Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1136395
EDUCATION Page 20 It seems that contacting tech support for product installation or end user solutions is often time-consuming in this busy day and age. It can be a stressful experience when you are simply busy and pressed for time. Creating a technical incident plan can elevate the quality of service for which your company will be recognized. Following these three steps can prepare you to be both effective and efficient in your future times of technical difficulties. Step 1: Training Train your company staff and customer end users to triage any technical difficulties before tech support is contacted. It is beneficial to everyone if all the simple troubleshooting efforts are exhausted and documented. This will ensure that your time on the phone or on the tech support website is shorter. Information is the key to helping tech support help you. Have a PC/laptop ready with an internet connection, as well as a cell/desk phone to properly communicate. Give the tech support your contact information in case you lose your connection with them. Have serial/part/model numbers ready for the agent prior to contacting. You may need to perform some technical tasks, as the eyes, ears and hands of the agent who is remote—possibly new tasks you have never done before. Take notes and pictures so you can later use your new skills you are learning. Training everyone will pay off when there is a crisis at hand. Complete a "lessons learned" evaluation after each problem has been resolved. Step 2: Create Manufacturer Tech Support Profiles Creating detailed information profiles of each manufacture's tech support department will ensure that you are prepared before an issue presents itself. Document the company name, address, website and telephone contact information, as well as your customer tech support ID account information. It is also important to record the time zone and hours of operation of the manufacturer's tech support department. Keep in mind that people go on vacation, call in sick to work or leave their job. It is important this profile information be ready and accessible for everyone at all times. Creating manufacturer tech support profiles will save time and money in the long run. Step 3: Keep a Tech Support Service Log Keeping an up-to-date tech support service log will be useful to your company, the customer and the tech support department assisting you. If all parties involved take good notes, the success rate of restoring optimal system's operation will greatly increase. Downtime will reduce by resolving the issues efficiently, thanks to your meticulous notes and service records. This practice will also make it easier to escalate an issue to a higher priority of tech support. These service records will ensure that your company is remembered in a positive light when you are the superhero after resolving an issue. The tech support service log can be implemented into a planning meeting, as well as in post-project close out meetings, as a tool to identify crucial needs and oversights for a project. The Payoff Following these three steps can improve your ability to keep your company and customers' systems operating properly. Your ability to deliver accurate results efficiently in the heat of the moment will relieve any anxiety from the situation. Systems and components will fail—this is a given in our technical world. Dealing with these issues in the most professional matter will ensure that you will be recommended by the customer and that the company will obtain return business. Good luck! TECH TIP: "TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES" By Richard Abeyta, RCDD, TECH, University of Mexico