458112987-Record-client-support-pptx.pptx

Prepared by IT Department.
UNIT OF COMPETENCE
Record Client
Support
Requirements
LEVEL-1
INFORMATION SHEET
Mary Help College
Department of Information
Technology

2
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module the learners will be able to:
LO1: Log requests for support
 Record Client support requests and requirements according
to organizational standards.
 Review client support history and details
 Check and request the information for accuracy and urgency
according to organizational standards
LO2: Prioritize support requests with
appropriate personnel
 Identify guidelines for prioritising or rating client requests
 Prioritise client request based on its criticality or effect on
business

3
LO1: Client support requests and
requirements
Definition of Terms
 Client:- A Client is an individual, an organization, business or an
institution that may come in person or communicate using any
communication means like telephone, e-mail, fax or online help
desk to get technical support and consultation on technologies
etc
 Log – means recording client support requirements based on
organizational rule, regulation and policies.
 Escalate - transferring a helpdesk that cannot be resolved to
personnel at a lower level such as an IT specialist or IT manager.
 First level Support - usually 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 organizations usually have
quite clear outlines of what constitutes first level support.
 Priority - the value given to an incident, problem or change to
indicate its relative importance in order to appropriately allocate
resources and specify an appropriate time-frame for resolution.

4
 Service Level Agreement (SLA)- is a legal
agreement / contract between a service provider
and a client detailing the level of service that is
provided, usually including what is covered, what
is not covered, the response time for resolution. It
describes the responsibilities and liabilities of all
parties involved.
 Some of the contents of an SLA usually include the
following:
Response-time guarantees (often based on the
type of call and the SLA)
Equipment and/or software that will be
supported
Where service will be provided
Preventive maintenance
Diagnostics
Part availability (equivalent parts)
requirements

 Call centers sometimes have different names for level-
one technicians. These technicians may be known as
level-one analysts, dispatchers, or incident
screeners. Regardless of the title, the level-one
technician’s responsibilities are fairly similar from one
call center to the next.
 The primary responsibility of a level-one technician is
to gather applicable information from the customer.
 The technician has to document all the information in
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Level-One Technician Responsibilities
requirements

 Here is some of the information a level-one
technician must obtain:
 Contact information
 Description of the problem
 Priority of the problem
 The computer’s manufacturer and model
 The computer’s operating system
 Whether the computer uses AC or DC power
 Whether the computer is on a network and, if so, whether it is
a wired or wireless connection
 If a specific application was being used when the problem
occurred
 If any new drivers or updates have been installed recently and,
if so, what they are
 Some problems are very simple to resolve, and a level-one
technician usually can take care of these without escalating the
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requirements

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requirements

 The level-two technician is usually more
knowledgeable than the level-one technician about
technology, or has been working for the company
for a longer period of time.
 When a problem cannot be resolved within ten
minutes, the level-one technician prepares an
escalated work order.
 The level-two technician receives the escalated
work order with the description of the problem.
 That person then calls the customer back to ask
additional questions and resolve the problem.
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Level-Two Technician Responsibilities
requirements

 The following list of guidelines details when to
escalate a problem to a more experienced
technician. These are generic guidelines; you should
follow your company’s business policy for problem
escalation.
■ Escalate problems that require opening the
computer case.
■ Escalate problems that require installing
applications, operating systems, or drivers.
■ Escalate problems that will take a long time to walk a
customer through, such as Configuration Memory
Operating System (CMOS) changes.
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Level-Two Technician Responsibilities
requirements

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What is a client support?
 Client support is a service that computer and software
manufacturers, and other third-party service companies,
offer to clients.
 Providing good IT supports for clients is vital to the effective
operation of any organisations, so you may find there are
established procedures for determining and addressing
client support issues.
 For personal computer products, the following are common
client-support options:
 mail-in service: The manufacturer will repair your
equipment if you mail it in. Typical turnaround time is
about four days. In some service plans, the manufacturer
charges you for shipping expenses.
 carry-in service: The manufacturer will repair your
requirements

11
Client-support options…
 On-site contract: For a monthly or annual fee, a repair
person will come to your site to fix problems. (The fee is
included in the purchase price of some machines.) Most on-site
contracts guarantee that the service will be rendered within a
fixed number of hours from when you report a problem.
 Hot lines: Many software manufacturers provide a phone
number that you can call for advice and trouble-shooting. Often
the number is toll-free. The quality of this type of support varies
considerably from one company to another. Some hot lines are
so good that they enable you to solve most problems yourself.
Others are so bad that you are unable even to get through.
 bulletin board system : Some companies maintain
electronic bulletin boards (or forums within online services)
staffed by service engineers. If you have a modem, you can
report a problem to the bulletin board and a technician will
respond. This can be convenient because bulletin boards are
requirements

Describe Good Communication Skills and
Professional Behavior
 Whether you are talking with a customer on the phone or in
person, it is important to communicate well and to
represent yourself professionally. Your professionalism
and good communication skills will enhance your
creditability with the customer.
 A customer can “see” your body language. A customer can
hear your sighs and sense that you are sneering, even
over the phone. Conversely, customers can also sense that
you are smiling when you speak with them on the phone.
Many call-center technicians have a mirror at their desk to
monitor their facial expressions.
 Successful technicians control their reactions and
emotions from one customer call to the next. A good rule
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requirements

Determine the Customer’s Computer Problem
 Remember these three rules at the beginning of your
conversation:
■ Know: Call your customer by name.
■Relate: Use brief communication to create a one-to-
one connection between you and your customer.
■ Understand: Determine the customer’s level of
knowledge about her computer to know how to
effectively communicate with her.
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requirements

 To accomplish these tasks, you should practice
active listening skills. Allow the customer to tell
the whole story. As the customer is explaining the
problem, occasionally interject a small word or
phrase, such as “I understand,” “Yes,” “I see,” or
“Okay.”
 This behavior lets the customer know that you are
there and listening. This is not the same as
interrupting the customer to ask a question or make
a statement.
 A technician should not interrupt the customer to
ask a question or make a statement. This is rude
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Determine the Customer’s Computer Problem(cont…)
requirements

 Many times in a conversation, you might find
yourself thinking about what to say before the
other person finishes talking. When you do this,
you are not really listening. As practice, try
listening carefully when other people speak, and let
them finish their thoughts.
 After you have listened to the customer explain the
whole problem, clarify what the person has said.
This helps encourage the customer that you have
heard and understand the situation.
 A good practice for clarification is to paraphrase the
customer’s explanation by beginning with “Let me
see if I understand what you have told me....” This is
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Determine the Customer’s Computer Problem(cont…)
requirements

 When dealing with customers, you must be
professional in all characteristics of your role. You
must handle customers with respect and prompt
attention. When on the phone, make sure that
you know how to put a customer on hold, as well
as how to transfer a customer without losing the
call. How you conduct the call is important. Your
job is to help the customer focus on and
communicate the problem so that you can solve
it.
 Be positive when communicating with the customer.
Tell him what you can do. Do not focus on what you
cannot do. Be prepared to explain alternative ways
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Display Professional Behavior with the Customer
requirements

 Customers will quickly sense whether you are
interested in helping them.
 Here are some recommendations to follow before
you put a customer on hold.
First, let the customer finish speaking.
Then, explain that you have to put him on
hold, and ask him for permission to do so.
When the customer agrees to be put on hold,
thank him.
Tell him that you will be away only a few
minutes, and explain what you will be doing
during that time.
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Display Professional Behavior with the Customer(cont…)
requirements

18
Customer Communication Dos and Don’ts
requirements

19
Observe the following list of things you should avoid
when communicating with a customer:
■ Minimizing customer problems.
■ Using jargon, abbreviations, and acronyms.
■ Displaying a negative attitude or using a negative
tone of voice.
■ Arguing with customers or becoming defensive.
■ Being judgmental or insulting or calling the customer
names.
■ Distractions and interruptions when talking with
customers.
■ Unnecessary and unexpected holds.
■ Transferring a call without explaining the purpose of
the transfer and getting the customer’s consent.
requirements

20
 Part of your job is to focus the customer during the
phone call. Keeping the customer focused on the problem
allows you to control the call. This makes the best use of
your time and the customer’s time on troubleshooting the
problem. Do not take any comments personally,
and do not retaliate with comments or criticism. If you
stay calm, finding a solution to the problem remains the
focal point of the call.
Focus the Customer on the Problem During the Call
requirements

21
Just as there are many different computer problems,
there are many different types of customers.
1. Talkative Customer
2. Rude Customer
3. Angry Customer
4. Knowledgeable Customer
5. Inexperienced Customer
Focus the Customer on the Problem During
the Call
requirements

22
Talkative Customer
A talkative customer discusses everything except the
problem. This kind of customer often uses the call as an
opportunity to socialize. It can be difficult to get a talkative
customer to focus on the problem.
requirements
the Call

23
Rude Customer
A rude customer complains during the call and often
makes negative comments about the product, the service,
and the technician. This type of customer is sometimes
abusive and uncooperative and is easily aggravated.
requirements
the Call

24
Angry Customer
An angry customer talks loudly during the call and often
tries to speak when the technician is talking. Angry
customers are usually frustrated that they have a problem
and upset that they have to call somebody to fix it.
requirements
the Call

25
Knowledgeable Customer
A knowledgeable customer wants to speak with a
technician who is equally experienced in computers. This
type of customer usually tries to control the call and does not
want to speak with a level-one technician.
requirements
the Call

26
Inexperienced Customer
An inexperienced customer has difficulty describing the
problem. These customers usually can’t follow directions
or communicate the errors they encounter.
requirements
the Call

27
requirements
Client Support Roles
 The most important skills needed by the IT
professional who is working as a help desk person
to record the clients’ support requirement are:
Courteous and Professional manner
Active listening skill
Following call handling processes
Following organizational rules and
regulations
Good Communication Skill
Technical skill
Customer handling skill, etc

28
requirements
i) Courteous and Professional manner
 When dealing with clients, it is important for you
to ensure you establish and maintain a
courteous and professional manner.
 To be courteous means to show good manners
and respect for the clients’ opinions and needs.
 To be professional means to conduct yourself in a
manner that is mature, responsible and fair.
 When dealing with clients in a workplace setting,
professionalism is critical.

29
requirements
ii) Active Listening Skill
 When you are dealing with client , it is critical that you
listen carefully to the facts and respond appropriately.
To do this, people often use a technique called active
listening.
 Active listening occurs when you focus on the
message you’re receiving from the other person,
without thinking about what you want to say next.
 Your response to the client is one that paraphrases
what you’ve heard. That is, you summarise what
you’ve heard, and say it back to the sender in your
words. This ensures that you have understood the
idea the client wants to give you.
 One of the key principles of active listening is allowing

30
requirements
iii) Call handling processes
General Guidelines Handling a Telephone Call
 All telephone calls shall be answered on time and in
a professional and courteous manner
 Telephones should be answered within three (3) rings
and it becomes each employee’s job to answer it.
 Most organisations require their staff to answer the
telephone with a greeting, identifying the organisation,
the department/section, their name and offering help with
an opening statement. For example:
Good Morning. Mary Help College, Jane Doe speaking.
May I help you?"
 Sometimes callers(clients) are in a hurry. They may

31
requirements
Guidelines…
 Stop talking and focus your attention on the caller or
avoid distractions and Concentrate on what the client is
saying.
 Show interest and concern to the reason for the call.
 Find out what the caller needs and don't be afraid to ask
the caller questions to find out his or her concerns.
 If you have determined you are not the person they
should talk to, apologize to the caller and briefly explain
why you are unable to assist him or her. Give the caller
the correct telephone number and the person's name
which can assist him or her.
Example
"Mr. Smith, I am really sorry you are having a Internet connection
problem; however, I am not the person you should talk to about this

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requirements
iv) Following organizational rules and
regulations
 Every client interaction should be guided by the policies
and guidelines of the organisation.
 These policies and guidelines are often documented, but
can also be established ways of behaving that form part of
the culture of the organisation.
Why you need Organizational Rules and regulations
 To have professional conduct
 To standardise the interactions between IT Technician and
clients.
 To ensure the process of supporting clients runs smoothly.
 The Organizational rules and regulations can contain how

33
requirements
v) Good Communication Skill
 Whether you are talking with a client on the
phone or in person, it is important to
communicate well and to represent yourself
professionally.
 Good communication skills will enhance your
creditability with the client.
 Successful technicians control their reactions
and emotions from one client call to the next.
 A good rule for all technicians to follow is that
a new customer call means a fresh start.
Never carry your frustration from one call to

requirements
 You can develop more effective communication skills
by practicing the following techniques:
1. MAINTAINING EYE CONTACT: Look into the other
person’s eyes while speaking or listening... It shows
that your are interested and paying attention.
2. LISTENING: To avoid misunderstandings, give the
other person a chance to put their point across
without interruptions.
3. LEADING: Make comments and ask questions that
encourage the other person to continue
communicating in the direction you want.
vi) Technical skill
 The Help Desk Person or IT Technician should have
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35
requirements
Help Desk and Support
 A help desk is simply a person who handle phone call
of client’s problems and a more or less has organized
idea of how to solve the problems that come in.
 A Help Desk is the one in charge of recording/logging
client support request and enter them into a
centralized database program that is designed to
track client support requirements.
 A Help Desk is someone who help the customer to fix
there problems or who gives support.
 Clients may request support :
 By calling a telephone or by email
 They may come in person /coming to office/
 They may fax

36
requirements
 Support is typically provided for the following IT
Problems area:
 Hardware and software faults
 Networking problems (including login problems)
 Email and Internet problems
 Consultation on purchasing information technologies
 Installation and configuration hardware
 Training needs
 Printing problems
 Software installation and upgrade etc
 In many organisations, help desk operators
attempt to fix straightforward problems. This is
known as first level support.

37
requirements
 In some organizations, operators simply log
calls, which are then allocated to the
appropriate technical staff.
 The proportion of problems that can be
handled at the first point of contact will
depend on the skill and training of the help
desk staff.
Recording Client’s support Request
 If you are on the help desk and a client rings,
fax, e-mail or come in person and request for
support, what details do you ask them to
provide?

38
requirements
Data required Entry
Log number:
Help Desk Operator’s name:
Date and time of client request:
Client’s name:
Client’s contact details:
Section and location:
Problem logged:
Date and time problem occurred:
Computer/peripheral affected
Impact of the problem on
operations/business:
First line support provided (if any):
Escalate to support staff? Yes/No
Support staff request details: Date and time
reported:
Name of support staff:
Sample of a typical data entry form

39
requirements
Example: Recording/logging a client request
First Request:
Details:
 The 1st client who’s name is Terefe from the Ministry of
Education, Arat Kilo with a contact number 0912345678
call you today at 12 o’clock and asking help for network
server failure he encounter the problem yesterday at 4
o’clock so he cannot connect to the website.
Second Request:
Details:
 The 2nd client who’s name is Mispin from the ECBP, Bole
Road with a contact number 0913756347 send you an
email today at 11 o’clock requesting for support of
upgrading his Microsoft Office 2003 to 2007 he has
problem using his Microsoft Office 2003 since yesterday

40
requirements
.
Data required Entry
Log number: 001
Help Desk Operator’s name: Ato Dereje Alemu
Date and time of client
request:
05-12-2012, at 12 o’clock
Client’s name: Terefe
Client’s contact details: Addis Ababa, contact number 0912345678
Section and location: Ministry of Education, Arat Killo
Problem logged: Network server failure
Date and time problem
occurred:
04-12-2012 at 4 o’clock
Computer/peripheral
affected
Server Computer
Impact of the problem on
operations/business:
Cannot connect to the website
First line support provided (if
any):
Not provided
Escalate to support staff?
Yes/No
Yes
Support staff request details:
Date and time reported:
07-12-2012, at 12 o’clock
Name of support staff: IT Specialist

41
requirements
Reviewing Client Support History
 Reviewing client support history means checking the
client support request database for the same
problems.
 This is very important to overcome the following main
challenges one may face while working as a Help
Desk IT professional.
 It enables to find easily how the previously logged
problem is solved
 It eliminates redundancy of recording the same problem
 It enables easily identify the problems solved from the
one in queue
 It enables the responsible IT staff for the resolution of
the problems logged etc

Self Check
1. What is a good rule for a call center
technician to follow?
A. Be proactive by avoiding speaking with upset or
angry customers.
B. Consider each new customer call a fresh start.
C. Go with your first impression of the customer, and
use Netiquette.
D. Focus on how to repair the problem while the
customer is speaking.
42
B. Consider each new customer call a fresh
start.

Self Check
2. What is an SLA?
A. An itemized record detailing all levels of service
performed on equipment covered by a
manufacturer warranty
B. A legal agreement between a customer and a
service technician confirming specific services
performed on equipment not covered by any
warranty
C. A legal agreement between a customer and the
service vendor confirming a specific level of
support
D. A legal record of customer invoices showing that
43
C. A legal agreement between a customer and the
service v

44
LO2:Prioritizing client support
requests
Identifying relevant guidelines for prioritizing or
rating client requests
 There should be some mechanism used to prioritize
service request that come from clients.
 In many organizations there are rules and policies
that govern prioritization issues.
 The most important factor taken into consideration is:-
 Business Critical System – the interruption of such
system directly affects the production, profit of the
organization or the business. It results in bankruptcy,
frustration, disappointment etc
 Urgency of the service requested

45
requests
Prioritize client requests based on criticality or
impact on the business
 Some client support requests will be allocated a high
priority, as they involve critical IT functions which
cannot be carried out until the problem is resolved.
Extra resources may have to be allocated to high
priority support needs, and the progress of these
support needs to be closely monitored.
 The most common ways of prioritization mechanisms
are using the following general guidelines but its best
to respond to all requests as quickly as possible.

46
requests
1. High Priority: - high priority is given where the business critical
system has got a problem. A significant number of people
are affected by an issue, a customer’s computer
crashed, the network server is down, a virus attack, or
there is a security concern.
Example:
 The user is unable to login; the computer crashed; a customer’s
account is locked or the password needs to be reset; a computer
has been infected by a virus; an entire student lab is down; if the
network is inaccessible.
2. Medium Priority: A single customer is affected by a problem
but is still able to work, or there are problems with a service but it is
still functional.
Example:
 A customer is experiencing intermittent computer problems; is

requests
3. Low Priority: Routine or maintenance tasks.
Example:
 A customer asks “how to” questions or requests
new software installations or computer set up.
The department requests account creations or
updates, directory changes, or new file shares.
Referring requests to appropriate person or
department for assistance
 This stage is the step at which we refer client
support requirements to respected technician or
department to give the support needed by the
client.
47

requests
 The priority of a support request is based upon its severity
and impact to an individual, a functional unit, or the
organization.
 Priority levels help to determine which requests require
more immediate attention and assist in providing the best
possible service as quickly as possible to our clients.
 All support requests are serviced in order of the priority
assigned to them. This means that at any given moment, a
higher priority request may require more immediate
attention than lower priority request.
 If you feel that a support request’s priority needs to be
escalated(more serious), contact the staff member to which
the support request is assigned.
48

Severity Levels
Enhancement
Minor
Normal
Major
Critical
49

Severity Level: Critical
 This is the highest level of severity and should only
be assigned to issues that require immediate
attention.
 A critical issue is one which satisfies any of the
following criteria:
• Undermines business critical processes essential to the
mission of the organization.
• Prevents the effective use of any major service.
• Seriously affects a large number of computer users.
• Causes a major threat to information security.
• Might severely impact the status of the organization.
50

Severity Level: Critical
Examples
 Hardware or software failure disturbing activities
of essential system and business critical
activities.
 Information security vulnerability posing risk to
access, integrity, or confidentiality of organization.
51

Severity Level: Major
 Major issues are those that pose a serious impact to
business processes if they are not addressed
quickly.
 A major issue is one which satisfies any of the
following criteria:
 Prevents the effective use of any service and affects a
substantial number of computer users.
 Disrupts the activities of a substantial number of
computer users and no work around exists
 Poses a minor threat to information security.
 Might possibly impact the reputation of the
organization.
 Creates very serious implication for an individual user.
52

Severity Level: Major
Examples
 System unavailable to a percentage of the
organization’s users.
 Failure disrupting activities of a functional area.
 Inability of user to access essential piece of
information.
53

Severity Level: Normal
 This represents the ‘typical’ problem, and should
be the most frequently assigned level of severity.
 An issue which satisfies any of the following
criteria:
 Prevents the use of any fully supported service or
application by an individual.
 Disrupts the activities of a substantial number of
computer users, but a work around exists.
 Inconveniences the activities of a substantial
number of computer users.
 Might imply a minor threat to information security
54

Severity Level: Normal
Examples
 Monitor/LCD screen is dead
 Computer won’t boot
 Software installation when software is critical to
job responsibilities
 File system quota exceeded
 Shared network printer down
55

Severity Level: Minor
 An issue creating minor business impact as it
does not threaten or impact productivity.
 An issue which satisfies any of the following
criteria:
 Causes inconvenience to an individual
 Any problem in a "limited support" category
Examples
 CD-Drive non-functional
 Mouse is jumpy on the screen
 Questions regarding application features
 Installation of most peripheral devices
56

Severity Level: Enhancement
 Enhancements are those issues that have little
to no business impact and do not materially
affect productivity.
 All issues that do not fall into the above
described levels of severity.
Examples
 Installations of software peripheral to business
functions
 Cosmetic enhancements (e.g. desktop settings,
browser settings, and favorites)
57

Prioritise client support request using
“Who, What, When, Where, and Why”
approach
 Who: This attribute looked at the relative
importance of who or how many people were
affected by the problem. The bigger the impact,
the higher the points. Higher points were also
provided to special cases like traveling users
because we would have limited access to their
computers. Some examples of the value picks we
came up with were: Entire Company, Sales Office,
Department, User, Traveling User, Lost Sale, and
Executive.
 What: Here we would look at the service affected,
for example e-mail, fax, phone, or billing system.
58

approach
 When: This characterizes the type of
response needed. These value picks
ranged from Immediate to Same Day, Next
Day, Next Week, or No Hurry.
 Where: This attribute included
Departments, Airport, Hotel, and Home.
A traveling user in an airport, working on a
sale, would be allowed an immediate
response, for instance.
 Why: This attribute clarified the nature of
the problem with value picks such as Not
Working, Intermittent Problem, Research,
59

approach
Caller number one
Client Problem: Corporate e-mail is down.
Who is affected Company 10 points
What is affected E-mail 10 points
When is response needed Immediate 10 points
Where is response needed Corporate
computer room
10 points
Why is response needed Not working 10 points
Total score 50 points
60

approach
Caller number two
Client Problem: Remote user cannot access e-mail and
will not need access until tomorrow.
Who is affected User 1 point
What is affected E-mail 10 points
When is response needed Next day 2 point
Where is response needed Home
office
1 point
Why is response needed Not
working
10 points
61

approach
Caller number three
Client Problem: Company president with a PowerPoint
problem going on vacation and in no hurry.
Who is affected User 1 point
What is affected PowerPoint 1 point
When is response
needed
Two weeks 5 points
Where is response
needed
Corporate office 1 point
Why is response needed Not working 10 points
62

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