by doing tests myself so that I can be confident that the issue is sorted before approaching the user with the solution

The final check should also include that the resolution given solved the original problem and, if further steps should be taken in the near future, with collateral support teams (replacement of equipments, other manuals or trainings to be given etc.), the end user should receive this information, to the best knowledge of the support agent, at the end of the interaction. If possible, the interaction should be reassigned to these teams (e.g. In a ticketing system, call center etc.)

As an end user, this is my most important step in the whole process. For a lot of tech support and customer service, the teams make an assumption that the problem has been resolved. In multiple cases, because of how long it takes to review the whole problem, clients myself included tend to give in and end the query because the back and forth can be quite tiring. Without confirming resolution we have many unsatisfied clients being served by teams that assume are quite effective at their support role and so make no effort to change the approach.

Verify with the user if the reported symptoms are no longer happening and that the user's needs have been met. Offer guidance to the user through the process and the expected outcomes whenever possible. It helps to get visual proof of what the user is seeing is indeed a sign that the solution is working. Document the resolution after the user's confirmation. This will be useful for future reference!

Once we apply the fix we ask users close the specific application or any session and reopen to verify if it's working properly. We do give users to few hours to test it further and give us confirmation over IMS or Email.

The highly recommended way of collecting feedback is through a de synchronised written manner - survey, email. The chances of obtaining a more reliable and sincere answer are higher in this case, rather than using a follow up call or a in person check.

As an application support manager, I think follow-up is a strategic tool that significantly enhances user satisfaction and loyalty. It allows the identification of recurring issues, offers an opportunity to gather valuable user feedback, and aids in proactive problem-solving. This practice not only builds trust and fosters a positive brand reputation but also encourages user education about the application, leading to fewer future issues. Furthermore, follow-ups drive continuous improvement in both the support process and the application itself, ensuring that the service evolves to meet user needs and industry standards. Overall, follow-ups are crucial for maintaining high-quality support and fostering long-term relationships with users.

Following up with the end-user after problem resolution is a key practice in technical support. This involves checking in to ensure everything is still working well, addressing any questions or concerns, and offering further assistance if needed. The goal is to demonstrate care for the end-user's experience and build a long-term relationship. This practice enhances end-user loyalty, satisfaction, and retention.

Likewise, the "follow up" procedure after the successful provision of technical support can be used to conclude an additional sales process. In this sense, the "follow up" process is better done through a survey mail that also contains additional sales recommendations, related to the technical problem encountered. In the case of a returning customer, further verification is also recommended to ensure an additional sale. In this sense, I see a specific sales procedure combined with the provision of technical support with "follow up". The practice is used by online technology sales sites. The practice of providing technical support creates customer loyalty and repeat purchase.

You can always reach out to the user to know if there's been some drawbacks or positives and know what next to fo depending on the feedback you got from them.

Best practice in technical support includes documenting the problem-solving process. Record details of the issue, solution, and resolution in a knowledge base for future reference and improvement. This practice enhances the quality and efficiency of support services.

The easiest and easy to scale way for documenting issues is through an internal ticketing system. Most apps offer the possibility of tagging or creating bookmarks of relevant incidents or requests, for future reference.

With the common saying that “there is nothing new under the sun”, documentation of the process is a very critical step of continuous improvement of service delivery. The documentation serves as a guideline and/or foundation in the event that a similar problem is encountered.

With the advent of AI this is a critical step in providing accurate useful information. It is well and good to have CRM systems ion place as most mature companies do, but in my experience the documentation of issues is not done correctly if at all. It seems that technical teams are loathe to share their experience. Searching for information in the ticketing systems rarely provides solutions to the issues logged. Come on technical teams, please make things more efficient by sharing your technical knowledge for less experienced team members to grow with and improve customer experience.

We have an internal wiki where we document common issues/solutions, processes, and lots of other information. Having a centralized knowledge store that we can go back to and update over time has saved me tons of time that would’ve been spent doing research.

Soft skills are incredibly important for technical support. They play a significant role in providing effective and empathetic support to users. Making users feel valued, heard and well-supported while dealing with challenging technical issues is what truly defines a superior and positive support experience. Users can get their problems resolved and you leave them with a lasting positive impression of the support service!

It's essential to let end users know that you actually care about them, that you're capable of intelligent problem-solving (sorely lacking in outsourced support systems), and that you'll escalate their ticket if you have no other option. If you must force them to wait on hold while listening to agonizingly repetitive, canned music, it's because you're working on a solution to their problem, not someone else's problem.

One thing I find with experience is that you always find new information for issues that you may not know how to fix but somewhere some time ago someone found the solution and if you know how to search it will lower the time will take to resolve and if you encounter the issue again it will make it easier. With every experience you are better prepared for the next

Conciseness practical presentation.

Knowledgebase and FAQ A robust knowledge base and frequently asked questions (FAQ) section is crucial for effective technical support. A well-maintained knowledge base provides users with self-help resources, reducing the need for direct assistance. FAQs address common queries, offering quick solutions. Regularly updating and expanding these resources ensures relevance and helps users find answers efficiently

Be open to new perspectives and experiences. Be open to learn from someone who has more experience then you and is willing to share

Most of the times the reply time is the most important from the end user point of view. They need to know if you as technical support can help or they have to manage the situation by themselves. The next level of the satisfaction comes from right solution and correct relationship(communication) . Always be careful not to focus on service or spare part sales and focus on the best solution. Remember to be ready for at least some of the repeated scenarios instead of circulting the customer in unnecessary bureaucracy or long methodes. And lat but not the least , these days specially when the end user is educated , large and less tolerant to failure , prepare digital 24/7 service support systems. Chatbots , guide lines , and other smart ways.

What helps very much is to provide a small questionnaire for all endusers e.g. asking for systemname, userid, location, usergroup, criticality, how many users/organizations are affected? Further: Is the enduser member of a list of qualified/certified callers? Has the provided documentation been reviewed? The better your questionnaire or default-template in your shared ticket tool with the customer, the easier and faster you can start working.