What Makes Support Good or Bad?

A while ago I asked myself why I liked or disliked the support I’d received from a variety of places I do business with. I considered the times I’d called or emailed airlines, rental car agencies, hotels, internet providers, cable companies, cell phone providers, and — yes — software companies to resolve problems with an account or transaction. Some may say that these types of interactions have no bearing on how to support CAD users, but I beg to differ.

As I’ve explored my personal support experiences I’ve come to three conclusions:

1. Good support is good support no matter the product being supported.
2. Good technical support is as much psychology as technology.
3. Good support is not an accident, it is a skill that can be learned.

Let’s unpack these concepts by outlining the support process with some tips and tricks thrown in along the way.

Make a Good First Impression

When a support call begins, the first impression the user forms is almost totally based on your tone of voice and opening phrase. If you sound angry or say something like, “What’s the problem?” the user senses that you’d rather be doing anything other than helping them, so they won’t have a positive opinion of you. On the other hand, if you sound positive and use phrases such as, “What can I help you with?” the user perceives you as being interested in supporting them and they will like you. Isn’t it always easier to work with someone who likes you rather than someone who doesn’t?

When a support “call” is made by email or a ticketing-based system, the guidance is the same, but just in writing. Be sure to include language rich in use of the words such as help, assist, and understand to build a positive interaction with the user.

Conclusion: No matter how good you are, how much you know, or the mode of communication being used, starting your support engagements in a positive, helpful manner always makes things easier.

Gauging the User’s Tech Level
As you forge your positive first impression, you’re not just making the user feel comfortable, you’re also determining how much they know and what their comfort level is with technology. The goal is to use that precious first impression phase to read between the lines, so you’ll know how technical or basic you’ll need to be while supporting them.

Conclusion: No matter how much you know, if the user doesn’t understand your vocabulary you’ll never resolve their problem, so always speak to them at their level.

Listen — Truly Listen

After starting your support session, you’ll start listening to the user, right? But will you be really listening or just going through the motions? You’d be surprised how many people in support really don’t listen and you might be surprised to know why.

Find out how to listen more attentively, and what clues to look for if the user doesn't understand. To add to the difficulty, sometimes a user really thinks they know what's wrong, but it turns out that isn't the problem at all. Read on to find out how to handle these sticky situations to resolve issues and keep everyone happy.  
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Tools and Resources

New 3D Printer

Stratasys Ltd. recently announced two new PolyJet 3D printers, the Stratasys J35 Pro and the Stratasys J55 Prime, along with new software solutions for research and packaging prototyping. The J35 Pro is Stratasys’ first multi-material 3D printer for the desktop. The , while the J55 Prime adds a new set of tactile, textual, and sensory capabilities in addition to full color to the J55 3D printer. 
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