Provide ICT Advice to Clients

Question 1

What is the difference between internal and external clients?

Answer 1

Internal are those who are within the organisation, while external are people calling for support for a product/service.

Question 2

Describe 3 advantages to using a database to store call log information.

Answer 2

1. Reports can be easily generated.
2. An unlimited number (limited by RAM & HDD) of entries can be made.
3. Faster opening and searching through large files.

Question 3

Provide one example of each type of call problem - hardware, software, network and training

Answer 3

Hardware: printer is printing pages unaligned on the page.

Software: slow performance.

Network and Training: can’t connect a device to Wi-Fi

Question 4

Describe 2 aspects of active listening.

Answer 4

1. Relaying what’s been said to ensure the client understands their issue.
2. Use of body language to reassure clients.

Question 5

Why is it important to get as much detail about the problem as possible from the client?

Answer 5

So that you can solve the issue faster, & prevent the need for an on-site examination.

Question 6

Why should technical support staff avoid using jargon when assisting clients?

Answer 6

So that they don’t confuse their clients.

Question 7

What is an ‘on-site examination’?

Answer 7

One where the technician goes to where the issue is normally located so that they can see what it is and deduce possible solutions.

Question 8

Identify and explain some constraints that may apply to the provision of ICT advice/support in a workplace.

Answer 8

• Time: Not everyone is available so it can be difficult to find a time to meet with a ICT professional.
• Costs: High costs can deter clients from getting ICT advice and service.
• Location: There may not be any place to get ICT support in the area.
• Expertise: There may not be anyone with expertise in the area that you’re located to get ICT support.

Question 9

Identify three factors to consider when designing and creating an appropriate feedback form.

Answer 9

1. User’s/client’s level
2. Using an active voice
3. Using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation

Question 10

List four actions that a Help Desk can take when investigating an issue for a client.

Answer 10

1. Consider the level of support, number of clients and their levels.
2. Read up on any documentation such as manufacturer’s manuals and warranties,
3. Determine what hardware and software is being used.
4. Determine what the hardware and software are being used for.

check logs for similar issues, research if common problem, consult with colleagues.

Question 11

Help Desk staff use call logs to record their tasks. List, and explain, two other documents that Help Desk staff use to undertake and complete tasks.

Answer 11

1. User manuals, flowcharts, any jkind of support documentiation to solve issues, procedure documents.
2. Warranty Information: to see if the client is legible for a warranty.

Question 12

A Help Desk service provider wants to give a client information about using remote desktop software to provide assistance.
Describe one advantage and one disadvantage of having the Help Desk located away from the client’s business location.

Answer 12

Advantage:

• speedier response because simpler
• won’t be at a counter
• expert advice
• probably cheaper
• don’t have to have a dedicated area

Disadvantage:

• could take longer if something that needs to be physicall attneded to
• external company may not have the expertise or history with your device/organisation.
• if they have to come on site it can be more $$$

Question 13

When a person starts to complain about a business to others, what effect does this cause and resulting effect can this have on the business?

Answer 13

By spreading the awareness of one’s complaints, it makes other possible clients deter from the company because of what they’ve heard about it. In turn, this can reduce the number of clients that come to the business for a service or product.

Question 14

What are the five key attributes required when dealing with a client’s complaint?

Answer 14

1. Attentive listening
2. Sincere & careful questioning to understand the complaint
3. Sympathy towards them and their situation
4. Honesty in your responses
5. A genuine desire to resolve the issue

Question 15

What are the three possible elements on which the complaint is based?

Answer 15

1. Facts
2. Emotions
3. A combination of both

Question 16

In a technical sense what are the two types of complaints?

Answer 16

1. Product

2. Service

Question 17

What were the five recommended steps in resolving a client’s complaint?

L
S
A
D
F

Answer 17

1. Listening attentively to the client.
2. Searching for facts and calming the client if agitated.
3. Apologising for any inconvenience or stress that may have been caused by the issue.
4. Deciding a course of action to resolve the issue.
5. Following up on the process until the client is satisfied.

Question 18

What are four recommendations that you could use to calm down a frustrated client?

Answer 18

1. Giving the client your undivided attention.
2. Asking for their name and using it throughout the conversation.
3. Get a feel of their aggravation through their body language.
4. Not cutting the client off mid-sentence and hearing them out before making a statement.

Question 19

It has been recommended that one should apologise to a client even if the problem is the client’s fault.

What should a person be careful of when making any apology to a client?

Answer 19

They should be careful in what they’re apologising for. It should be made clear that you shouldn’t be taking the blame for the issue, but only apologising for the inconvenience that has been caused from the issue.

Question 20

What were the five recommended steps for following through on a complaint resolution?

Answer 20

1. Make sure that the client understands the course of action being taken by the business in order to resolve their issue.
2. Make sure that the client is happy with the end result. If this doesn’t happen, try to search for a compromise and meet in the middle.
3. Take quick action and complete any documentation relating to the issue accurately.
4. Make sure to follow up with the client
5. Stay in touch with the client and provide any additional help afterwards to maintain a good relationship and create customer loyalty.

Question 21

Why can a business learn from client complaints?

Answer 21

They can use it to understand that there is an issue with the service/product that they are giving out to their clients.

By noticing this, the company will be able to use the complaints as a stepping stone to understand the issues and take the constructive criticism in order to better their business.

Question 22

Why is benchmarking important for a help desk?

Answer 22

They would be able to compare their responses and resolution times to other service department benchmarks.

It also gives the business insight on the things that they need to improve on.

Question 23

Describe two measures that could be used to demonstrate the improvement of a help desk service.

Answer 23

• Could do an interview, focus groups, look at help desk logs → if less issues which have been logged so the service has improved.
• Overall stats about resolution time. Might be because issues are being solved faster.
• Comparing things like resolution time with benchmarks to another business.

Question 24

What are some ways of gathering customer feedback?

Answer 24

• Surveys/customer satisfaction forms
• Machine with ratings (Likert scale)
• Interview them: phone calls, emails, face-to-face
• Focus groups

Question 25

What are 4 things that should be included in an SLA.

Answer 25

1. The costs involved with resolution time, response time, on-site support etc.
2. The operating hours for service being provided by the support services.
3. What jobs and responsibilities are included within the SLA and which are not.
4. Monitoring process and service-level reporting to monitor if work is being completed

Question 26

A memorandum has been issued by a Help Desk informing users that the Operating System on their devices will be upgraded next week. List three things that will help users have a smooth transition during and after the upgrade.

Answer 26

1. Ensure to back-up all important files to prevent risks to data such as corruption or loss.
2. Provide the users with a procedure manual or something similar to guide them through the steps to complete the installation efficiently.
3. Have support staff at the ready for phone calls. Perhaps, setup a group chat/call where users can post their questions and ask them. That way they can also help and learn from one another.

Question 27

What are the main elements of a complaint?

Answer 27

They are made up of facts and emotion.
Where facts give information on the issue, emotion does not. An I.T professional should remain clam and act appropriately.

Question 28

What is the difference between an open and close-ended question?

Answer 28

Open-ended questions depends on the client’s experiences and they’re free to talk about anything relating to the issue.
They normally start with: Who, what, when, where, how, why?

These questions are more definitive in that they have a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. They typically start with: Do, are, can?

Question 29

What are some of the qualities of an I.T professional?

Answer 29

• Developing the skills.
• Getting the knowledge.
• Paying attention to detail.
• Strong sense of communication in both verbal and non-verbal (gestures, posture, appearance, speaking etc.)
• Willingness to learn and is determined.
• Responsible for actions and responses in the workplace.

Question 30

What are some aspects of service complaints?

Answer 30

• Tech support was rude
• False promises
• Inefficient support
• Lack of knowledge
• Wrong advice

Question 31

What are some aspects of product complaints?

Answer 31

• Bad quality
• False advertisements
• Availability
• Pricing
• Damages

Question 32

If a printer has performed as expected for two weeks until it begins to malfunction, what would be the best plan of action for this situation?

Answer 32

Since the printer will still be under its warranty, it would be best to return it with its receipt to the place of the purchase rather than contacting the manufacturer.

Question 33

What is the typical warranty period for most products?

Answer 33

12 months.

Question 34

What are 3 ways to solve training related problems?

Answer 34

1. Ask for help
2. Hire more knowledgeable trainers
3. Have a QRG to assist

Question 35

What are an appropriate set of conditions to be included in an SLA?

Answer 35

• Type of service to be provided
• Reponse time and issue resolution time
• Monitoring process and service-level reporting
• Repercussions of the service provider not meeting its commitments
• Steps for reporting an issue with the service

Question 36

Give an advantage and disadvantage of one-on-one training.

Answer 36

+ Support can be tailored to the user and is more flexible

• Pacing will depend on the user, and can sometimes be more expensive

Question 37

An ICT company requires its service staff to contact clients after each service to ensure that work has been satisfactorily completed.
How could this be achieved?

Answer 37

By telephoning the client within a week of service. This gives the clients time to use the thing that’s been repaired and can better give an idea of the performance.

Question 38

What are some pros and cons of open-ended questions?

Answer 38

+ Gives clients more freedom in answering the question and is often more broad.

• Takes time to review and can’t be put into a graph as they can’t be summarised easily.

Question 39

What are some pros and cons of close-ended questions?

Answer 39

+ They are discrete and can be easily used to evaluate the performance over time by using graphs to show trends.

• Not enough depth and detail as responses are forced to be discrete.

Question 40

If you can’t help a client then you should…

Answer 40

Escalate the issue to someone who has more experience or expertise.

Question 41

What is a system used obtain information about a user?

Answer 41

A database.

Question 42

What 2 pieces of information would a help desk operator request before starting work on a problem?

Answer 42

• Date of purchase to work out if still under warranty.
• If client has recently changed components within the computer
• If the issue has occurred before.