Chapter 8 *

Customer Satisfaction *

Certification Objectives *

Behaviors to Achieve and Maintain Customer Satisfaction *

Communicating and Listening *

Listening *

Communicating *

Interpreting Verbal and Nonverbal Cues *

Responding to the Customer’s Technical Level *

From the Field *

Frank Is His Name and Rapport Is His Game *

Establishing Personal Rapport with the Customer *

Professional Conduct *

Appearance *

Attitude *

Language *

Don’t Intrude *

Patience *

Integrity *

General Professionalism *

Conflict Avoidance and Resolution *

Problem PCs *

Company Policies *

Error Between Keyboard and Chair *

Know-It-All User *

Angry Users *

Resolving Your Own Errors *

Other Types of Conflict *

Certification Summary *

Two-Minute Drill *

 

Chapter 8

Customer Satisfaction

Certification Objectives

Behaviors to Achieve and Maintain Customer Satisfaction

Achieving outstanding customer satisfaction is of paramount importance in the business world. Even though the exam only reports this score and it does not determine if you pass or fail the exam, it is extremely important to learn this often-neglected topic. Your professional behavior while working with the customer has the potential of boosting your career immensely. There are many aspects of the art of customer satisfaction, which are discussed in this chapter.

Behaviors to Achieve and Maintain Customer Satisfaction

Achieving and thereafter maintaining customer satisfaction is a complex skill. Once mastered, it cannot only help the customer, it can provide you with benefits, too. If you do it correctly, you’ll probably notice such career-enhancing events as more frequent pats on the back and phone calls to your boss (and his boss) marveling at what a wonderful technician you are. Customer satisfaction may look effortless to the inexperienced, but in reality, the art of achieving and maintaining a satisfied customer is as challenging as learning any computer technical skills.

Customer satisfaction helps you, it helps the customer, and it helps the business as a whole. Smart business people have always known this—that’s why customer satisfaction has always been an important aspect in the service industry. If you look at the companies that have stayed in business the longest, chances are they have stressed the importance of customer satisfaction to their employees. Also, with all the computer jobs being farmed out today, companies are not just interested in computer technicians who will fix their employee’s computers, but in the type of computer worker they are. They are looking for a type of worker who is going to make their employees more productive and happy. Computer company owners have spent large amounts of money an amenities to keep their workers happy, such as spacious office buildings, equipment, employee training, and so on. Why would they want to cut corners and send in a bunch of unprofessional computer technicians who would undermine their efforts at employee satisfaction by making the employees frustrated and angry?

What does it take to achieve and maintain customer satisfaction? The first step is to always go the extra mile for the customer. This takes extra time, patience, good listening skills, and the ability to communicate at the user’s level of understanding. It also requires the ability to read situations quickly and the ability to anticipate the likely outcome of various ways of doing things. If you use good professional behavior, listen and communicate well, avoid conflict, and fix the customer’s PC, you are on your way to achieving customer satisfaction.

One way of framing customer satisfaction is to imagine how the customer perceives you. Think of how when you buy a car you are sent a survey asking you how satisfied you were with the dealership and the car you bought. These surveys usually have a series of questions that ask you to rate the dealerships on a vast array of services performed. What are the issues that determine how you fill out the form? Is it how the salespersons presented themselves? Is it the attention they paid to you? Is it the salesperson’s ability to listen to your needs? These are the same elements that make or break an encounter with a customer in any business. Anyone who deals with customer satisfaction in their job should find copies of these kinds of surveys and study them.

Similar surveys may be used when you fix computers. A survey, like the one shown in Table 8-1, should include: the service performed, timeliness of the service, professionalism of the technician, whether the problem was fixed in one trip, whether the problem recurred, whether the service was done satisfactorily, and if everything else worked correctly after the visit. If your company uses these surveys, make sure to look at them frequently. In this way, you will know exactly where you can improve your customer relation skills.

Customer Satisfaction Survey
Date___/___/___ Time___:___
Reference #__________ Technician’s Name:______________________________
In order to provide you with the utmost satisfaction with our service, your response to this questionnaire is greatly appreciated.
Fill in the following:
Did the technician behave professionally? _________
Was your service done promptly? _________
Was the service done in one trip? _________
Is your problem solved? _________
How satisfied are you with our service? 1 to 10 scale. _________
Comments, concerns, questions, ideas:
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

Table 1: A Customer Satisfaction Survey

If a technician fixes a computer, but doesn’t have a good grasp of their interpersonal skills, then the technician is not doing their whole job. The technician should always leave the customer’s office with the belief that they have treated the customer with dignity, respect, and integrity. Many technicians are not aware of this and they think that if they just fix the machines, then the customer is satisfied. This is rarely the case—Most users have no idea of what you are doing and the only way that they can judge you is by the way you act and the way they are treated. The end result should be a customer who feels satisfied that you are a professional and you have done a great job fixing their PC.

Once you achieve the original customer satisfaction, the next step is to maintain it. If you make a customer happy one day, and the next you make them mad, then the end result is that they are mad.

A good start to maintaining a happy customer is good record keeping. Every time you do anything to the user’s PC, you should record exactly what you did. This will be helpful for you or whoever else returns to this PC in the future. Keep these lists in a database. Keep track of what you did, and also what the customer has said and how it relates to past and possible future events. A customer absolutely loves it when you go to talk with them and have researched their past repairs and can discuss what has happened before and why it is you are doing what you want to do to the machine.

Good records also are helpful if a repair cannot be completed in one visit, as happens every now and again. For example, the fax software is not working on the user’s computer and they need to have a special program shipped in for their particular hardware/software configuration. With your records, you can keep track of who ordered what and when. Let the user know the status either by personally visiting, phoning, or e-mailing them. People don’t like to be kept in the dark about things. If you find out that you have received modems to be distributed to a department in a week, let the manager know when you are certain of the date they will receive them.

Many problems require more time to solve. Let the user know what you have done to research them and when you think you will have it fixed. A downed PC can be costly for an organization in terms of money and morale. Every day a PC is out is a day that the user is telling everyone he talks to that his PC is down. This is not good for the reputation of the technicians.

Communicating and Listening

Communicating and listening is of utmost importance in computer repair. It’s about knowing when to listen, when to speak, and what to say. But communication is not limited to face-to-face interaction. Communication also includes e-mail, telephone, notes, and having a coworker relay a message. Figure 6-1 shows a typical organization’s channels of communication.

Figure 8-1: Communication channels in a typical organization

Exam watch: When repairing a computer, let the user explain the problem fully before starting to work on it. Many times the exam takes into account exceptions that the technician would run into if they did not listen fully to the customer and ask pertinent questions.

Listening

Let’s look at listening first. If nothing else, listening will always bring you more information to think about. It might be right and it might be wrong, but it is always best to listen completely before you do anything. Many technicians jump to the conclusion that they can solve the problem before the user has completely discussed the problem. This is a big mistake and the consequences can be tragic.

Here’s an example of a technician coming to a conclusion without fully listening to the customer: A PC is having problems and the technician, without listening to the customer, sees that the network cord is out. Thinking there is a network problem, the technician plugs in the network cord. But what if it was a faulty network card that was causing the problem, and someone had decided to pull it out of the wall so the card would not send out broadcasts flooding the network? If the technician had only waited to listen to the customer tell them that someone working on the hub had disconnected the cord an hour ago, then they would have a different method of troubleshooting. In a similar scenario, if a technician sees that a machine is unplugged and immediately plugs it back in without listening to the user, they might see the machine go up in smoke--which is why the cord was unplugged in the first place.

Communicating

Hand in hand with listening to the customer is how you communicate back to them. Knowing when to ask what is very important. The most obvious—and best—approach to communicating with the customer is first to ask them what problems are occurring. If a solution is not evident, ask them what has changed on the machine preceding the problem. Do not get into the blame game here. Just act matter-of-factly and get the info that you need to solve the problem. Try to get the user into a mode where they remember when and what they were doing when this problem started. Try to get them to duplicate the environment that is causing this problem. Sometimes they can’t duplicate the problem at this point and they feel foolish. The problem is simply not recurring at that time. If this is the case and you can’t uncover the problem by what they have said and by your own attempts to get the problem to occur, give them your pager number and have them call you if the problem re-occurs. Speaking of pagers, most companies now provide all their techs with pagers. If you don’t have one, get one, and give out the number to those who you think will use it responsibly. This gives the customer the safe feeling that if there is an emergency, they have a technician they can get in touch with.

When you are done listening to the user and have asked all of your questions, paraphrase what the user has said and say it back to them. Then ask them if this is what they said. This can be a question, such as "Just to make sure I understand the problem fully, let me say it back to you" then state the problem and ask "Is this what is actually happening?" Users are generally overjoyed that in your large nerdy computer brain you were actually able to process all the information that they inputted and were able to regurgitate it back to them. You are essentially doing two things at once with this technique: The customer is satisfied because they feel you genuinely care about their problem, and you are not on a wild goose chase trying to solve the wrong problem because of miscommunication.

Communicating also involves giving out information about yourself. Always introduce yourself to the users when you meet them. Tell them to ask for you by name if they run into further problems. Find out the user’s name and use it when you meet with them. Many names are difficult to pronounce. Keep a list of the phonetic pronunciation of their names along with their record. If you can’t pronounce their name, call them on the phone to let them know you are coming out, and write down the pronunciation at this point. One trick for remembering names when you go into their offices is to carry a sheet of paper with the customer’s names on it or know where they are written in the office, such as on the door or on their desk. This can be invaluable when you need to call in password problems and what-not. I have found that most people with difficult names respond very well when directly asked, "What is the correct pronunciation of your name?" This removes any guesswork and makes the individual feel like you care about them enough to ask.

One thing that really makes users angry and usually ends up with a call to the help desk or worse, is when a technician does something to a PC and does not leave a note. Many times, users are unaware of hardware upgrades for weeks until they call and find out they had the upgrade done already and the technician did not write a proper note to the user.

Many times, you will be asked as a tech to install hardware or software for an entire floor. Let the users know how long it will take you to do each computer. Ask if anyone’s computer should be completed first. Work around the user. Save the busiest people for last. Update the users on how long it will take given the current configurations of that particular department’s computer.

When approaching a user’s desk, always communicate the basic necessities of fixing their PC. Many a user is not aware that if you are slaving a hard drive, they will have to not only get out of their seat but also clear their desk for you to have room to pop the hood of the computer. Tell them clearly that if they don’t mind, you need to sit down in their seat. Have them clear their desk and tell them how long they can expect to have you there. Of course, it is essential that you are polite and not pushy when you tell them this. I’ve seen too many techs barge into offices and practically push people out of their seat just to get to their machines. Say things like "Take your time, make sure you save all you work." The last thing you want is to ruin your first impression with the user by putting them in such a rush that they don’t save the important Word documents they have been working on all day.

Communication does not end at the user’s desk. Good communication between technicians is also essential. Many companies use pagers, two-way radios, computers, and cell phones so technicians can get in touch with each other throughout the day to troubleshoot problems. And don’t forget to communicate with the other techs when you are all together. Try and eat lunch together, or at least have a time of day when you can all sit down and pick each other’s brains about the problems that you are working on. It is truly amazing how much some technicians know about things. Never be afraid to ask simple questions. Chances are that if you are this far in the A+ certification process, you know a lot about computers, but there is always more to learn. If you don’t know what you are doing, ask your peers, and if their answer is not satisfactory find the answer from another source.

Technicians should also be able to quickly discern users’ technical levels. For this, it helps to know what kind of questions to ask in order to quickly narrow down the problem. And, of course, tact helps too. For example, if a user can’t turn the power on, the technician should not assume that the user kicked the plug out of the wall. In this case, instead of asking the user "Is it plugged in?" they should ask such questions as, "When you turn it on, do you hear any beeps?" or "Is there a light on next to the on/off switch?"

Sometimes, technicians have to handle awkward situations. For example, sometimes users will call and try to get things that they should not be getting. They might try to get software and hardware when they haven’t received the proper permissions to get it. Other users will try to have someone else’s password reset. They will also try to get access on a network that is forbidden for them. This is where your communication skills are essential. You want to find out if these are relevant requests, but you do not want to accuse them of anything or have to call their supervisor to find out if the user has a valid request. Tell the user that it is company policy that so-and-so has to approve all passwords or whatever it is they are trying to get approved. You could try setting up your system so that all users go to a designated person and have them be the only person to call you with requests. Then if a user calls about anything that has been set up in this way, you know instantly that it is an invalid request.

Interpreting Verbal and Nonverbal Cues

Interpreting both verbal and nonverbal cues when dealing with customers is a must. Verbal cues can be obvious or may be very subtle. Nonverbal cues are even subtler. It is paramount to read all of these cues in order to make sure that things run smoothly. By practicing a few techniques, it gets easier to be able to read these cues.

When you first approach a user, listen to their tone of voice. Are they tense, annoyed, mad, rushed, wanting to talk, or just wanting to do their work while you expeditiously repair the machine? You need to read this and act accordingly. If they are annoyed, let them tell you how annoyed they are. Chances are, if they vent all their problems to you about their broken computer, they’ll be less likely to tell other people of their frustrations. Even if you don’t have a good answer to all their problems, the fact that you are willing to hear them out helps the situation.

Read the mood that they are in. Do they seem like they want to talk about the weather or would they rather just have you fix the problem and be on your merry way? In any corporate climate, moods can vary greatly. Maybe the user just got demoted or yelled at by their boss. Maybe the computer broke just in time to not be able to print the all-important luncheon speech for the foreign dignitary’s visit. Read these cues carefully, because they will indeed dictate the approach that you will use in conversing with the customer.

Verbal cues can contain a plethora of information. Listen very closely to what users say. Sometimes they give away information on how they are feeling with the words that they are using. If they’re in a bad mood, chances are they’re using a lot of negative words.

Nonverbal cues are quite possibly more important than verbal cues. It is said that 80 percent of all communication is done non-verbally. Nonverbal cues can be seen in the face of the user. If the user looks worried when you are moving things around, take note and be careful. The face can tell a lot. There are thousands of moods that people can be in. Learn the facial expression that is associated with each emotion and treat your customer accordingly.

Look for nonverbal cues to help you know how to handle each situation. For example, if you are in a situation where you’ve been working on a PC for a long time, the user might just want you to leave and fix it the next day. If they are jingling their car keys, putting on their coat, or packing their briefcase, you want to let the user know that the problem is taking longer than originally planned and ask them if they need to be somewhere else. They may want to go to lunch and don’t want to leave you in their office. In this situation, tell the user the status of your repair and let them know how long it will take you to complete it. Be willing to work around their schedule.

Always listen to the hints in the user’s voice. If they are stressed, it helps to get the user in a trusting, relaxed, and satisfied mood. For example, are they stressed about introducing a new virus into the company’s network? In this case, let the user know that you have handled thousands of viruses in your work and it is no big deal. The same goes if they have deleted a crucial document. Evaluate the situation and if you are sure you can fix it, tell the user that everything is all right and calm them down. If they have broken an expensive color laser printer, tell them that you have seen this happen before. It’s always a sticky situation—literally—when a user tries to put labels through an ink jet and they clog up the printer. Do not blame them; let them know that this happens all the time. Tell them that the company really ought to put a warning on the printer not to put labels in. Hopefully, you will leave them with a smile on their face when you are done.

If you are calm about a situation, it calms the user. Reassure them. If their problem is hardware-related, let the user know that you have a part that you can swap for them and will be back later in the day to swap it. A calm user is a satisfied user.

And when you’re thinking about non-verbal cues, don’t forget to notice the cues that you are projecting. Are you calm, confident, and collected or are you tense, anxious, and frustrated? The user will be able to sense the kind of mood you are in by your own non-verbal cues. Make sure that you are projecting the type of cues that you want the user to see. If you look anxious, then the user will start to feel anxious because they think you might not know what you are doing. Users are already worried about their computer and they don’t need to get more worried about your skill. Because what you are doing is a mystery to them, they can only see what you are doing by how you act. Even if you are frustrated about something not working, don’t show it. Realize that it is part of computer repair. Some things are just going to have to take time and patience. You will find that following network problems can be this way. You are slowly eliminating variables. Many times it takes ten different tests to find them. Just stay calm and realize you can’t get everything done in a lightning-fast manner. Confidence breeds success in all fields of work; PC repair is no exception.

Exam watch: Don’t go for the misleading answer, which might solve the problem right away, but the one that maintains the customer satisfaction requirements.

Responding to the Customer’s Technical Level

Responding to the customer’s technical level is easy to do, once you get a feel for it. It can save time and help to solve problems. This brings up a very important point. Make sure yourself that you are completely caught up with the latest information on computers. You can do this by reading a few of the hundreds of computer magazines out there. Another way is to simply talk to people about computers.

Exam watch: Don’t assume anything when it comes to a customer’s technical level

Another technique that works well in determining a user’s technical ability when you are out in the field is to talk about computers. If the user is talking about a package deal they saw in the paper that threw in two hours of lessons, then you can bet that you are talking to a novice user. On the other hand, if the user is talking about an ad he saw in Computer Shopper for a 32 processor server to host his home Internet site and he is wondering if it will be fast enough, then this user is definitely advanced.

You can always ask the user if they are familiar with a certain program. This can alleviate much wasted time. Remember, it is not only the customer’s technical level that is important, but yours also. Figure out creative ways to determine user abilities. Keep a mental record of the abilities of each user. Never put the user in a situation where they have to admit that they are not as smart as they should be. Listen to the language that they use when they are describing things. If they are talking about mapping a drive using an UNC path, for example, chances are they are a smart user. Respect all users regardless of their ability. You will always run into a user who is using a PC for the first time in their lives. Treat them kindly, patiently, and with respect. Try to point them in the right direction, if appropriate.

Most users are casual users. The can get themselves into all sorts of problems. Luckily, the casual and beginning user’s problems are the easiest to repair. They get stumped on the same types of problems that you got stuck on eight years ago. Repairing them is second nature to you. One plus common to working with the casual user is that they are easily impressed with your technical ability. Many beginning users, in order to not look stupid, will act like they understand what you are doing when in reality they have no idea. With these users, it is a good idea to glance over at the notes they are taking and determine if they are getting the gist of what you are telling them. If you think that they are not, talk at a level that they will understand and repeat what you say, a few times if it seems necessary. Just don’t leave them with the impression that you think they are stupid. Always try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Think of the first time you ever turned on a PC. Think of how confusing everything was. If somebody started talking about EMS, EMM, or any of these fancy words, you would have been lost and not happy. If, instead, your original trainer made no assumptions about your knowledge of the PC and walked you through the necessary steps explaining the complex ones as well as the simple ones, you would probably be more satisfied.

All users want to think that they are not as bad at computers as they appear. Sometimes, they give degrading comments about their abilities. When a user is new, they usually struggle to do what they want to do. Take the extra time and give them hints if time permits. Try to explain the big picture to them. Show them how the directories are structured. These short lessons can save you and your company time in the long run. Users are less apt to call the help desk trying to get an explanation over the phone on how to find their lost Word document. These beginning users usually like it when you stop by their desks and watch them do something that appears to be an advanced computer command. When this happens, let them know that they are really getting the hang of things.

On the other end of the spectrum are the advanced users. It is truly a rare pleasure to find a user who has a vast knowledge of computers. When this is the case, talk to the user on their level. Let them explain what has been done to the computer. Listening to the user can be one of the best troubleshooting techniques. For instance, if they have used Debug, because they read about it somewhere, find out exactly the command that they used when the problem arose. Their help will be key to solving the problem. Even though all of these people may not be total computer wizards, try to let them feel they are. Use comments to show that you realize that they are very good at working with computers.

Never make too many assumptions about the user’s knowledge. Some people like to talk a great deal about complex computer topics, when they just maybe have a superficial knowledge of it. While you can get some sort of idea of what they know, don’t assume they know everything. If anything, try to assume that they know less than they might know, but don’t make it sound like you are talking down to them.

What you say to a customer will stay in their minds for awhile. They will probably think about what you told them when they work. It always astounds me how much users remember of what we say. This is all the more reason, then, not to ever lie to a user or give them an answer just because you don’t know an answer.

Being a tech, most people will be in awe of your great computer wisdom. They will take your words as gospel. Please tell them the truth when it comes to computers. Be as knowledgeable as you can about computers and it will be easy to determine the user’s abilities with a few questions and observations.

From the Field

Frank Is His Name and Rapport Is His Game

One day I decided to help our lead tech, Frank, do two computer moves, which incidentally is common for A+ certified techs to do. While I was helping him, I noticed how he developed rapport with clients. Frank has been working in this business for over a decade and everyone he runs into thinks that he is a great tech.

After grabbing a pushcart on which to move the computers, we started to the first location. Frank, of course, made sure he had his tool kit, extra network cords, safety glasses, and so on. We picked up the first computer from a user’s desk, at which point Frank called the user that was to receive the computer to let him know we were coming. He also made sure that this was the right PC and that he did, indeed, want it moved right then. On the way over to another building, Frank greeted about 75 percent of the passersby by their first name. They all smiled broadly and greeted him back. One user walked by and Frank asked him how everything was going. The user replied that his printing was still slow. Frank, knowing each person’s particular PC (which amounts to thousands of PCs), told the user that the memory module was being ordered. He then said that he had spoken to the person who ordered it, and they had said that it would be in some time next week. As you can see, Frank accomplished many of the principles set forth in this chapter. First, he communicated with a user for whom he had provided a service. He remembered what the user’s problem had been. He followed up on the service by asking about the problem and listening to what the user had to say. He had also made sure that the necessary part was ordered, which he communicated with the user (who will likely tell other users about the network printer’s memory). He was also confident and positive. The user flashed a big grin and was on his way.

When we showed up at our destination, we knocked on the window and an assistant let us in. Frank made sure that he thanked her. The user was there and we delivered his PC. Frank conversed with this user about non-PC related items. The user then told a joke and Frank laughed out loud, which relaxed the user. We stayed around long enough for the login to the network just to make sure he could grab a DHCP IP address. Frank then talked to three other people in the department and we left. Everybody was happy.

We then went to our next assignment, which was in the middle of a factory. We found the person who wanted a PC moved, but this person was in the middle of something and so gave us directions on how to get to the PC. When we arrived, there was a big argument between two other users about whether or not this machine should be moved. Frank quickly determined that he would just move the computer later. It didn’t even faze him that delaying the move would mean trekking the cart all the way out here again later to move it. At this point, he didn’t just accept that we’d move it later and walk away. Instead, he turned to the angry user, told him a joke, and had him laughing his head off. I’m sure that user will give him a big hello the next time he sees him in the hall. On the way back, Frank suggested we take the long way to say hello to a few more users.

Learn from this tech. People like him so much that he has lifetime job security. He would really have to mess up to get fired, and even then I don’t think it would happen. He has learned this through years of knowing what people like and what they don’t like. The rapport that he has built in all the years is extraordinary.

— By Ted Hamilton, MCP, A+ Certified

Establishing Personal Rapport with the Customer

Establishing personal rapport with the customer is one of the key elements to maintaining customer satisfaction. Rapport leads to trust, and trust leads to cooperation and a good relationship. Personal rapport includes following up on problems that you judge might end up being a problem later. It also includes knowing your customers’ computer hardware, software, configuration, and history. Finally, it includes knowing your customer on an interpersonal level.

Get to know your users. If you see them in the hall, if appropriate, ask how the last repair you did is working. When you are in their area, stop by their desk and ask them how everything is going if it looks like they are not busy. As is often the case with computers, there will be times when the PC is doing its own thing and there will be dead silence between you and the user. This is the perfect opportunity to get to know them. Look around their office for interesting conversational items. Talk about the pet they have ten pictures of on the wall. When the customer views you as a person with whom they have a good rapport, they are less likely to withhold important information from you, and they will be more likely to cooperate with you. If you become their friend, then they will be more likely to cooperate with you.

Cooperation is the key to the technician-user relationship. Many times when a PC is messed up, it truly is the user’s fault. Never, I repeat, never let them know this. The customer is always right, period. When you have a good rapport with the customer, it is likely that they may actually admit that "somebody" ran FDISK and didn’t have the foggiest notion of what they were doing. And being the friendly technician that you are, you buy their story about this "somebody," and gently let them know that this fictitious user should not try to run programs that they are not very familiar with.

The whole goal of rapport is to have the customer happy about their PC experience. This can take the patience of Job with some "problem" users. Many times, you will find a user for whom you have clearly fixed the problem, but they keep asking about other problems and making requests that are not on the work order. You should use discretion. You might share a story that shows you have to tend to many requests. You might "wish" to stay on, but your schedule demands you be on to your next repair. Suggest and encourage them to use the help files or whatever else your company has for learning aid.

Good rapport with customers is the patience to stop when they stop you in the hall, and discuss whatever they want to discuss with you. Many times a user will ask about non-company PC issues. Answer them only if you have the time. If you are busy, politely tell them you are busy and will try and get back with them. Invite them to lunch to discuss the matter if appropriate.  Answer their questions to the extent that you can, but make sure that you fully understand the situation that they are facing. Don’t have them reload their operating system if, from your judgment, you don’t think they are capable of it.

Let users know their PC problems are important. Make them think that your number one goal is to provide the best level of support you possibly can. When you are done fixing a PC, always ask if their problem has been fully resolved and if there are any concerns or other problems that are affecting them. With confidence and a broad smile, wish them a good day/weekend when you leave their office.

Good rapport with the customer can include keeping up with what they talk to you about on a personal basis. If a user talks to you about his car being in the shop, make sure you ask the next time you see him if the car is fixed. Make the whole PC repair as enjoyable as possible. Let users know that you are happy to see them. Even if you do not say this explicitly, make sure that your actions show it. Don’t look at problems as a point of frustration. Instead, view them as a learning opportunity. Nothing is more satisfying than learning how to fix a recurring problem on multiple PCs. As part of good rapport, let your fellow techs know what you did to fix the problem so they can fix it quickly if they need to.

Treat every user as if they are a key employee, because they are. Each person contributes to the success of the whole. Showing respect and giving attention to each user builds their morale, which builds company morale. All too often, the low person on the totem pole gets poor service because the techs think that they don’t matter as much as others. Treat every person well. You never know when a low-ranking user might get promoted into a key position. Treat all people like they are important in your life. They actually are important in your life. If it were not for them, you would not have a job.

Some techs think that the workplace is a good opportunity to meet mates. Go elsewhere for this kind of activity. Many people do not like getting harassed by members of the opposite sex. It can be an embarrassing situation for the user as well as the tech when this type of thing goes on. There are plenty of other places to meet mates. Take the high road and you can’t go wrong.

Good rapport with a customer includes listening to their problems and solving the immediate problem and keeping their other annoying problems in the back of you mind. Go back and research the problem on the Internet or TechNet and give the customer a printout of the cause and cure. They will think you are great for this, and if they are ever in a meeting to discuss whether or not they should replace the techs in their company with a competitor, you can guess their answer.

Always think of what you are doing as a service-sector job. Think of all the people who are in the service sector that you have dealt with in your life. Think of the ten worst ones and then the ten best ones. What did the ten worst ones do to turn you off? Never do what they did to you. Now think of what the ten best people did. Concentrate on their behavior and act accordingly. What was it that they did right? How can you integrate this greatness into your own job? Maybe you will be on someone’s ten-best list someday. The following checklist might help you make it there:

The customer is always right.
Treat the customer with respect.
Always behave professionally.
Always maintain the highest level of integrity.
Ask for help if you can’t solve a problem.
Listen carefully to the customer and ask good questions.
Practice good damage control with customers; make sure the customer is not going to complain to everyone about their problems.
Ensure that the customers are satisfied when you leave.
Always provide superb service, which is above and beyond average service.
Don’t jump to conclusions and make ungrounded assumptions.
Don’t be afraid to apologize and own up to your own mistakes.
Try not to finger point.
Keep accurate logs of repairs on each PC and consult these.
Keep users up-to-date on issues that affect them.
Do not assume that the customer is comfortable doing things that you might find are easy to do.
Try to view things from the standpoint of the user. How would you like to be treated as a user?

Read books on customer relations. Ask other techs when they get a commendation for their work and what it is that they said and did. Also find out what techs did wrong when they get fired or have a customer relations problem so you can learn the pitfalls and avoid them.

Good rapport involves taking the time out to talk to the user about what they want to talk about. Even though you may be done with your repair, provided you are not swamped with work, give the user five minutes of your time and listen to what they have to say. Sometimes listening without even making any recommendations and judgments is what people really like. Think of a relative that you’ve had, or a friend who will always listen to whatever you say. Even though it may be wrong and the listener might think so, sometime the best listeners don’t condemn you and let you find out for yourself that what you are saying is wrong.

Professional Conduct

Professional conduct is essential to understand and achieve in the computer services industry. This encompasses appearance, attitude, time management, integrity, and competence. All too often in this field there are technicians who don’t take professionalism seriously. This can make a department, a company, or even collectively make the whole industry look bad. Perception is reality to most people and the way that the customer sees you is how they make opinions about you and your department and field.

Appearance

Appearance is very important in the business world. The nature of the work of an A+ Certified Professional will often get you into offices that other people will never be able to get into. How often do people get 20 minutes to talk to the true titans of industry in a relaxed atmosphere? Well, when you are fixing their PCs, often they are there and it is your time to shine. In a situation like this, you are going to want to make sure that your appearance is the best it can be. You should smell nice (avoid strong fragrances) and wear nice clothes that match the dress of the corporation. Work to achieve an overall neat appearance. Think of how embarrassing it would be to watch a fellow employee go into a vice-president’s office with their hair looking like a haystack. The higher up the ladder you go, the more important appearance is. These are the people who make corporate decisions about which company to have as their PC technicians. It would be a true shame to ruin your company’s image by neglecting your personal appearance.

Attitude

Attitude is important when fixing computers. If you have a good attitude, the user is going to be friendlier and ultimately more satisfied with your work. If you have a lackadaisical attitude about what you are doing, then maybe PC repairs are not for you. Think of your job as fun and be enthusiastic and you will be amazed at how well users treat you.

This brings up the second point on attitude, which is confidence in what you are doing. If you have learned all that you should about computers, then there should be no reason not to be confident. This is not being a braggart or cocky, but having an attitude about yourself that makes users understand that you know what you are doing. This instills a sense of trust in them. It’s very important to make the user feel this way about you seeing as you are handling very important data that they might have worked on for years.

Language

Your language is another way people read your attitude. Swearing is unprofessional. We’ve all seen all too often a frustrated technician swearing at the computer loud enough that the whole department can hear. What this tells people is that the technician has a bad attitude and they assume the technician is incompetent at fixing PCs. Think about it this way: If your physician was swearing and acting frustrated when he was doing a procedure on you, you’d probably be very scared. If you find yourself getting angry on the job and venting, you better ask yourself: Why am I being so negative? The key is to keep your negative emotions contained when you are at the customer’s PC. A better place to let out your anger with the machine would be to go back and have a lively discussion with the other techs on what was causing you to be frustrated. PCs inevitably bring you to frustration on occasion. They are not perfect and there will always be problems that make absolutely no sense. Instead of letting the customer know that you have let the machine win, take a breather, do some research, call on your peers, consult TechNet; but don’t swear, pout, or do anything that will make the customer think less of the top-notch service that you are capable of providing.

Don’t Intrude

Time is a crucial variable that you need to master. Most people are very busy and they get paid by how much work they do. When you are working on their PC, they are usually not productive. It is important to minimize the time spent on each PC. This means that you should be able to anticipate what their problem is before you go over to fix it. In short, do whatever you can to be non-intrusive with the customer’s time.

Speaking of non-intrusive, this is very important if you want to be professional. Sometimes work quarters are tight. Do not barge your way into the user’s office and cram them in between the chair and desk. If they are on the phone when you go by to help them, either leave or wait far enough away from them so that they don’t think that you are eavesdropping on their conversation. If they are in a meeting, do not interrupt them. You can walk by and gesture that you are there and give them enough time to either stop their conversation and welcome you in or schedule another meeting with you.

Patience

Another tricky problem that constantly happens is that the PC technician shows up but the user is not in. It is common for busy professionals to be pulled away or to forget about a service call. Always ask someone in a neighboring office if it is okay to go into the user’s office. If you have not worked with the user or if you have any reservations about entering the workspace, then by all means don’t go in—try to contact them another way. Make absolutely sure that you know what the problem is and it is the right computer. It’s happened before: A tech fixes the wrong computer, only to find out that it was a laptop that the customer had with them that needed to be repaired. In corporations today, there are so many computers and printers around that if there is any slight chance of ambiguity in the user’s complaint, do not proceed. Only proceed if the exact repair is obvious.

Integrity

Integrity goes hand-in-hand with professionalism. Integrity means that you are not going to compromise yourself or ask others to in order to achieve something. Never do anything that even appears to be compromising in terms of integrity. Obey all software copyright laws. Never try to break into anything you should not be getting into. If a person tracks the files that you have opened, and you are going into confidential files, you will not have a fun time explaining yourself. If you need a file with which to experiment, open a new one or ask the user what file it is okay to experiment with. Furthermore, make a copy of any file that you are testing, experimenting with, or modifying.

Integrity needs to be a part software installation. Many organizations get audited for software compliance, and the penalties for unlicensed software are harsh. Get to know all of the rules for the software in your company. Find out what is site-licensed and what is individually licensed. Follow these rules to a "T." Do not install things that are not licensed. Do not bring in shareware for a user knowing that the trial agreement will be violated. Do not bring in bootleg copies of anything. There is now very sophisticated software that can audit each machine and find what does not belong. You will have a tough time explaining this to the user and your boss when these audits unearth something that should not be there in the first place.

This paragraph shouldn’t even have to be written for professionals such as yourself. But it does need to be stated. Many times in the PC repair business, with all the expensive hardware around, someone may be tempted to take something home. I’ve seen thousands of dollars disappear out of rooms by way of hardware components. A trip to a local computer show inevitably unearths a tech who has taken a copy of all Microsoft Word disks that he installed on the computers at work and decided to go sell these at a show. Do not do this! You are a professional and have spent a long time preparing for this great career and it would be horrible to get caught doing something dishonest and have it on your permanent record. If you were hiring techs to handle your hundred-thousand-dollar servers, would you even fathom the idea of hiring a thief? Probably not. Always stay professional—Your life will be less stressful and you’ll be able to sleep at night. A great philosopher once wrote, "The most comfortable pillow in the world is a clear conscious." Heed these words and stay on the right side of things.

General Professionalism

Much of this chapter has been written about corporate PC repair. Most of the principles apply in other sectors. A person working in a retail setting should treat customers with honesty, integrity, and kindness. A person working in a corporation manufacturing PC equipment should respect their coworkers. They should also respect the way that things are organized and be well aware of company policy.

Business is business, and some things that you would do outside of a company, you would not do inside. Horseplay, pranks, and dirty jokes have no place in most corners of the business world. Stressed executives do not like to see people fooling around. Be aware of the culture in your company and behave accordingly. Some companies are more laid back than others, but be aware of how people act and try to emulate their behavior. Those who don’t do this stick out like a sore thumb. These individuals are a definite liability to the corporation. It should go without saying that drugs and alcohol are not part of work life.

In short, professionalism is the image that you want to project. Look in any corporation, and you will soon realize that those who have climbed the ladder of success always act professionally and those who can’t get there, don’t. It is all in how far up in the business world you want to get. If you are not professional, you may end up in an empty room swapping computer boards all day. On the other hand, act professionally and you may end up being a leader of some sort.

Conflict Avoidance and Resolution

Conflicts can arise in the PC world for a variety of reasons. These are a challenge to your job security in terms of yourself and the rest of the techs. A bad conflict has the potential of harboring bad feelings between the parties for a long period of time. In the extreme, a conflict can get so bad that the users decide to get help elsewhere. Solve all conflicts to the best of your ability, and delegate them if you can’t. Do not leave any conflicts unresolved over a long period of time. Also, avoid conflicts by not causing a conflict that does not need to happen.

Exam watch: The customer is always right.

Problem PCs

There will always be a PC that nobody wants to touch. This can be because the software is strange or the hardware has been set up in an unorthodox way. Each person will pass the buck on this machine until it is just put on a back burner and nobody will touch it. Sometimes it may be that the user has such a bad attitude that nobody even wants to come close to him or her. If you have reason to believe that someone other than yourself would be more qualified to work on the machine, approach them. If the tech refuses to work on it, go to a higher authority—Ask your boss what should be done. Do what you have to, but just make sure that there is an enforceable resolution. If someone has to get more training to work on this machine, let your boss know and they will usually finance this.

Company Policies

One of the most important things to learn when you are dealing with the computer end user is what your company’s policies are regarding various computer-related topics. For example, with a computer, there will always be the employees who would like to play solitaire all day. Well, if the management does not care, fine. But, if the users are installing video games that are messing up the memory on the computers, or if the management does not want their employees playing games all day, then you have a situation where you, as the computer repair person, are going to have to figure out how to resolve the problem while letting management and the employees save face. In this particular situation, it is best to ask management about their policy and not tell them any names. If the company wants to get rid of games, then simply approach the game players and let them know that management has said that no machines are to have games, and you must disable them.

Other conflicts regarding company policy also tend to appear. One user may get one answer from someone while another user gets another answer. Learn company policies. If you work within the framework of what should be done in a circumstance, it gives you a feeling of confidence in what you say to the users. Users are always happy when you have answers ready to their questions on such items as who to call for passwords, hardware, and whatnot. Once you know these policies, you can solve conflict between users who are unsure of policy. In addition, you know how to approach varying situations.

Error Between Keyboard and Chair

One problem that every computer technician will eventually face is the EBKAC error. This is usually very easy to fix, but very difficult to explain. EBKAC is an acronym for Error Between Keyboard and Chair. This usually entails power cords being unplugged, no paper in printer, or power switches being turned off. This is usually quite embarrassing for the user, especially if they are watching the repair. In these situations, in order not to cause animosity, conflict, and other negative emotions, do whatever is in your power to have the user save face.  Say something like "I see this type of thing all the time, they should have a light on the printer that says out of paper." Or for the power cord, tell them "The person vacuuming must of dislodged it. I know it is a pain, but if this happens again, could you please look behind the computer and see if the cord has become dislodged?" The user will obviously see what they did wrong and you just want to gracefully leave without making anyone feel stupid.

Know-It-All User

One conflict that will rear its ugly face every now and again is the know-it-all problem user. It seems like they must be technician wannabe’s, and they will try and tell you what you, as a technician, are doing wrong and what should be done. Obviously, they don’t know all the answers, or they would have not called you in to fix what has been messed up. These people are in need of attention and they must be handled at a very careful level so as not to cause any conflict. Because the customer is always right, never argue with their way of doing things. For example, if they are really convinced that there is not enough RAM and that is why they are getting memory errors in Excel (which you know isn’t the case), tell them that you would like to change the memory swap file size. Do not get into the details of how a swap file works. Tweak a couple other things while you are at it. Delete all of the .TMP files. Optimize memory depending on the operating system. Explain to the user that this may indeed fix their problem and you would like them try it out for a few days before resorting to buying RAM. Just make sure that you are not trying to prove a point to the user. Let them understand that this is the departmental policy that software configuration and optimization should be tried before hardware installation.

Angry Users

Another conflict that needs to be resolved is the angry user who is ready to tell the world about his dissatisfaction. These users generally want to talk to the head honchos and anyone else who will listen about their woes. The key to these users is to resolve their anger before it mounts. Get to them quick and resolve the problem promptly and professionally. First of all, listen to their every beef and think of how you will solve their problem. Listen. Show respect for their ideas by giving each one consideration while remaining patient–It can be courageous. Users like this generally are satisfied when you go above and beyond the norm to finally solve their problems. Once they have finally expressed their anger, they generally calm down and are willing to sit down and resolve the problem. Don’t point fingers at other people; they may just track down the person you are pointing at and chew them out. The key is controlling the situation. These people do not want excuses, they want resolutions. At this point, do whatever you have to do to please this user. Often, these people end up the most satisfied of all. They remember how they felt before you arrived and how they felt after.

Resolving Your Own Errors

Be willing to apologize for any mistake that you make. Nobody is perfect and we all make mistakes. As a technician you will inevitably mess something up. Make sure that you are willing to do whatever it takes to resolve what you messed up. Approach it professionally and find out what the problem is and fix it promptly. Computers can be surprising. You may fix one problem and cause a problem somewhere else. If the user is knowledgeable enough, explain why it was that you did not realize the side effect that resulted. Don’t necessarily volunteer the fact that you messed it up, but if asked, admit that what you did caused the problem elsewhere. Unless grilled for a technical answer, try to keep your explanation understandable to the typical person.

Other Types of Conflict

Another form of conflict is the user who will stop you in the hall with many people around and loudly explain how his PC is messed up after you have left. Even if you know it is not your fault, never embarrass the user. Tell him that you will take a look at it and make sure it works properly. Many users get a kick out of humiliating the technician in front of their peers and the best defense is to act professionally and give an adequate resolution and avoid the situation. Do not let it get to you; some people have insecurities about themselves and they like to project them onto other people.

Many times you will find that you step right in the middle of conflict. One user may want you to do one thing and another will not want you to do that thing. For instance, this may involve moving a computer to a different area. Users may even compete at trying to boss you around by telling you not to listen to what the other person is saying. In this kind of situation, never take a side. Tell them politely that you will wait for them to resolve their argument before you will do anything. If necessary, tell them you will come back at a later time when they finally settle their differences. This type of "not taking sides" is usually a good idea in most arguments when users try to get you in the middle. For example, when they are arguing if SCSI or non-SCSI is better, tell them the merits of both and the drawbacks, but don’t side with any of the arguers. This may result in long-held resentment by the person with whom you did not side.

Certification Summary

The A+ exam has a pass/fail grading system. Your customer satisfaction questions will not count towards your passing or failing. The score, however, will be reported on the test report. More and more employers are demanding this skill from their technicians. This is a newly added section on the exam and it truly is a call from the employers saying that their technicians are not treating their customers correctly. Take this last lesson as more of a way to act than a way to get high scores on the exam. Just because you pass the exam and do your job thereafter does not guarantee you great promotions in the future. If you truly want to be a superstar in this field, take what has been said in this chapter and use your own knowledge and continue to pursue gaining more knowledge. Put these good techniques to work.

Questions on the exam will be mainly aimed at the following concepts:

Communicating and listening (face-to-face or over the phone)
Interpreting verbal and nonverbal cues
Responding appropriately to the customer’s technical ability
Establishing personal rapport with the customer
Conflict avoidance and resolution

When you are taking the exam, think of how the question is related to these concepts. Many of the answers will look obvious, but when you think about them, most of the obvious answers will have violated one of these principles. Read each question carefully.

In summary, communicating and listening is crucial if you are going to be able to truly understand what the client’s wants, needs, and concerns are. Interpreting verbal and non-verbal cues is second-nature for many and can be learned if you try to pay attention to them. Responding to the customer’s level of technical skills is essential. It can save you much time and frustration when you can discern advanced users from beginning users. Advanced users can relate to information that, to beginners, seems like a bunch of jargon that is useless to them. Establishing rapport with your customer brings a harmony into the workplace that is desirable for both you and the customer.

Professional conduct will always reward you. Too many techs nowadays do not know how to behave as professionally as they could and end up sticking out like a sore thumb. Learn how to conduct yourself professionally with everyone you interact with and they will view you as a professional. Finally, you have learned about conflict-avoidance and resolution. You can save your superiors innumerable headaches if you learn how to resolve conflict without it getting out of hand. Because there are so few techs representing such a large number of users, you are in the trenches for achieving overall satisfaction with the customer. Your superiors can promise whatever service they want to the customer on your behalf. The bottom line is that it is up to you to make the customer happy.

Two-Minute Drill

Customer satisfaction may look effortless to the inexperienced, but in reality, the art of achieving and maintaining a satisfied customer is as challenging as learning any computer technical skills.
When you are done listening to the user and have asked all of your questions, paraphrase what the user has said and say it back to them.
One thing that really makes users angry and usually ends up with a call to the help desk or worse, is when a technician does something to a PC and does not leave a note.
Companies are not just interested in computer technicians who will fix their employee’s computers, but in technicians who exhibit the highest respect for professionalism.
When you’re thinking about nonverbal cues, don’t forget to notice the cues that you are projecting.
Communication does not end at the user’s desk; good communication between technicians is also essential.
When approaching a user’s desk for a repair, make sure they understand what you intend to do and what you expect from them to make the service successful.
It is paramount to read all of a customer’s verbal and nonverbal cues in order to make sure that things run smoothly.
Don’t assume anything when it comes to a customer’s technical level.
Many technicians jump to the conclusion that they can solve the problem before the user has completely discussed the problem. This is a big mistake and the consequences can be tragic.
Nonverbal cues are quite possibly more important than verbal cues.
You will always run into a user who is using a PC for the first time in their lives. Treat them kindly, patiently, and with respect.
Good rapport involves taking the time out to talk to the user about what they want to talk about.
Perception is reality to most people and the way that the customer sees you is how they make opinions about you and your department and field.
When repairing a computer, let the user explain the problem fully before starting to work on it.
Don’t go for the misleading answer, which might solve the customer’s problem right away, but the one that maintains the customer satisfaction requirements.
If you have learned all that you should about computers, then there should be no reason not to be confident, which instills a sense of trust in your users.
Integrity means that you are not going to compromise yourself or ask others to in order to achieve something.
The customer is always right!
Solve all conflicts to the best of your ability, and delegate them if you can’t.
Avoid taking sides if you get caught in a conflict between two users. Wait for them to settle their differences before you approach the situation again.