Chapter 20 Customer Support, Communication, and Professionalism 859
Most level-one technical support is free, at least for a limited time. The
highest level of support is typically not free and is set up on a cost per incident
basis or through a service contract. It may also be based on a specific number of
incidents or minutes of live support. Live support is when you actually talk to
support personnel rather than using e-mail as a means of technical support.
Outsourcing
Customer support is often outsourced to a company that specializes in
technical support. The outsource company may reside in the United States or
be located overseas. The main reason for outsourcing is cost of the support
service, of which the major cost is employee wages. It is often less expensive for a
company to use a call center located in a foreign country because the wages may
be far less than if the same service was provided locally.
A software or hardware company may find it more cost effective to outsource
level-one support and opt to provide level-two support on a local basis. All
common or routine problems encountered by customers or clients can be
answered by the outsource service. Problems requiring a level-two technician
are reserved for the company at the local location or authorized service centers
scattered across the United States and world.
For example, the ABC Laptop manufacturer has all client and customer
support requests directed to a 1-800-number or to e-mail support. The first level
of support is provided by the outsource company XYZ Corporation located
in Bombay, India but authorized to represent the ABC Laptop manufacturer
company in the United States. The XYZ Corporation handles all routine calls
and provides help to customers. They cover the basic problems that may be
encountered and talk customers through such items as verifying the following:
✔ Power LEDs are lit.
✔ All cables are connected.
✔ Memory has been reset.
They may also talk the customer through the procedures for using the
support CD to reinstall the operating system and through other basic tasks. If
the problem cannot be resolved, the outsource support company forwards the
problem to the ABC Laptop manufacturer. This is when more sophisticated
troubleshooting diagnostics are required or the actual physical replacement of
hardware items. The customer is provided an address to send the laptop to or
a pickup ticket for FedEx, UPS, or similar service. The laptop is then sent to the
ABC Laptop manufacturer for diagnostics and repair.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Most businesses have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section posted
on their Web site. The FAQ section is designed as the name implies, to answer the
most commonly asked customer questions and inquiries. This is a very valuable
tool that can help save many hours of customer support. It is especially valuable
if the company or business does not have a technical staff available 24/7. Large
companies typically have a very extensive FAQ section on their Web site. One
such company is Dell.
live support
support in which a
customer or client
talks directly to
support personnel
rather than using
e-mail or FAQs.