Recording Client Support Requirements

Introduction to the Module

• In Web Development and Database

Administration, the Maintaining IT equipment
and consumables helps to know the Recording
Client Support Requirements
• This module is designed to meet the industry
requirement under the Web Development and
Database Administration standard, particularly
for the unit of competency: Recording Client
Support Requirements.
 This module covers the units:
• Logging requests for support
• Prioritizing support requests with appropriate
personnel
• Participating in workplace meetings and
discussions
 Learning Objective of the Module

• Log requests record for supporting clients

• Prioritize requests to support clients
• Participate in meetings
 Module Instruction

 For effective use this modules trainees are expected

to follow the following module instruction:
• Read the information written in each unit
• Accomplish the Self-checks at the end of each unit
• Perform Operation Sheets which were provided at
the end of units
• Do the “LAP test” given at the end of each unit and
• Read the identified reference book for Examples
and exercise
 Unit One: Log Requests For Support

This unit provide you the necessary information

regarding the following content coverage and
topics:
• Recording client support requests and requirements
according to organizational standards
• Reviewing client support history and details
• Checking and requesting the information for
accuracy and urgency
 Cont…
upon completion of this learning guide, you
will be able to:
• Record client support requests
• Review client support history and details
• Check and request the information for
accuracy and urgency
 1.1. Recording client support requests and requirements

Client
• Can be an individual, an organization, business
or an institution
• that may come in person or communicate using
any communication means like
 telephone,
e-mail,
fax or
online help desk to get technical support, consultation on
technologies etc
 Cont…

Log
• Means recording client support requirements
• based on organizational rule, regulation and
policies
Escalate
• Transferring a helpdesk that cannot be
resolved to personnel
• at a lower level such as an IT specialist or IT
manager
 Cont…

First level Support

• Usually refers to the initial support offered to
a customer by a help desk operator
• in this initial point of contact, the officer
determines the nature of the call
• try to solve the problem if it is
straightforward;
• support organizations usually have quite clear
outlines of what constitutes first level support
 Cont…

Priority
• The value given to an incident,
• problem or change to indicate its relative
importance
• to appropriately allocate resources and
specify an appropriate time-frame for
resolution.
 Cont…
Service Level Agreement
• An agreement between a service provider and
a customer
• detailing the level of service that is provided,
• including
what is covered,
what is not covered,
 the response time for resolution
• a contract defining expectations between an
organization and service seller to provide an
agreed-upon
 Cont…

As an employee of service company, your job

is to honor SLA have with the customer:
• Service monitoring
• Contingency
• Maintenance windows
• Response time guarantee

A SLA typically is a legal agreement that

describes the responsibilities and liabilities of
all parties involved
 Overview of Client support requirements

• Providing good IT supports for clients

• find established procedures for determining
and addressing client support issues.
• learn about procedures, as well general skills
and knowledge needed to record clients’
support need with IT problems
 Client Support Roles

• IT is an integral part of the operation of

modern organizations or businesses
• Users of IT need timely, high-quality support
• In addition technical skills,
• IT support staff should have a range of skills
to successfully provide IT services to their
clients
 Cont…

Most important skills needed by the IT

professional who is working as a help desk
person to record the clients’ support requirement
are:
• Technical skill
• Active listening skill
• Professional act
• Good conduct
• Following call handling processes
• Customer handling skill etc
 Cont…

• Many medium and large organizations

provide a centralized help desk support
service
• Clients with IT problems report these to the
help desk
Help desks Support is typically provided for
areas such as:
• Hardware and software faults
• Networking problems (including login
problems)
• Email and Internet problems
• Consultation on purchasing information
technologies
• Installation and configuration hardware
• Training needs
• Printing problems
• Software installation and upgrade etc
 Clients may request support

• By calling a telephone or by email

• They may come in person /coming to office/
• They may fax
• Online chatting etc
 Cont…
 The one in charge of recording client support request
 log the request and enter them into a centralized database
program
 designed to track client support requirements
 There are available programs designed for IT support
requirement operations
 Help desk operators attempt to fix straightforward
problems
 This is known as first level support
 In some organizations, operators simply log calls,
 which are then allocated to the appropriate technical staff
 In the case of organizations with only a few employees,
 IT problems may be handled by an employee who combines
support duties with other functions.
 Cont…
The proportion of problems that can be handled
at the first point of contact will depend on the
skill and training of the help desk staff
 large proportion of calls to help desk are unimportant
problems,
 first line support can ensure that the time of the
specialists in the various skill groups is not wasted
 only used when there is a problem that requires their
attention
 Recording Client’s support Request

If you are on the help desk and a client

rings,
fax,
e-mail or
come in person and request for support,
• what details do you ask them to provide?
• In larger organizations, particularly there is usually
specialist software in which these calls are recorded
• a sample of a typical data entry form for recording
details of client requests.
• Examine the type of information you need to
record
 Sample of a typical data entry form
Table 1.1 Typical Data Entry Form
Data required Entry
Log number:

Help Desk Operator’s name:

Date and time of client request:

Client’s name:

Client’s contact details:

Section and location:

Problem logged:

Date and time problem occurred:

Computer/peripheral affected

Impact of the problem on operations/business:

First line support provided (if any):

Escalate to support staff? Yes/No

Support staff request details: Date and time reported:

Name of support staff:

 1.2.Reviewing client support history and details

Reviewing Client Support History

 Reviewing client support history means
 checking the client support request database for the same problems
 important to overcome the following main challenges one
may face while working as a Help Desk IT professional
A) to find easily how the previously logged problem is solved
B) eliminates redundancy of recording the same problem
C) easily identify problems solved from the one in queue
D) It enables the responsible IT staff for the resolution of the
problems logged etc
 1.3.Checking and requesting the information for
accuracy and urgency
 Accuracy is to be ensuring that the information is correct and without any
mistake
 Information accuracy is important because life of people depend in it
 like the medical information at the hospitals,
 The quality of information measured by
 accuracy,
 timeliness,
 completeness,
 relevance and
 if it is easy to understood by the users,
 To get accurate information we need the right value
 If someone gave inaccurate information, it is difficult to find who made the
mistake
 There are many reasons for inaccurate information:
 The most common case is when the user enter wrong value
 To avoid this mistakes the organization must find who has experience and skills for data
entry
 Urgency is a measure of how long it will be until an incident, problem, or
change has a significant business impact
 For example, a high-impact incident may have low urgency if the impact will not affect the
business until the end of the financial year.
• Self-chek
 Unit Two: Prioritize Support Requests

 This unit is developed to provide you the necessary information

regarding the following content coverage and topics:
 Identifying relevant guidelines for prioritizing or rating client requests
 Prioritizing client requests
 Referring requests to appropriate person or department for assistance
 Involving appropriate persons with client support to be communicated
 upon completion of this learning guide, you will be able to:
o Identify relevant guidelines for prioritizing or rating client requests
o Prioritize client requests
o Refer requests to appropriate person or department for further
assistance
o Involve appropriate persons with client support to be communicated
 2.1. Identifying relevant guidelines for prioritizing or
rating client requests
 Mechanism used to prioritize service request that come
from clients
 there are rules and policies that govern prioritization issues
The most important factor taken into consideration is:
1. Business Critical System: the interruption of such system directly
affects
 the production,
 profit of the organization or the business
 It results in bankruptcy, frustration, disappointment etc

2. Urgency of the service requested- rate works according to level of

priority
Organizational Guidelines
Organizational guidelines are the policies or
procedures used to correctly perform a specific
activity or operation within an organization.
Prioritize client requests based on criticality or impact
on the business
Some client support requests allocated a high priority,
as they involve critical IT functions which cannot be
carried out until the problem is resolve
 Extra resources may have to be allocated to high
priority support needs,
the progress of these support needs to be closely
monitored
 Cont…

• The most common ways of prioritization

mechanisms are using the following general
guidelines
• High Priority
• Medium Priority
• Low Priority
 Cont…
1. High Priority
 High priority is given where the business critical system has got
a problem
 A significant number of people are affected by an issue,
 a customer’s computer crashed,
 the network server is down,
 a virus attack, or
 there is a security concern
Examples:
 The user is unable to login;
 the computer crashed;
 a customer’s account is locked or
 the password needs to be reset;
 a computer has been infected by a virus;
 an entire student lab is down;
 if the network is inaccessible
 Cont…

2. Medium Priority:
 A single customer is affected by a problem but is still
able to work, or
 there are problems with a service but it is still
functional
Examples:
 a customer is experiencing irregular computer problems
 is unable to open or work within a software program;
 is having printer problems;
 has lost access to a file share; or
 requires data recovery/backup
 Cont…

3. Low Priority:
Routine or maintenance tasks

Examples:
a customer asks “how to” questions or
 requests new software installations or computer
set up
 The department requests account creations or
updates,
directory changes, or
new file shares.
Ways to Prioritize
• QUADRANT 1: Important + Urgent
• QUADRANT 2: Important + Not-Urgent
• QUADRANT 3: Not Important + Urgent
• QUADRANT 4: Not Important + Not Urgent

Figure 2.1 Prioritizing Quadrant

2.2. Referring requests to appropriate person or department for assistance

What is a request for a referral?

 Asking a member of your personal or
professional network for an endorsement and
introduction to a prospective employer is a
referral request.
 How to create a request for referral

• Employers look for referred candidates because

they have verified experience and skills
• Having a referral also demonstrates personal
character and your ability to form and maintain
agreeable work relationships
 Cont…

Here are four steps to consider when seeking

a job referral:
a) Determine who to ask
b) Consider how to ask
c) Request a referral in writing
d) Make it easy
 Cont…
a) Determine who to ask
• The network of people you approach for a referral consists of your close and mutual
associates or former educators.
• choose a connection currently working for the employer you are applying to,
• Former supervisors, professors, advisors, colleagues or clients are all possible referral sources

b) Consider how to ask

• Depending on your relationship, choose a formal, informal or casual approach to writing your
referral request
• Their position may also affect your tone.

c) Request a referral in writing

• An email or letter is an opportunity to craft the most persuasive referral request
• attach a copy of your updated resume, cover letter and job description.
• A written referral request is also more likely to be remembered and
• followed up on by the person you are asking

d) Make it easy
• The easier it is for a person to fulfill your request,
• the better and more timely the results can be
• Attach your resume and the job listing to your referral request for their consideration
 Here are a few more tips to help you ask someone for a job referral

Consider your tone and relationship

Maintain your network
Express gratitude
Find out if the company has a bonus program
Accept that they might refuse
 Cont…
 Consider your tone and relationship
• Adjust how formally you ask for a referral based on how well you
know the person and their position
 Accept that they might refuse
• Express understanding if a person cannot provide you with a
referral, and thank them for their time
 Find out if the company has a bonus program
• Many employers use bonuses to reward their employees for
referring qualified job candidates,
 Express gratitude
• Send a thank you note after receiving a referral to express your
gratitude
 Maintain your network
• build your network for future referrals by attending conferences
and joining professional organizations in your field
 2.3. Involve appropriate persons with client support to be communicated

• Communication is simply the act of transferring information

from one place, person or group to another
• Every communication involves (at least) one sender, a
message and a recipient
• Transmission of message from sender to recipient can be
affected by a huge range of things, including:
 our emotions,
 the cultural situation,
 the medium used to communicate, and
 even our location.
 The complexity is why good communication skills are
considered so desirable by employers around the world:
accurate, effective and unambiguous communication is
actually extremely hard
Client Support Specialist Job Description
 Client support specialists specialize in customer
relations
 Their duties include:
 providing technical and product support,
 helping customers with product setup, and
 recording all customer complaints, comments, and
requests

Client Support Specialist Job Description Template

• as a client support specialist, be able to display exceptional
client service skills
• ability to support customers with technical difficulties in a
timely manner
 Client Support Specialist Responsibilities:

• Responding to customer queries, complaints, and requests via

phone, email, or chat
• Assisting customers with product setup and resolving any technical
issues they might experience
• Informing customers about specialized product functionalities and
features
• Following up with customers to ensure that reported technical
difficulties have been resolved
• Troubleshooting, analyzing, and reporting product errors, failures,
or malfunctions to management
• Keeping a detailed record of client data, including useful
comments, as well as positive or negative feedback
• Analyzing customer feedback and advising management on areas
of improvement
• Maintaining client accounts and updating billing information as
needed
 Client Support Specialist Requirements:

• Being expert in IT, or a similar field

• Experienced as working as a client support specialist,
or a similar role
• Working knowledge of remote service tools and help
desk software
• Excellent knowledge of customer relationship
management best practices
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Solid analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong multitasking and organizational skills
• Ability to work under pressure
 Operation sheet

2.1. Supporting client request1

Operation title: Apply priority order of requests
Purpose: To practice and demonstrate the
knowledge and skill required in prioritizing
order of requests
Instruction: record the following requests and
follow the operation procedures
 Table 2.1 Client Request Records

Log Client Request description Date

No
01 Client1 YouTube is down when he/she is watching 01/23/2014 at
entertainment. 3:14 PM

02 Client2 The printers hold the paper while printing document. 01/23/2014 at
3:15 PM

03 Client3 The Internet connection is down while accessing job 01/23/2014 at

vacancy 3:16 PM

04 Client4 The computer is not respond while printing payroll 01/23/2014 at

records. 3:17 PM
 Tools and requirement:

• This operation sheet

Computer,
Precautions: Apply priority quadrants
Procedures:
• Step-1:record log records as above table
• Step-2:apply order of record priority using priority
quadrant
• Step-3:give solution for each request

Quality criteria: Solution is provided in just priority

order
 Operation sheet
2.2 Supporting client request
Operation title: Apply priority order of requests
Purpose: To practice and demonstrate the knowledge and
skill required in prioritizing order of requests.
• Instruction: record the following requests and follow
the operation procedures
 Form 1: Support Request Form

Department: HR Date of Request 23/08/2014

Requested ID: XYZ 130
Requested Time: 3:30 A.M
Name of Client: W/rt MULU
Equipment Description: Dell computer
Problem Description: Antivirus software is not working

For IT Support Technician only

Technician Name_________________
Response time__________________
Identified Problem________________
 Form 2: Support Request Form
Department: Purchasing Date of Request 23/08/2014
Requested ID: XYZ 131

Requested Time: 3:30 A.M

Name of Client: Ato. Melaku

Equipment Description: Dell computer
Problem Description: Printer stopped working

For IT Support Technician only

Technician Name______________________
Response time__________________
Identified Problem________________________
 Procedure

• Step 1: Record the details of all the requests by

preparing a request recording list
• Step 2: prioritize and escalate the requests
considering your working environment and your roles
and responsibilities

• Quality criteria: Solution is provided in just priority

order
 Cont…

• LAP Test 2:
• Perform client support requests
 Unit Three: Participate in workplace
meetings and discussions
 This unit is developed to provide you the necessary
information regarding the following content coverage
and topics:
• Attending team meetings on time as scheduled
• Expressing own opinions clearly
• Listening those of others to without interruption
• Developing consistent meeting inputs with the
meeting purpose and established protocols
 Cont…

Upon completion of this learning guide, you

will be able to:
• Attend team meetings
• Express own opinions
• Listen others to without interruption
• Develop consistent meeting inputs with the
meeting purpose and established protocols
 Introduction

 Conducting Workplace Interactions In a

Courteous(polite) Manner
 Participate at Work
 A clearly defined purpose to your meeting
 Advise people of the meeting in time for them to be
able to attend
 Set an agenda
 Start and finish on time
 Manage the participants
 Participate at Work
• Every workplace will have staff meetings/team
meetings, formal and informal discussions
• Effective meeting procedures are essential to get
maximum output from a meeting
 A clearly defined purpose to your meeting

Ask questions such as;

• Why are we meeting?
• What are we trying to achieve?
• Are we meeting for meetings sake?
• However, consider the purpose of bringing
people together for a meeting to achieve
interpersonal objectives like team building,
brain storming or group problem solving
Advise people of the meeting in time for them to be
able to attend
It is amazing how often key people are left out
of meetings or
 are not able to attend simply
 due to a lack of planning and sufficient notice

Set an agenda
• An agenda aims to keep discussions on track
• to keep everyone focused on the issues
• agenda should be distributed to attendees before
the meeting.
Start and finish on time
• Make sure the meeting starts and finishes on time
• so participants feel that their time is valued
• they can plan for effective meeting participation to fit within
their work load
Manage the participants
• important to every person feels their attendance and
contribution is valued
• People must be given the opportunity to express their
opinion
• recognizing to listen to others without interruption
• Clear conflict management strategies must be in place
3.1. Attending team meetings on time as scheduled
 Team meeting
 By definition, a team meeting is a scheduled conversation
 when employees discuss a particular topic or list of topics,
 outlined on a pre-planned agenda created by the meeting
leader
 Meetings are part and parcel of every organization
 It’s a way for employees to gather, exchange ideas, share
feedback, and learn from each other
 Effective team meetings require skill and structure
 Effective team meetings deliver quality work much faster
and chart on a better path
 Why Effective Team Meetings are Important

Effective team meetings are productive,

inclusive, and collaborative
Here are some reasons why you should strive
to have effective team meetings:
• Builds Stronger Relationships
• Helps Make Better and Faster Decisions
• Facilitates Creative Thinking and Innovation
• A Medium for Feedback and Continuous
Improvement
 Cont…

Builds Stronger Relationships

• It’s easier to build teamwork with personal
interaction.
• When there’s a free-flowing exchange of ideas and
• you can see and hear your teammate’s thoughts
personally,
• Effective team meetings help you create this strong
bond
• A strong team dynamic is vital to work success
and productivity
 Cont…
Helps Make Better and Faster Decisions
• An effective team meeting is essential to issue
resolution and brainstorming
• If you’re a team manager, it’s easier to make better
decisions when you have enough information on key
matters that affect your team
• Having a team meeting with them will help you get
those information faster
• come up with a sound decision that’s beneficial for
everyone involved
 Cont…

Facilitates Creative Thinking and Innovation

• Effective team meetings allow employees to
showcase critical thinking, creativity, and ingenuity

A Medium for Feedback and Continuous

Improvement
• Effective team meetings are a great channel for
feedback and continuous improvement
• Feedback is given instantaneously and this open
communication allows your team members to grow
professionally
 Tips for Running Effective Team Meetings

tips on how you can make sure to always have

an effective and engaging team meeting:
• Have a Clear Agenda
• Determine Who Should Attend
• Stick to Your Agenda
• Determine Action Items
• Encourage Feedback
 Cont…

 Have a Clear Agenda:

• purpose of your team meeting
• want to share during the meeting
• Is it beneficial for everyone?

 Determine Who Should Attend:

• Now that you know your meeting’s purpose,
• who do you think should be in the meeting?

 Stick to Your Agenda:

• Avoid getting sidetracked by other discussions or topics
 Cont…
Determine Action Items:
• Any action items from the meeting should be properly
documented and communicated
• Determine who’s responsible for them and also set target
deadlines for completion

Encourage Feedback:
• Encourage your team members to give their inputs and
feedback
• Give everyone the chance to speak
• get your team’s feedback on how your meeting went and
what they think can be improved
 3.2. Expressing own opinions clearly

• Ground your thoughts in facts

• Use concrete words
• Speak firmly, not necessarily loudly
• Ask questions, and listen to others
• Look at the person
• Don’t be a contrarian for the sake of being a
contrarian
• Speak first and last
 Cont…

 Ground your thoughts in facts:

• Opinions are strengthened with facts
• Combine your thoughts with data
• Consider saying, “I suggest we pursue the second option because…” and
then proceed to mention a case study

 Use concrete words:

• Try not to use absolute words like “always” or “never”
• You don’t want to suggest you know the absolute truth,
• you are more persuasive when you are specific

 Speak firmly, not necessarily loudly:

• If you have an opinion, say it firmly
• Own your thought
• That ownership helps you to exude confidence and lets your words speak
for themselves
 Cont…
 Ask questions, and listen to others:
• Bring other people in.
• Do not give a speech.
• Have a discussion.
• Ask, “What are your thoughts?”
• Be flexible.
• Create a dialogue that demonstrates your interest in other people’s
ideas and allows them to know that they are being heard

 Look at the person:

• Use your body as another way to show that you are open-minded
• Make eye contact when you are speaking and listening
• Turn your body towards people
• Use your body language to demonstrate openness
• When people see your open-mindedness, they will believe it
 Cont…
 Don’t be a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian:
• If you have a valid question or counter point, share your opinion
• But do not intentionally shut down other people’s opinions to prove a
point
• Arguing for the sake of arguing is counterproductive, egotistical and
turns people off

 Speak first and last:

• The order of speaking matters, too
• Don't hold back
• Speak at the beginning to set the tone
• It is also important to show that you listen to other people's thoughts
• Speaking also at the end allows you to integrate other people’s thoughts
in your remarks
 3.3. Listening those of others to without interruption

• a tendency for anyone in a deep or important conversation

to try to think of their response

 Communication: often relies on the relationship between

two individuals
 feeling of trust and respect for the conversation to be productive
 for both parties to leave it feeling heard
• Generally, when you interrupt, it is because you’re
formulating an argument in your head while the person is
talking
• In order to form that argument, you often ignore what the
person is saying in favor of your thoughts,
• in turn you may misunderstand them or may miss out on
important information
 3.4. Developing consistent meeting inputs with the meeting purpose and established
protocols

• Follow a consistent agenda

• Provide a consistent approach to presentation
materials
• If you need certain people in key locations, reserve
their seats and don't leave everyone guessing
• Follow-up
 Cont…
 Follow a consistent agenda
• include topics, speakers, action item review and timeline
review
 Provide a consistent approach to presentation materials
• The format, length, colors, and font should be consistent
• the participant knows where to go for relevant information
 If you need certain people in key locations, reserve their
seats and don't leave everyone guessing.

 Follow-up
• In a timely manner
• Consistency in the timeliness of meeting minutes and
updates is critical
 3.5. Conducting workplace interactions in a
courteous manner
• Building good working relationships is extremely
important for a healthy workplace
 Here are certain tips on how to be courteous to
your co-workers:
• Say good morning
• Say thank you
• Show mutual respect
• Volunteer
• Be a good cubicle neighbor
• Promote effective communication
• Clean up your mess
 Cont…
 Say good morning:
• Exchanging a daily greeting is a must to build successful
working relationships
• Saying good morning by looking people in the eye while
passing from their cubicles or the hall shows that you
acknowledge them, making them feel important
• At the same time, you present a sociable and friendly face

 Say thank you:

• When a coworker offers assistance with a project, make sure
to acknowledge
• Saying thank you shows respect and gratitude and what you
earn in return is the great feeling of having encouraged a
coworker to put their best effort in helping you
 Cont…
 Show mutual respect:
• Showing mutual respect at workplace indicates that you truly
value your colleagues and that they value you back
• Listen carefully to what your coworkers have to say, get in
their shoes and when your turn comes to provide an answer,
try to use an open approach with positive affirmations
• In addition, be genuine when showing respect in order to
create a cycle of positive relationships at workplace

 Volunteer:
• Going the extra mile at the office can never fail you
• Volunteering for the best of the community is always
appreciated
 Cont…
 Be a good cubicle neighbor:
• Most of the times, cubicles are placed really close to each
other,
• means that you should be extra careful with certain things
• For example, avoid bringing smelly food like hard boiled
eggs and tuna sandwiches in your cubicle,
• avoid eating at your workstation in general
• Take advantage of a break, unwind, go outside, call a friend
and return to your tasks refreshed and reinforced
• Avoid placing phone calls on the speaker or listening to
favorite music without headphones.
• Take your personal calls outside or in an empty conference
room and try to limit distractions within your cubicle’s walls
 Cont…
 Promote effective communication:
• Good relationships are built on effective communication
• The same goes for working relationships, which can be built via phone,
email or at the workplace
• Articulate your points choose your words carefully and say exactly what you
have in mind to avoid confusion
• At the same time, be an active listener and try to understand what the other
person means and what their emotions are
• This is how productive working relationships are formed and maintained

 Clean up your mess:

• Don’t leave your dirty stuff in the sink for other employees to find
• If you have a bite at your desk, make sure to wipe the crumbs
• It’s not nice for your workstation to look like a bird’s nest.