To provide a framework of best practices and procedures that will enable the delegate to work effectively on a help desk/service desk. To enable delegates to practice the "core" skills required.

What skills will the delegate gain? This course will enable delegates to:

• Develop and enhance skills, techniques and procedures for dealing with enquiries, incidents, problems and opportunities concerning IT and its business-related products and services.
• Create positive relationships with customers and co-workers.
• Pinpoint customers' needs, motivations and reactions.
• Gain agreements with customers and manage interactions effectively.
• Maximize assertiveness while minimizing extremes in behavior.
• Deal effectively with a variety of customer situations.
• Gain satisfied customers through better listening.
• Discover the difference between providing solutions and satisfying a customer's psychological needs.
• Recognize how processes, procedures, technologies, tools, organization and structure to operate successfully must support the Help/Service Desk.

Who will the course benefit?

Entry-level Help or Service Desk staff with little related experience.

Course Content

Session1
The Evolution of Support Services and the role of the Help Desk Analyst. Communicating with your customer. Listening Skills. The importance of Empathy. Verbal Skills. Ensuring Understanding. Documenting the calls. Using Questions Effectively.

Session 2
Dealing with Customer Conflict. Assertiveness and Customer Service. Human Resources Issues and Ethics in theWorkplace. Teamwork and becoming a Leader. Measuring Customer Satisfaction andInforming Customers of Progress.

Session 3
Introduction to the support industry and itstools and technologies. Understanding Help Desk Technologiesand tools. Self-Help and Desk-Side SupportTechnology. System Administration and Network Issues. Disaster Recovery.

Session 4
Problem Solving Techniques. Using Creative Problem Solving and RootCause Analysis. Generating Evaluating and PrioritizingOptions. Active and Deductive Reasoning. Human Resource Issues in the Workplace(shared, private, hot desking). Process Integration.Problem Management.

Session 5
Using Metrics as a Key Performance.Indicator (KPI). Interpreting Metrics and using Metrics.Efficiently. Time Management in the Help Desk. Knowledge Management. Quality Assurance. System Security Management. Change Management, Asset Management and Resource Management. Outsourcing and Insourcing. Escalation, Defining Terms ownership.

Session 6
Revision and exam preparation.