Support service: creating support and working in technical support. Are you ready to work in technical support? Rules for a technical support specialist

Any technical support service is created in order to provide its clients with assistance in servicing and solving any technical problems that a client of an Internet resource may have.

A technical support specialist must provide competent, user-friendly advice. And not only. He must also provide the client with information: where and how to find this or that link or document.

To provide such quality assistance, a technical support specialist must thoroughly know this Internet resource and the subject on which he is providing advice. This is the only way to gain trust.

The requirements are quite serious, so these are always highly qualified specialists. Client trust, especially in conditions of fierce competition, is very important.

For example, technical support for the site. Or technical customer support . Their importance also cannot be underestimated. Any website is a business card of the company as a whole, its face on the Internet. And clients need to be retained. They must be confident that they will receive an intelligent answer to any question they have.

Website technical support

• This includes uninterrupted functioning;
• This is the elimination of various hosting problems;
• This is vigilant monitoring of site availability and loading speed;
• These are settings for various third-party Web resources;
• This is the installation of banners, updates;
• This is consulting employees on adding information to the site or editing it;
• These are various changes to the site structure and settings;
• This is the installation of various analytical counters and scripts.

And that is not all. Sometimes a technical support person's responsibilities include adding news, graphics, articles, and other content.

Technical Customer Support

Everything is more complicated here. You also need to be a good negotiator.

Any client who contacts technical support calls in order to solve their problem, but people are different: some are openly “nasty”, some are clearly “stupid”, some speak quickly, so much so that nothing can be understood it is forbidden.

In these conditions, the task of a technical support specialist is not just to solve the client’s problem, but to explain to the person so that he can cope with his situation and be satisfied with how well he was talked to.

This is no longer just a technical support technician who is well versed in the issue. This is also a psychologist (to some extent) and a negotiator who absolutely needs to adapt to the client’s temperament and mood, and this is difficult.

In any case, you need to “join” the client, understand his problem, listen, and have a sincere desire to help him. And without knowledge of the product that the company sells, knowledge of its features and subtleties, it is impossible to perform such work with clients.

Whatever the client's problem - big or small, the technical support specialist must recognize its importance and concentrate on the solution.

Rules for a technical support specialist

First, he must follow the five commandments:

1. Respect the client.
2. A good specialist is able to solve any client problem.
3. The client's problem is, in fact, not his problem, it is the problem of the technical support employee.
4. Feel the client and correspond to him.
5. Meet client expectations.

Secondly, a technical support specialist must have certain personal qualities.

Supporting its customers is an important process for a company, which greatly influences the attitude of customers and their number.

The client can contact a technical support specialist for help by email, or by calling, or through the website. This is the first contact with the problem of the client, and therefore the company. As a rule, the first contact is very emotional, not always positive. And the entire stream of indignation and misunderstanding goes to the support staff.

That's why With In addition to pedantry and knowledge of the professional field, a technical support specialist must have patience and emotional stability.

And in order for the work to be relatively calm and effective, you must adhere to certain rules:

By the way, in Western countries customer support (Customer Success) has become almost a cult. In Russia, the situation is also rapidly improving, because businesses have recognized the importance of the customer support process.

How much do technical support specialists earn?

The salary of young technical support specialists with at least 1 year of experience varies depending on the location of the employer. In Moscow, a technical support employee earns from 25 to 35 thousand rubles a month, in St. Petersburg it is 5 thousand less, in the regions the average salary is 18 thousand rubles.

If you are a remote technical support employee, then your salary will be from 18 to 25 thousand rubles per month.

People exchange sharp words
- said Loki, - but these words weigh nothing.
A person has a lot of them in his mouth.
"Empire V", V. Pelevin.

The first line of defense on the business battlefield is technical support service. The support is the first to meet adverts, the first to absorb the flow of indignation when failures occur, weeds out people who are not good for the business and, solving 90% of the problems of partners and clients, brings to management only a concentrate of the most important things that require their direct participation.

Who works in support services? What should support be like? How to be a good “supporter”? You will learn about this in this article.

The first half of the article is intended for those who want to organize a support service for their Internet business. The second is for those who want to find a job in support.

This article will not create your technical support service for you. And it won’t provide you with work in support. But there is more than enough food for thought in it.

So make yourself comfortable and let’s get started.

How to select technical support employees

It doesn’t matter what kind of project you are managing, be it a design studio or - your users (advertisers, clients) will most often communicate with the support service and, most likely, only with it. It is the support that determines what first impression your project will make and how it will be treated in the future. Therefore, this part of your business should be no weaker than all the others.

Many project managers don't bother creating a help desk and don't want to hire a dedicated person to do the job. Perhaps they are right. If the project does not involve a large number of participants and is well automated, then it probably does not need a separate support service.

But this happens extremely rarely and, more often than not, the owner himself has to perform the functions of support. Do you have enough time and patience to do this job? Will this approach pay off in the future?

Most likely, attentive attitude towards partners, prompt resolution of their problems, competent communication with experienced advertisers, advice to beginners and time savings for the project manager will more than pay for the supporter’s modest rate. Do not underestimate the face of your project, even if these are just words in the ICQ client window.

• Do not hire so-called “schoolchildren” for technical support(young men and women with unformed psyches, communication skills and a sense of responsibility. There are also others. It’s better not to deal with these at all.).
  Poorly paid “school kids” in the support service are the most common mistake. The person on the team must have sufficient qualifications, because nothing spoils the impression of a company more than illiterate technical support. Or inadequate. The support has access to confidential information and constantly communicates with your partners and clients, on whom the fate of the project depends. Therefore, by skimping on professionalism, you risk not only your reputation, but also the fate of the entire project.


• An adequate person.
  Pleasant to communicate with, sympathetic, with competent language, clearly expressing his thoughts - these are the necessary characteristics for a good user support worker.


• The technical support employee must be an experienced professional.
  Being able to speak politely, smile and check boxes in the admin panel is not all that is needed from a support employee. He must be a professional who is familiar with the entire business of the company and is familiar with at least the basics of all the nuances of the industry. If you have an affiliate program, then the support employee must be an experienced webmaster. If you sell a software product, the support service must be technically competent.


• Do not hire unknown people for technical support.
  The support team has access to confidential information, sometimes even to accounts in . Therefore, check how well-known your candidate for the position of “supporter” is in the community. Does he communicate in and what reviews does he have? Recommendations from famous people will also not be superfluous.


• A bad reputation of a technical support employee is the key to the failure of the entire company..
  If you find an excellent professional in technical support, but he has somehow tarnished his reputation in the past, then it is better not to cooperate with him. Such a support service can discredit the entire project, even if its owners are famous and respected people.


• A customer service representative must be available.
  If the help desk is staffed by one person, he or she must be able to be available at least 12 hours a day. Or better yet, 14-18 hours (with a not too heavy load). If the workload is heavy, it is necessary to organize shift shifts. But the main thing is that the support service should be available most of the day. Users should not “catch” it. Well, for example, for technical support 24/7 (24 hours 7 days a week) has long been an accepted standard.


• Some self-employment is no problem.
  Don't stop your tech support employee from working a little for himself. If he in free time develops a couple or writes, then this will not interfere with working in the support service. But it will keep him in good professional shape and help him financially.


• Don't impersonate support staff.
  As surveys have shown, it is more convenient to communicate with a support employee if he has a normal name (nickname). That is, the ICQ nickname “John Smith” is much better than Support Unit 1.”


• An interview never hurts.
  Talk carefully with the candidate for the technical support position. Give a test task. For example, if he needs to support advertisers, you can show him any sales page and ask him to give some recommendations for improving productivity and increasing sales. Based on his reaction and results, you will immediately understand the level of his knowledge.

Now let's talk about what qualities are needed in order to get a job as a user technical support employee.

What do you need to work in technical support?

With a stable salary, working in a strong team with famous people - these are the bonuses of working in the support service. True, you will also need a lot: attentiveness, pedantry, good knowledge of the professional field, patience and much more. I present the main points below:

• Professionalism.
  The idea that any beginner can handle the responsibilities of a support worker is a deep misconception. You must be confident that you can answer almost any question in the required area. And if not, then why are you here? It is impossible to know everything, but you must be fluent in the issues of our industry and have practical skills. This is why technical support is needed to help in word and deed with the problems that arise for people working with your project. And this requires knowledge and experience.


• 12 hours a day - minimum.
  Customer support should be available most of the day. She is truly valuable when you can turn to her for help at any convenient time. Therefore, you must be able to be online for at least 12 hours. Or better yet, 16. Of course, sitting still all the time is unrealistic, so figure out a way to do other things and be online at the same time. You can carry a smartphone with you. You can simply turn up the volume when doing household chores, and run to your workplace when you hear the familiar “knock-knock”. Be prepared to get up in the middle of the night too. Who has it easy now?


• 90% of problems are your task.
  Technical support should and can solve 90% of the problems that arise for advertisers. This is so because 90% of calls to the support service are related to simple problems that are resolved immediately on the spot. Be prepared for the fact that you will not only chat on ICQ, but also actually help people in a variety of situations, difficult and not so difficult. Transfer an unresolved issue to other authorities (administrator, management) only when you are sure that there is no way to solve this problem on your own.


• Never be rude.
  You will be rude, rude and even insulted. A wide variety of people live here, and not all of them are distinguished by intelligence. No matter in what tone or content the question is asked, you must always remain extremely polite. You were sent - answer: “Thank you for paying attention to me.”


• Never ignore.
  Never, never ignore messages! The support worker is required to answer all requests, be it ICQ, e-mail, tickets or telephone. It doesn’t matter whether the problem in this message seems important to you or not, because for an advert, any problem he has is extremely important. It definitely needs to be resolved and, if possible, quickly. Moreover, more often than not, the lower the price of the issue, the greater the likelihood of a scandal. So, for example, when payments are delayed, partners who have barely made the minimum wage worry many times more than large advertisers. For newbies, their first $50 makes a huge difference. Don't let them start a fight somewhere on the forum.


• Be careful and flexible.
  Technical support is the face of the company. Therefore, communication with her should leave a pleasant impression. Be polite, attentive and always try to adapt to the person who contacts you. If they address you as “you”, say “you”, if they “poke”, carry on the conversation in a friendly manner.


• Take the initiative.
  It's good when people feel your presence. If the issue has been resolved, knock and let us know. If the problem cannot be resolved yet, say that there is a delay, but they are working hard on a solution. But don’t overdo it, don’t knock on everyone and tell them “about the weather.” Nobody likes a bore.


• Customer service worker shown public life
  Chat on forums. An additional signature will have a positive impact on the development of the project and the mood of the employer, just like your virtual presence next to the people with whom you work.


• Continuous learning.
  The support team must always be aware of all changes in the industry. Otherwise, very soon your knowledge will lose relevance and you will not be able to do your job efficiently. Has there been any new script? Read about him, look at his work, etc. Has a new competitor emerged? Browse its websites, analyze its advantages, identify its disadvantages, etc.


• Keep your mouth shut.
  Technical support is trusted with confidential information. So don't talk too much! Even in secret to friends. Turnover, number of advertisers, hidden statistics parameters - anything can play into the hands of competitors, and ruin your business reputation forever. Professionalism also means correct behavior.


• Don't allow negativity on forums.
  The absence of negative reviews on the forums is a good job of technical support. Never bring it to public proceedings, even if you are 200% right in the dispute. As one of the classics of marketing said, “no one has ever won an argument with a client.” I would add that in a dispute with an advocate, too.


• Instructions are not everything.
  There is no such thing as perfect advice or instructions. And these are no exception either. Always be adequate and soberly assess the current situation. Remember that the technical support service works with real people. Try to understand them and put yourself in their position.


• You are a team member.
  Never forget that you work in a team and must protect its interests. There is no need to publicly complain about your management and admire your competitors, even if they are objectively better. The opinion of a technical support employee is always visible. And they listen to him.


• Work on two fronts.
  The two fronts are the project participants (advertisers, clients) and its organizers (owners). The support service should not only help advertisers resolve their issues, but also, among other things, defend them before the project management: for example, reduce the minimum payment, if asked, raise the percentage, seek the allocation of additional promotional packages, etc. Remember, your task is to make the work of your partners as convenient as possible.
  At the same time, the support person is an important team member who works to indirectly increase the overall profitability of the project. This means that we need to ensure an increase in turnover and try to reduce costs. Learn to maintain a balance - do not indulge too greedy and capricious advertisers, so that the project does not go into the red because of this. But don’t forget to provide comfortable working conditions for sane partners.

Contrary to what many people think, working in a support service is not empty chatter on ICQ for those who don’t know anything else. The community’s opinion of the project depends on the quality of the work of this service, which ultimately affects whether advertisers will remain and continue to work with it. The number of clients and much more also greatly depends on technical support. Good customer support will not solve all the problems that arise along the thorny path of business. But it can reduce their number many times!

A high-quality technical support service consists of high-class specialists who are subject to serious demands. Their work is responsible and not at all easy. The demand for this specialty is not falling, and salaries are only growing. Become good professionals in your field, and many famous teams will be glad to see you among their ranks.

What does it take to be an effective technical support specialist, make a career and still get satisfaction from your work? To a certain extent, it depends on your character, professional skills and attitude towards work. But how do you know if it's right for you? Here are some signs that you're not ready to work in tech support.

1. You don't respect technical support. Start with your attitude towards technical support specialists. When you call the customer service center or your Internet provider, do you respect the specialists or do you think that they are idiots who read the ready-made text? If you don't respect tech support, no matter how well they do their job, you shouldn't do it.

2. You view technical support work as temporary. Is working in technical support what you aspired to or just a step towards something better? Unfortunately, in many companies, technical support is seen as the bottom rung of the IT ladder, occupied by people with little experience who will move on at the first opportunity. Often, tech support candidates want to become a network or database administrator. And very few people strive to be technical support specialists. If technical support is not an end in itself for you, but only a means to advance in your career, you probably shouldn't go to technical support.

3. You care about technology, not people. Ask yourself why you want to work in tech support. Unless it's because you love tinkering with computers, tech support isn't the best choice. In many companies, technicians spend most of their time dealing with users, who are the main problem. If you like helping people, looking for solutions to problems, have endless patience and certain technical skills, working in technical support will make you a happy person.

4. You are behind the latest trends in the IT industry. A technical support specialist must have an interest and aptitude for technology. If this is not the case, working in technical support is unlikely to be a good choice. A good specialist must keep up with modern technologies, but, unfortunately, not every company can provide the necessary time and funds for this during working hours. In order to remain competitive, you will have to spend part of your free time improving your knowledge and skills.

5. You don't care about the business you support. Technical support is needed in all areas of business - from hospitals to chemical plants. And although the main functions of technical specialists in different areas of business are not much different, truly good specialists understand the industry they support. You don't need to pass a law exam to provide tech support to a law firm, but a little effort and trying to understand the business will give you the information you need to prioritize tasks and provide proactive support. A specialist who knows the functionality of the users he supports is of great value to the business, since he can tell them how to more effectively use available technologies in their work.

6. You are not resistant to stress. Another important factor is your response to stress in the form of irritated employees, angry bosses or tight deadlines. If you can't stay calm and think clearly and logically to figure out why a presentation won't print or how to recover an accidentally deleted file that your boss needs, a career as a tech support specialist will cost you a lot of nerves. In such circumstances, you must show the user that you understand the need to resolve their problem as quickly as possible, show your respect and professionalism, and not panic.

7. You expect recognition and gratitude. Technical support specialists often go unnoticed until something happens. Ironically, if you constantly care about users, you are less likely to be noticed than if you only show up in emergency situations to save the world. If you're lucky, you may encounter users who appreciate that they've never had to call you, or even a boss or colleague who thanks you for doing a great job, but these are the exceptions to the rule. If you need the approval and gratitude of others to be satisfied with your job, tech support is not for you.

8. You lack self-control. Working with users requires a lot of patience and self-control. Some users make the same mistakes over and over again and expect you to fix them. Others require long hours of one-on-one training before they can perform even basic computer tasks. Meeting the needs of these users requires patience, self-control, and empathy. One tech support guy had an excellent reputation among users because he was willing to give up his lunch break to teach or help solve any problem. After work, he would go to the gym, take a racket and hit tennis balls against the wall. Each ball had a user's face and name on it. Not being a very patient person by nature, he took out his anger on tennis balls rather than on the users.

9. You feel insecure when faced with a problem. Solving computer problems requires a systematic, logical technique, and when logic fails, sudden insights. While there is no single “right” method for determining the cause of problems, the ability to think clearly and reason logically are essential qualities for a technical support specialist. Unless you have a natural aptitude for methodical problem solving, becoming a good problem solver will require a lot of time developing comprehensive problem solving techniques that can be adapted to any situation.

10. You are shy or unsociable. If you are not a social person or have good communication skills but prefer to hide behind a keyboard all day, being a tech support specialist will not bring happiness to you or your users. In most companies, the helpdesk is the face of the IT department. Sometimes technical support specialists are the only IT department employees with whom users interact. This means that the ability to communicate effectively with all types of users, regardless of their technical abilities or job titles, is of utmost importance.

Almost all network users have at least once encountered problems that arise when working with a website, service, program, or anything else that can be interacted with on the Internet. The support team is always there to help. The main task of workers in this area is to help resolve certain issues that arise for users.

The Internet profession of a support agent is very popular today and usually does not require special knowledge, as in working as a video editor. Web project administrators and managers spend good money supporting their clients, which creates job vacancies. Such activities can be performed in different ways depending on the functionality and requirements. You can work in online and offline modes. It roughly looks like this: you sit on VKontakte and wait for someone to write to you. And clients who want to clarify some point in the work or ask a specific question will write. You may also have to answer questions using a special Web interface or by email, maybe in skype/whatsapp/telegram. It is highly likely that there will be multiple tools to perform support functions. Many employers give additional tasks, such as administering groups on social networks and filling the site with content, and maybe receiving calls and applications. This happens if there are few calls to the support service or in order not to hire additional staff. All this is discussed in advance, and you will obviously not be left “in the air” from the additional work.

Working in a help desk requires certain skills. Such as:

1. Native level knowledge of the language. You can only work if you know how to speak and write in the language in which your target audience and clients contact you.
2. Awareness. You need to have detailed and reliable information about the product or service you provide.
3. Fast reaction. As soon as a question comes, you need to quickly read it, understand the meaning, find the answer and present everything correctly.
4. Stress resistance. There are different clients, there are dissatisfied ones or those who are not reached the first time. And combined with sedentary work, such a profession can get on your nerves. Therefore, you need to be able to “just do your job” and not take anything personally.

The advantages of this Internet profession:

• Work from your home or office.
• Often flexible schedule.
• High wages, relative to the average.
• Simple and clear scope of activity.
• The ability to combine with other work or activities (for example, work according to our earning schemes).
• In most cases, no special education is required.

The only downside I see is a sedentary lifestyle, but, again, it all depends on you. You can even answer the questions asked on a treadmill.

How to get such a job?

First of all, I recommend that you write a correct resume and determine the direction of your activity. What basic knowledge do you have? This could be automotive, photography, fashion, technology, working with programs and code, cooking, construction, law, medicine and much more. When your resume is detailed for each area in which you want to express yourself, then feel free to submit advertisements on message boards and business forums, and also go through the sections “Required” And “Vacancies”, maybe someone is already looking for you! If there is no response in the next week, then we begin to monitor various proposals. Go to the websites of large companies where you want to work. Go down to the footer of the site and see the links “Work with us”, “Vacancies”, “We are required”. Go to these sections and get information about the work. Usually there is a special contact form or contact information. Feel free to write to the administration, tell everything about yourself as it is, agree on wages and start earning money.