Technical Support is a Waste of Your Time
In this article I’m going to share a common experience with technical support. I will then dive into why this happens. Then, I will explain some things your organization can do. And finally, how we at Easy Training Tracker’s do technical support differently.
A Typical Experience
It’s a great morning. Ideas are flowing and work is getting done. Suddenly, your software stops working as expected. The interruption takes you out of the moment. You attempt to jump back in, but the program hiccups again. You do an internet search without success. Now you’re stuck. You’re going to have to contact technical support.
Most likely, you already feel technical support is a waste of time based on previous experience. In this article I want to explain from an Information Technology (IT) expert’s perspective why things are this way, what you can do in your organization, and Easy Training Tracker’s unique approach to technical support.
Can You Relate To This Pain?
At this point, you just want to get back into action. The day is moving forward. Deadlines that seemed reasonable are now closing in. What would seem to be the easiest solution to this predicament is to get an expert on the phone and talk through the issue at hand.
In most cases there might be a quick answer and or workaround and then you’re on your way. Even if the answer requires a longer timeframe you will, at least, know to move in a different direction to accomplish your goals.
The problem is that technical support rarely works this way. Most likely your experience will follow a path like this…
Why So Many Businesses Fail at Technical Support
1 - A Rigid System
Technical support has turned into an inflexible bureaucratic system. We are told this very frustrating situation is the way business is done.
We are told it is a necessary best-practice. This all seems disingenuous. Instead of trying to get you back up and running, you are placed in a rigid policy-driven queue. Simple problems can take days to resolve. Complex issues are even worse.
“...interruptions are a serious waste of time”
2 - Excessive Basic Support Requests
One reason for this rigidity are the excessive help requests of what are essentially training issues. A lot of these are “how do I do something” questions.
These types of questions are usually easily answered by a skilled user of the software. They can also frequently be solved by reviewing documentation or doing a well formatted search query on the internet.
These “how do I do something” questions result in a lower rung of support staff that basically do a search themselves and reply to the user with those results. This lower level support wall is applied universally, thus adding 24-72 hours to reaching skilled help.
With some software you may have a phone number in which you can call and verbally explain matters. In these cases, the person on the phone usually transcribes what you’re saying, asks clarifying questions, and then places you into a queue in which you will receive a response through email. Usually in another 24-48 hours.
This type of system is a bit easier on the end user as they don’t have to textualize the issue and the ticket is usually routed to appropriate support staff. But even with this type of support, there is no immediacy in the response, and you are left waiting days for help.
3 - Too Many Steps and Uncertain Timelines
Sometimes you may run across software issues that are not training issues. These problems may require extensive changes in the programming code to resolve. A knowledgeable support agent can usually determine if what you are experiencing can be resolved with direction or whether it needs the attention of the programming staff.
The problem is it may take days before that agent is pulled into the conversation. And once the problem is acknowledged, you are usually left in a fog of uncertainty as to when, or if, it will be fixed.
4 - Technical Support is Complex
Computer hardware and software are an ever-evolving web of interwoven functionality and needs. It is a very complex system, and it is unreasonable to expect perfection. In addition, support is tricky with so many moving parts. However, interruptions are a serious waste of time.
This is even more so when you are unable to return to your previous flow following an interruption. The current use of the support ticket system is a failed strategy. The goal of a useful support system is not to create an efficient ticketing management system. The goal is to create an effective support system. It should be aimed at getting the fastest resolution to the end user. This allows them to get back to the work at hand.
What You Can Do In Your Organization
There are things that can be done within your organization that can help in software support matters. These are a few suggestions. They may not all fit your organization but are worth considering.
1 - Train the Staff how to do effective advanced internet searches
2 - Allow responsible employees access to YouTube. YouTube is an excellent source of help and is often blocked from users
3 - Know which users are experts of different software programs and sub-systems within that software. Maintain and communicate that information with the Information Technology (IT) department
How Easy Training Tracker Handles Technical Support
“The goal is to create an effective support system”
One of our support goals is to try and provide some immediacy to software issues. We try and get you answers quickly. When there is a problem in which we can’t provide an immediate resolution, we try and give you an accurate estimate of how much time something will take. We also try and offer work-arounds to get you through things until a solution is provided.
Easy Training Tracker typically supplies a direct number to the primary administrator of your instance. We train the administrator to understand use of the whole system; from security set up to the employee experience. By doing this the administrator will be able field most simple issues. If not, they have a direct line to us and can present the problem to an expert user. Most of the time, we can offer help immediately on that first call.
For less urgent matters, we also offer email support. We typically answer quickly with any questions we might have. Often answering immediately with a solution.