These rules govern 80% of technical support teams within two years of start-up.
1. If it can be solved in a few minutes, solve it.2. If it can be solved only by investing five minutes, it's marginal.
3. If it has taken five minutes and there is no solution in sight, hang up "by accident." The user will call back, but may get another technician.
4. If you're in software, blame the hardware, and vice versa.
5. If there is no obvious solution, tell the user you will call back later. Don't call back until another technician stumbles onto the solution and posts it.
6. If you can't solve the problem, post on the technical support page that you have solved it. Give the user 24 hours to say it isn't solved. He may not check the page.
7. If he posts that it was not solved, wait 24 hours and repeat the procedure.
8. If he asks on the phone what your name is, hang up "by accident." Say, "Of course. My name is. . . ."
9. If he asks to speak with a supervisor, tell him OK, and then put him on hold.
10. If he calls back, he will get another representative. No problem unless he remembers your first name. He probably won't.
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