With businesses having an increased reliance on the Internet, Cloud-based data and Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, if you are unlucky enough to encounter an Internet access issue, this can seriously affect your productivity, so it’s important to have access to a good support network.

Getting technical support right is also important for the companies providing the service, as due to the rise of social media, customers can more easily publicise the merits of one brand to another. Quality technical support can therefore be used as a differentiator, with a Gladly survey identifying that 78% of people purchase a brand or service because of support interactions.

WHY PEOPLE DON'T LIKE CONTACTING TECH SUPPORT

Everyone knows a horror story about poor technical support, with only 16% of customers reporting near perfect resolutions to their issue by contacting support. The effect that great or poor tech support can have on your customer experience and overall business cannot be ignored. Below are some of the main gripes associated with contacting technical support.

Long waits & lack of information

Spending time on the phone stuck in a hold queue or even worse, waiting for updates after you have reported your problem is frustrating for anyone, particularly if this is causing even more business downtime.

Recurring issues

Another major problem is when customers have to call tech support multiple times due to the same issue. Sometimes the fix for a problem consists of a few simple steps a caller can learn from tech support, but when the support agent simply goes through the motions, without explaining why they are being done, the problem becomes unnecessarily shrouded in mystery.

Another common occurrence is when an agent determines that the issue cannot be fixed by their tech support, because it actually sits with the customer or a different 3rd party, and you are left in a cycle without anyone taking responsibility, leaving the issue unresolved.

Efficient resolution

When a customer calls technical support, they expect the person answering the call to have both the capability and authority to solve the problem. When a tech support rep places the caller on hold to ask a supervisor how to do something, or worse yet, for permission to do something, it tests the caller’s patience, especially if they have already waited on hold for some time.

WHEN TECH SUPPORT GOES RIGHT

When a tech support department performs, as it should, there are many benefits to be gained, for both the customer and your organisation.

In essence, tech supports’ focus should be on helping customers to use a product more effectively as well as fixing a problem. Each time Sales acquire a new customer, they’re counting on great service to retain them, and often the first point of contact a new customer will have post-install is tech support. 93% of people who feel satisfied with how technical support resolved their problems feel this way because they feel valued by the organisation. Therefore, it’s important to get tech support right from the very first point of contact. Businesses should take note from the B2C market where technical departments are heavily involved when new customers join. This can be as simple as making sure tech support know who the new customers are so that they can respond appropriately if there are teething problems with their new service.

Your tech support can also provide valuable customer insights into what is working in your products & services and what is not. By listening to the different queries that come in, you can identify how to improve your product and this can even lead to tech support upselling and cross-selling products and features to customers.

TOP FIVE TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL TECH SUPPORT

1. Gauge the customer’s technical level

By identifying the customer’s level of tech savviness, you can better determine the right way to help them. Not only will this make the customer feel valued, but it can also help toward more efficient resolution and avoid recurring issues by explaining problems and solutions to the customer in a way they fully comprehend.

2. Direct customers to self-service solutions and do it early

Making self-service solutions like FAQs, forums and videos to common problems readily available is a great way to reduce time spent on individual support tickets, helping to reduce the overall queue length and on hold time. They are, however, an alternative to a ticket being raised, not a barrier to it - self-service is an aid to diagnosis when a ticket is raised.

3. Make it easy for customers to follow up

Make sure customers are given a quick way to follow up if their issue persists and requires further assistance. It’s also important to track these repeat issues to identify areas for improvement within the business. Monitoring these issues also means that the problem can be sent to new tech staff if necessary, to provide a fresh set of eyes and hopefully resolve the customer’s issue more promptly.

4. Take detailed, useful ticket notes on every interaction

Keeping detailed notes that explain a problem, the unique solution proposed and the end result is invaluable for both tracking common issues and helping customers with similar issues.

5. Be prepared & willing to escalate tougher support requests

Be prepared to escalate the support ticket to the appropriate team members who have the right expertise and skill to resolve the issue efficiently and effectively. This will not only make the customer feel like their request is being taken seriously by the organisation, but ensure more efficient resolution.

Follow these tips to avoid some of the pitfalls of poor support channels. Remember successful tech support is all about finding ways to make life easier for your customers.