IT support is one of the most important features of managed IT services. The computing resource specifications of IT solutions may be the forerunners of the game. Yet, customers will always decide after an excellent review of the IT support team. Why? The marketing appeal of IT services lies on providing enough computing resources. It also involves efficient IT solutions. If IT solutions fail to extend these needs, the IT services are unsatisfactory.
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What Kind of IT Solutions Your Customer Needs
Providing IT Services can be challenging. This is due to dealing with different needs, background, and personality. Your IT technical support team needs to adjust to whatever your clients demand. They also need to rise to whatever challenge they are trying to fix.
IT Solutions are different from usual computing services. This is because of management of resources and its IT support team. Thus, the IT services that they provide should be top of the line. At the end of the day, there are only three things that make up outstanding IT support: specific, fast, and effective IT services.
What Your IT Support Team Really Needs
We should always take note of the role of IT support in managed IT services. They make things easier for clients, and they keep the integrity of the IT solutions company intact.
Inefficient IT support is almost as bad as insufficient computing resources. So, IT solutions companies should invest on their IT support team.
Customer support is the first line of defense of your IT support team. The technical support is the tier of experts. Both need the following tips to make your IT solutions company the best in IT services.
Here are some of the actionable tips to improve your IT services through your IT support:
- Provide a ticket system or at least a dedicated email address.
Your IT services should be within the clients’ reach. Open the channel of communication between your clients and your IT support team. Provide enough means for clients to reach out whenever they need your assistance. A ticket system or a dedicated email for your IT Solutions company can help your IT support team provide for your customers’ needs as soon as possible.
Also, a ticket system can help organize all the concerns of clients. This will assist your IT support team in monitoring their tasks, what they have accomplished, and what needs to be done. Moreover, a basic ticket system has an auto-response feature for the ticket number and a notes field for proper documentation of issues and their corresponding solutions. On the other hand, a dedicated email for your IT Solutions company can provide your IT support team with auto-response for new emails. It could also be means for your IT solutions company to provide feedback.
- Maximize the use of strategic automation.
Using strategic automation can help filter the IT issues and submit them to the right IT support staff. Providing the assistance of the right people in your IT solutions company will surely deliver effective IT services.
How does automatic filtering work? It uses subject line keywords. This IT support feature can lower response times to less than 6 hours. When you have identified the problem, you can pinpoint who in your IT solutions company can provide the answer. Also, automation can help your IT support team to set up a workflow to let the clients know that their issues are making progress.
Automation can also organize concerns of clients into folders, so that they can be prioritized depending on the simplicity or complexity of concerns. Simple issues can be easily addressed by other members of the IT support team, while complex issues could be given to the experts. Also, if issues are about refund, cancellation of account, or upgrading, make sure that these concerns are addressed immediately to keep your clients. Losing your clients due to insufficient IT services is as painful as losing your clients over inefficient IT support.
- Provide useful self-service tools.
Self-service allows the customer to feel in control of their concerns. When they are provided the self-service tools, they will surely try to fix their issues, instead of waiting for the IT support from you IT solutions company to give the assistance they need. Here are some of the self-service tools that you can provide as part of improving your IT services:
- Proactive problem solving – refers to solutions that customers can follow to solve simple issues like a password reset.
- Short training video – this refers to issues that are not frequent, yet can be solved by a demonstration on how to fix the problem.
- Easy-to-search IT Knowledge Base – refers to clear and specific guidelines that can assist clients in fixing their issues.
If self-service tools are not sufficient, the issue will be escalated. Make sure that you set the right expectations by orienting the client about the level of IT support needed and how much time it would take before the issue gets fixed. Empower your customers with your IT services. Let your IT support team take care of the issues that can’t be solved with self-service tools.
- Let data speak for itself.
In dealing with issues, your IT support team should have access to all data in your IT solutions company that could possibly help in providing IT services. There should be no room for winging it or second-guessing. Fast and specific IT services are nothing when they are not effective. Guide your IT support team by providing the pertinent data in resolving technical issues. In the end, effective IT services will reflect on your IT solutions company.
- Unify your IT support team.
Make sure that the IT services that your IT support team provides are uniform. It would be confusing for clients to fix their issues if your IT support team can’t communicate among themselves. Some of the things you can do to unify your IT solutions company are the following:
- Use a Support Handbook – compiling all the do’s and don’ts in IT support can help your team provide the best IT services from your IT solutions company.
- Prepare for Common Queries – prepare answers for the common questions from clients. This will help the IT support team to answer consistently especially about the IT services your IT solutions company offers.
- Create a process – create a process that can guide your IT support team in providing IT services. This can also help clients monitor the progress of their issues, and how these are taken care of.
These are just some of the well-tested tips from ThinkIT Solutions. We treat our IT support team as essential as any managed computing resources we offer. Just like ThinkIT Solutions, equip your IT support team. Remember that the specific, fast, and effective IT services can provide ensure the efficiency of your IT solutions company. Contact us and experience efficient managed IT services.
