Best Practice in Helpdesk Customer Support

Prerequisites:

This course is aimed at both new and experienced helpdesk staff who would like improve their customer service skills in order to raise the helpdesk service to the highest of professional levels. Managers of helpdesks should also note that this course would cut response times and increase the information flow through the helpdesk making your service more cost effective and professional.
There are no technical prerequisites for this course.

Course Description:

In most IT environments the helpdesk is the interface between IT Support and your customers, and as such it is imperative that this first point of call is both professional and efficient. This two-day course will enable delegates to master the key techniques that will enable them to deliver an effective first class service to customers of your helpdesk. To do this the course contains classroom delivery, role-plays and team building exercises.

On successful completion of this course delegates will be able to:

Understand how to communicate effectively with customers
Deliver a professional service even in crisis
Retain and relay crucial information from the customer to technical support
Control difficult customers
Utilise key telephone techniques for use on the helpdesk
Use time management skills to resolve problems fast
Identify how to control stress in a busy environment
Be both a 'self starter' and work effectively as a team member

This course includes the following modules:

Understand what the customer expects from the helpdesk and how to exceed expectations

• Understanding the core requirements for good customer service
• Increasing customer satisfaction
• Knowing how to make customers feel important and that they have your attention
• Putting them at ease
• Delivering a professional IT service throughout

Team session

• How do we make customer care more efficient?

Correct communication techniques for dealing with users

• How to question effectively using open, probing and closed questions to gain information
• When and why should you use the correct questioning style
• Developing non-aggressive questioning styles to avoid confrontation
• Team exercise - 'fact finding using the correct questioning style'
• Understanding the differences between 'passive' and 'active' listening and their uses
• The 4 active listening techniques:
• Paraphrasing-Summarising-Echo-Encouraging noises

Team exercise

• 'how to use the various listening skills and the correct times to use them'

Role play

• 'using the listening skills to extract the right information'

How to effectively handle Problems, User complaints and difficult issues

• Taking a positive approach to handling complaints
• The "S.A.S" follow through approach
• Show concern-Ascertain the facts-Seek agreement
• How the "S.A.S" approach keeps your promises allowing you to follow them through
• Successfully managing your customer by bringing out their positive side
• Learning the basis of complaints why does a complaint arise?

Utilising correct telephone techniques for the helpdesk

• Making customers feel that they have the best of your attentions
• Learning key concentration techniques to enable total attention
• Developing effective organisational skills to keep in control
• Understanding the customers point of view
• Learning how to use 'active listening' as a key control tool
• When and why to clarify in order to avoid misunderstanding technical information
• Controlling the call using open questions - the triple ?¢‚Äöá®?¨S sequence
• Symptoms-Suggestions-Solutions
• What do you say when solving the problem is out of your hands?
• How to close the call and leave a calmer, happier customer

Role play

• handling telephone calls using situations common to IT support

Employing effective teamwork to make a successful support team

• How communication between team members can benefit the service
• being able to resolve conflicts swiftly to save time
• building trust by helping each other during ?¢‚Äöá®?¨downtime
• developing an open attitude towards colleagues for sharing information
• What flexibility and adaptability can do for a support team
• Knowing your responsibility and that of your team members
• Being able to cope with workloads by
• managing time effectively
• using information in a call-log properly

Teambuilding exercise

• Exploring how people work together

Increasing your efficiency through focused teamworking

• Recognising what you can offer the team to improve on problem resolution
• Develop a productive relationship with your manager for clear communication
• Discover how to give and get the necessary support to deliver the best service
• Grasp the implications of your part in a strong team - each person must make an effort
• how can I improve working morale?
• how can I motivate myself and others?

Exploring the necessity of self-management within a team

• Learn how to manage personal stress to avoid emotional displays
• Avoiding burnout by seeking help from colleagues
• Developing assertiveness to get respect from users and team members

Team Exercise

• discover the best methods for sharing information with team members
• learn how to identify individual styles within a team to utilise them accordingly

Takeaway Plan

• putting together 5 objectives which will improve personal performance when back at work