My 7 Point Approach to Every Support Call

The image I had in my mind when starting my own business was completely different from the stark reality of the tech business world, the perfect picture consisted of me answering the phone and then accepting money for fixing a computer, something that I love doing whilst getting paid in the process, perfect. The reality is that turning up at a client’s home and fixing the computer is the easy part, as small business owners we quickly learn that we need to be wearing all the hats, but to the extent I hadn’t been prepared for. It’s all very well being the accountant and doing the marketing whilst in the office but not wearing those hats whilst away from the office (or supporting remotely) was slowing down my business and preventing me from tapping into additional revenue. On that basis I present My 7 Point Approach to Every Support Call.

Show Courtesy

Ok courtesy is an obvious and easy one but I include it to try and push its critical importance. Working on the front line of tech support we know we need to be the most polite and courteous people out there to help our customers feel at ease, obtain repeat business and to stay ahead of our competitors. Letting this tech support crux slide will absolutely endanger your business, so much so that I would rather pass on a potential call out if I thought that this important requirement might be put at risk.

The good thing is that if you’re already in the tech support industry then you’ve got some good grounding in what’s required of you and then common sense should prevail and take you the rest of the way. The littlest things such as taking off your shoes, taking interest in your clients issues and even pretending to love that cat clawing up your leg (and not cursing at it!) will earn you some points and set you down the right path.

Marketing Your Business

It took the good part of three months before I started leveraging direct marketing whilst on a call, I avoided it on the basis that it felt like the door salesmen’s approach which in reality only serves to aggravate most people. The wakeup call was when someone knocked on my door offering a window cleaning service, I hadn’t got round to looking for a cleaner but I did need one so it didn’t take him long to get a yes. I eventually came to realise that I wasn’t that door salesmen and that I was actually being invited in to someone’s home to address a very specific issue and following that I might actually be helping someone by offering a service that they could be very interested in.

Don’t be afraid to talk about your business, your services and any offers you might have running, if you’re still working on your sales pitch then any marketing materials such as leaflets and vouchers are the next best thing and a great way to end an onsite visit. On top of that don’t forget to talk about your website and drive clients to your social networks.

Add Value To Your Services

The coined term Value Added Services simply means to go above and beyond your customers’ expectations. Adding value to even the most mundane of support tasks is an excellent way to impress and give value for money and ALL customers love value for money. One winner for me is to clean any computer that reaches my work bench; everyone seems to love this and only adds another 5 minutes when done properly.

If that same computer gets returned with new software that my client should be aware of then there’s a complimentary 10 minute training session to cover the basics, another value added extra.

Offer On The Spot Training

Addressing on the spot training needs is a great way instil confidence in your clients and is an excellent way to reduce those pesky one/two minute phone calls from your clients wanting to know how to defrag their hard drive or run a virus scan using the new Microsoft Security Essentials software you installed on your last visit.

If you can’t identify training needs then offer anything you think might be remotely interesting or perhaps lacking in the basic maintenance areas. Excellent way to fill the quiet gaps, the download times and potentially save you time in the long run.

Be Fully Aware Of The Environment

It quickly becomes apparent that every home and not just the businesses operate some form of Local Area Network (LAN), add the fact that we’re in an era where a lot of homes have multiple computers and network connected devices and we see a growing complexity in the smallest of networks. This of course is a perfect example of the double edged sword, more to support so the potential for more business but more to be aware of whilst troubleshooting.

Something as small as rebooting the wireless router or changing an IP address can disrupt other connected PC’s, game consoles, Internet connected TV’s and smart phones and that less than extensive list is growing. It’s more important to communicate the potential effects and document the network as best you can for troubleshooting now and in the future.

Document Everything

Documentation has turned into the life blood of my business and I now find it critical for looking after my repeat business clients as well as developing my own marketing strategies on a per client basis. Some of my partners comment on the fact that I’m quite anal with this but it repeatedly saves me time, assists with my troubleshooting whether remote or onsite whilst maintaining a professional and attentive image. I do however document to such a high degree that I now have to include a clause in my contract which my clients are able to opt out of should they be uncomfortable with any particular point.

Beyond the obvious records of the work that takes place on any particular device I also include the logical network information, passwords, names of family members (lots of clients means that I easily), whether children live in the home and whether the computers they use are appropriately locked down and this list truly does go on and on to the point that I might dedicate an article about it one day. Most of my onsite documenting takes place on my Windows Phone using the OneNote app, its quick, easy and syncs to the cloud ready for editing when I’m back in the office.

Talk

Talking above and beyond the points mentioned so far can be hard for some, most techs like to draw lines between business and making friends which I can totally understand and something I practice myself. We draw the lines to ensure that our clients understand the business relationship, extending it any further can cause complications down the line which may risk repeat business. I occasionally work with local techs on some of the bigger jobs in the area and its very apparently that some techs are drawing the lines in the wrong place.

In a couple of cases it appears to verge on rude and could spell trouble for any small business, word of mouth is a powerful force. It really is as simple as listening and responding appropriately even if you do have to hear about how crazy the weather is for the seventh time in a day! If conversation does run dry then turn the conversation to what you’re good at whilst being sure not to talk your client into a coma, remember it’s a careful balance which is different with every individual.

As always your comments and feedback are invaluable, what important business practice do you take with every support call?