Tech Manager—Making Tech Support Run like a Great Resort
When I think of the talents that a Tech Manager needs, one that is always at the top is customer service. I know I have written about it before and after this article, I will most likely write about it again. It is the talent most needed, other than tech skills, by those we support. They want excellent customer service. So here are a few things to keep in mind, set in the context of good service at a resort, hotel, or restaurant.
Provide “Room Service”. Give support to your staff. No one wants to leave their hotel room if they are settled in and need something. A toothbrush, a snack or a full dinner. It is nice to order and have it brought to you. Doordash, Grubhub, or whatever, entire industries have popped up that deliver ready-to-eat meals, so you don’t have to get up and go out. Don’t make the staff always come to you. Just like a late-night delivery of room service to your hotel room, providing support to the staff is important. I suggest just walking around. It gets you out of your chair and up to where the action is. Walking around allows the staff to see you and ask questions when they would not get out of their chair and try to find you. Move around a little and mingle, but don’t linger and interrupt workflow. Listen as you walk. What are folks talking about? You are just passing through, but offering support as you go.
Shorten your Message. You hear a knock at the door, “Room service”. With that quick announcement, you have all the info you need. Your food has arrived. The message is short and to the point. You need to keep your messages short and to the point. I am a “bottom line up front” kind of guy. I get to the point quickly and I think people appreciate it. When delivering support or training, I try to get the needed information out without a lot of fluff. When people need help, they need to get back to work quickly. They usually don’t want a lot of discussion, unless they ask. I usually stop after I give the needed info and ask if they want more. Some people like to know why things happen and other couldn’t care less, they just want to get back to work.
Simplify your Message. And while you are keeping your messages short, keep them understandable also. People usually do not want to hear the tech details (unless they ask). Give it to them in simple terms and eliminate the long techno focused explanations of the problem and the fix. Just give them the non-tech reasons and offer more if they want it. “There was a problem with the server, it was nothing you did.” If they want more, tell them the issues that the server was having and the fix it took, but keep that uncluttered also.
Serve Everyone at Once. One year, when I was at AU in Las Vegas, the firm I worked for sponsored a dinner for the staff that was attending. The menu was a selection of chicken, fish or beef and each person selected what they wanted. There were about 10-12 people at the table. The food was prepared and delivered all at once. I mean it was choreographed. Six wait staff brought two covered dishes each, set them all down at once and then uncovered them at the same time, with a flourish. It was a sight to see, and every person got the right meal in front of them. Excellent theatrics and superior customer service. I don’t remember what I ate, but the service was fantastic.
You obviously cannot be everywhere at once, but you can help everyone at the same time. You can do this by communicating with the entire staff via email, text, chat or whatever. Just let everyone know. Whatever you are sharing with one person, share with all. It is true that some will not read or listen, but you should share it with all. You may want to offer to share tech tips at general meetings if appropriate. Just get the word out to everyone.
Give away Something for Free. At a resort, it might be as simple as a mint on a pillow, or water dispensers by the pool, or a cookie at check-in, but giving something unexpected for free is always appreciated. In tech support, this is a tip, a trick, or an improvement. When you help others or fix a problem, share some tips related to the area of concern. You may even ask them if they have a tip to share. You could mention something you read about or something other team members have shared with you. It may just be a short conversation on new tech. Team members may like to discuss upcoming tech trends.
Be Available. No one likes wait staff that seems to make it hard to flag them down. Have an open-door policy and make yourself available to everyone. Make it easy to connect with you. It could be an online ticketing system, or just a text message. Take support needs any way they come at you. Don’t constantly remind people to only use one method. Sure, you can encourage ticketing systems, but most staffers do not really like them. They are too cumbersome. Make it easy to get a hold of you.
Offer Self-Serve. Like the free morning coffee bar that some resorts offer, you could have a self-serve online knowledge base with searchable “how-to” articles. Let the staff find support for themselves. When you fix a problem that has been popping up around the office, write up an article and post it.
Would you like anything else? At the end of a good meal, you are usually asked if there is anything more you would like. When the immediate support needs are done, ask them if they need anything more. Maybe circle back later and ask. It lets staff know that you are willing to do more if needed. They can always come to you.
Many of these may be common sense, but it is the consistency you bring by remembering to do these things on a regular basis that helps others see your customer service focus.
