In this article, we will be discussing technical and non-technical IT support and all you need to know. Technical IT support can be described as the services that an individual, organisation or Company provides to users of technological services or products. Such technological products or services may be hardware, networks or software. Before you will be able to provide technical support and non-technical support, there must be an established problem that needs to be solved. It further means that technical support personnel will provide support for a specific problem with a product or service.
Technical IT support does not mean providing training sessions, or customization of the product or other support services. Rather it involves the activities that are done at the back end. It involves answering questions, guiding software users on installation processes, providing maintenance and troubleshooting the problems at hand to find solutions.
There are so many ways to provide technical and non-technical IT support services, but we will concentrate on technical support: through live chats, emails, phone calls, on-site assistance or remotely. It ensures that users receive maximum utilisation of their products and perform optimally with them.
Technical And Non-Technical IT Support Roles
In the following section, we have split the technical and non-technical IT support roles such that it will be easy for readers to understand them.
Technical IT Support
Some roles must be provided by technical and non-technical IT support personnel in an organization, Here they will first diagnose and troubleshoot software and hardware problems to help the customers install applications and programs.
The responsibilities of the technical IT support engineers include the following:
- Configuring operating systems
- Resolving network issues
- Using remote desktop connections like TeamViewer to provide immediate support to customers.
The technical IT support engineers can also do the following:
- Look for casualty: This means that if there is any problem, they must first understand the cause of the problem.
- Diagnose the issue: Here they can ask customers to send a screenshot of error messages on the system to enable troubleshooting.
- Resolve it: After troubleshooting and finding out what the problem is, they will fix it.
- Escalate it: If the problem is beyond their scope, they can ask for help from their colleagues to find a solution to the problem.
Non-Technical IT Support (Customer Service)
Customer service is the provision of services to customers before during and after purchase. It is a non-technical support service that involves helping customers with concerns, issues and inquiries that do not require technical expertise. The interaction between the customer and the customer service personnel will be said to be successful when the employees can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest, customer or client.
Although customer service care is now a largely automated self-service system, there is still the need to always speak to a human being for most businesses. Some of the areas that customer services are always needed include Account assistance, Customer education, feedback and complaints, general inquiries, order management, policy explanation and product guidance. Customer service aims to build good customer relationships through good communication patterns and problem-solving processes without going into technical support.
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List Of Things That Make Customer Service Excellent
The following makes customer service excellent;
- When you ask your customers the right questions.
- When you can actively listen to your customers.
- When you focus on the customer and use a different approach for different customers.
- When you can treat the customer the way you would like to be treated.
- Being able to exercise good judgement, can only be achieved when you understand the product you are supporting.
- Ensure you have an in-depth knowledge of the product or service you offer.
- You must be careful with the customer even if it does not result in a sale.
- You must ensure you do what you say you will do. Like telling a customer you will call back, you must ensure you call back to fulfil your promise. This helps to build a good relationship and trust with your customers.
- When you see your customer’s complaint as an opportunity to gain the customer’s respect.
- When you can resolve the customer’s complaints helpfully and patiently.
- When you strive to ensure your continual improvement by gathering valid data about your customers and what they do regularly.
List Of Customer Services Roles For Non-Technical IT Support Roles
The following is the list of roles that a customer service personnel is expected to perform
- They manage a large amount of incoming phone calls.
- They generate sales leads.
- They help to identify and assess customers’ needs to achieve satisfaction.
- They build sustainable relationships and trust with customers through open and interactive communication.
- They provide accurate, valid and complete information using the right tools or methods.
- They meet personal and customer service team sales targets and call-handling quotations.
- They handle customer complaints, provide appropriate solutions and alternatives within the time limits, and follow up to ensure resolution.
- They keep records of customer interactions, process customers and file documents.
- They follow communication procedures, guidelines and other policies.
- They go the extra mile to engage customers and provide the needed customer services.
For further details on technical and non-technical IT support roles here.