Overview

Many people say that the success or failure of a software product relies heavily on an organisation s technical support group. This practical guide offers ready-to-use information on how to set up and effectively run a help desk or technical software support group. Covers all aspects of a support center from tools to call handling. Considers vital issues such as managing support people and outsourcing. Also provides check lists for resolving calls, determining staffing levels, and cost- justifying a support center budget.

Full Product Details

Author:   Francoise Tourniaire ,  Richard Farrell
Publisher:   Pearson Education (US)
Imprint:   Prentice Hall
Dimensions:   Width: 18.50cm , Height: 2.80cm , Length: 24.20cm
Weight:   0.890kg
ISBN:  

9780135694503

ISBN 10:   0135694507
Pages:   352
Publication Date:   15 November 1996
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Out of Print
Availability:   Out of stock  

Table of Contents

"1. Introduction. 2. Call Management Models. Achieving Customer Satisfaction. Call Flow Models. Other Call Management Considerations. Escalations. 3. Call Management Implementation. Hotline Support Basics. Phone Interface. Call Routing. Escalation Management. Non-phone Based Support. Disaster Recovery Planning. 4. Measuring Support Center Performance. Important Process Metrics. Customer Satisfaction. Analysis Metrics. 5. Packaging Support Programs. What is a support package and why create one? Defining Successful Support Packages. Pricing and Selling Support Packages. Sample Support Offerings. 6. Support Organization Structure. Do I need an organization dedicated to Support? Third-Party Support: Outsourcing. Reporting Structure. Do I need more than one Center? Internal Structure of the Support Group. 7. Managing Support People. Planning Support Staffing Needs. Hiring Support Staff. Managing Support Staff Performance. Retaining Support Staff. Managing Morale. 8. Managing Software Bugs and Code Fixes. Definitions and Models for Bug Fixing. Bug Fixing Process. Fixes for Third-Party Products. 9. Tools for Software-Support. Choosing, Justifying, and Implementing Tools. Phone System. Fax System. Call Tracking System. Bug Tracking System. Knowledge Base System. Proactive Customer Communication Systems. Customer Tracking System. Problem Reproduction Environment. Call Center Management Applications. Facilities. 10. New Product Planning. Planning for New Products. Training for New Products. Testing for New Products. Appendix A. Sample User's Guide. Appendix B. Call Resolution Overview. Framing the Call. Problem Solving. Creative Brainstorming. Checking Satisfaction. Appendix C. Determining Staffing Levels. Deriving a Staffing Level Knowing the Service Target. Deriving a Service Level from the Staffing Level. Effect of Call Length on Service Level. Theoretical Proof of ""Big is beautiful"". Appendix D. Creating and Justifying a Support Center Budget. Justifying a Support Center Budget. Building a Support Center Budget. Bibliography. Index."

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Author Information

FRANCOISE TOURNIAIRE is Director of Technical Support at Sybase, Inc., a publisher of client/server and Internet software. RICHARD FARRELL is Senior Manager of Technical Support at Sybase, Inc., a publisher of client/server and Internet software.

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