BTEC Nat ITPract2e Unit28

7/28/2019 BTEC Nat ITPract2e Unit28

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2.1

IT Practitioners [3]

ThinkingpointsThisunitprovidesyou

withanintroductiontotheworldoITsupport.Youwilllearnabouttheroleohelpdesksta.Thisshouldhelpyoutounderstandwhatisexpectedothepeoplewhoprovideguidanceandsupporttouserswhoarehavingdifcultywithacomputersystem.

Helpdesksarethefrstpointocontactorauserwhoisexperiencingdifcultywithacomputersystem.Teamsosupportstaareonhand,oten24hoursadayand7daysaweek,toanswertelephonecallsandprocessthem.Howdoyouthinktheteamsaremanaged?Whattrainingwouldeachmemberothesupportteamneedtobeinapositiontoprovideuseulhelptoacaller?Howcouldthecallsbeflteredsothateachmemberothehelpdesksupportteamreceivesonlythose

callsthattheyaretrainedtohandle?Theseandotherquestionsareaddressedinthisunit.Angermanagementisatopicwhichmaybenewtoyou.Itisincludedinthisunitoragoodreason;itisnowseenasimportantormanypeople,includingITsupportworkers.However,itisasensitivetopicandonewhichmaymakeyoueeluncomortable.Thinkingaboutwhatmakesyouangrya

nduncoveringcausesoanger,ordoingactivitiestolearnhowtocopewithangryeelingsmayalarmyou.However,yourteacherwillguideyouthroughthistopicand,hopeully,itwillhelpyoutobecomemorehelpulinyourdealingswithothers.AlthoughyouwillbestudyingIT,manyotheskillsyoulearninthisunitwouldapplytocustomersupportinotherindustr

ies,suchasretailorbanking.Thisisbecausethewayyouhandlepeopleisimportant,whateverjobyoudo.


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[4] BTEC National | ICT Technical Support | Book 1

The sta in a call centre are employed to service

telephone calls rom customers, and to record the details

o all such calls on a call logging system.

Some call centres provide help desk support to IT users.

Beore the sta in the call centre can provide advice and

guidance, they need to identiy the problem. This will

involve inormation gathering rom a variety o sources.

The end user who is having the problem should prove to

be a valuable source o inormation, but help desk staalso need to consider other sources, such as a fault logor

diagnostic software, and they may need to consult some

technical documentation.

This section ocuses on a range o inormation sources

and how best to gather that inormation.

28.1.1 InformationgatheringInormation gathering requires a variety o skills, plus a

strategy or success and a method o documenting your

fndings.

Inormation can be gathered rom a number o

sources, such as direct questions to the client,

consulting a ault log or using diagnostic and

monitoring tools. Each o these requires dierent skills

on your part: communication, research and analysis.

There will be constraints on your time and pressure to

fnd a solution quickly, so you will need to identiy

priorities. Having a clear idea o what you are looking

or and where to look will help you to prioritise, so

you need a strategy or success.

Faults all into broad categories such as loss o

service or poor perormance. The ability to recognisepatterns will help you to solve problems more quickly.

So keeping accurate and detailed records orms an

essential part o inormation gathering.

Each o these aspects o inormation gathering is now

considered in turn.

28.1.1.1 Directquestioning

An end user has a problem and wants you, the support

technician, to fx it. He/she contacts you and starts to tell

you what he/she thinks is wrong. During the

conversation that ollows either ace-to-ace or on the

telephone you need to fnd out as much as possible, so

that you can start to make decisions as to where the ault

lies, and how you might resolve the problem.

However, beore you can accept the call rom the end

user, you may need to check that he/she is entitled to

your support services. This may include asking or a user

name and password, or maybe an account number and

password. This personal data may allow you access to

inormation about the end user that you can bring up

on your screen. This may include the ollowing:

What level o service is the user entitled to expectrom you? I there is a service level agreement (SLA)

you will need to make sure you meet the expectations

o the end user in ull.

When did this user last contact the help desk? The

attitude o the user may be aected by how oten he/

she runs into difculty and how eective the support

has been previously. Oten, end users are rustrated by

problems they are experiencing and may be angry.Having as much background inormation to hand as

possible may help you to cope with their anger. This

topic is considered in greater detail on page 00.

28.1 Gathering information to provide advice andguidance

What does it mean?Acall centreisaplacewherecustomerandother

telephonecallsarehandledbyanorganisation,usually

withsomeamountocomputerautomation.

Acall logging systemisacomputerisedsystem

whichislinkedtoadatabaseocustomersdetails

andkeepsarecordoanycommunicationwiththem.

Afault logisarecordoeventsthatoccurred,and

mayincludeinormationabouthowtheaultwasfxed.

Diagnostic softwareattemptstodiagnoseaproblem;

itidentifespossibleaultsandoerssolutions.

Aservice level agreement (SLA)setsoutwhatlevel

osupportisexpectedorexample,thespeedoresponseorparticulartypesoproblem.Seealso

page00.


4/36IT Practitioners [5]

Most problems relate to aults in the hardware and

sotware being used or, oten, the way in which they are

being operated by the end user.

I the problem appears to be a hardware ault, you

need to know the make and model o the hardware

(such as Hewlett-Packard printer, model PSC 1210

or a SpeedTouch modem, model 330). This may

enable you to access the relevant technicalinormation, or example, on the manuacturers

website, so that you can talk the end user through a

sequence o steps towards identiying the precise ault

and resolving the problem.

It may also be relevant to know the sotware platorm

(such as Windows XP) and/or the sotware

applications (such as Word) that they are running.

Part o your training will be to become amiliar withhow the sotware works. In act, you ought to be an

expert in using any sotware that an end user might

have installed on their computer.

28.1

Case study

Support service providers

FastHostsprovidehostingservicestoindividuals

andorganisationswhowantanInternetpresence.Theirsupporttechniciansaretrainedtoadvisethe

enduserinprocessesessentialtothemaintenance

oawebsite,suchasuploadingwebpages.Beore

oeringsupport,thesupporttechniciansat

FastHostsaskoraccountnumberandpassword.

Onlythencanaclientbegivenhelp.

1 Identiyasupportservicethatyoucancontact.

ThismightbetheITsupportteamatyourcollegeorplaceowork,oraserviceprovidersuchas

yourtelephonecompany.

2 Contactasupporthelpdeskandnotewhat

inormationisrequestedtoestablishyourrightto

assistance.Comparethiswiththechecksdone

byFastHostsandanyotherorganisationsthat

othersinyourgrouphavecontacted.

3 Iaclientcannotremembervitalinormation,such

asapassword,howcantheyprovetothesupport

teamthatyouareindeedentitledtohelp?

What action has been taken previously? Since help

desks (and call centres) are oten staed on a shit

basis, it might be rare or an end user to talk to the

same support technician two times running. The enduser would appreciate not having to start rom the

beginning each time he/she rings. It is thereore

important that records such as a ault log (see page

00) are kept o each conversation and what action

was taken.

Once you have established that the end user is entitled to

your support services, and have been inormed o what

has happened to date, you are ready to talk to the enduser. However, beore you ask, What seems to be the

problem?, there are a number o important acts that

you will need to know and record, or confrm with the

end user. As well as the name o the end user (or the

person who is reporting the ault), it is essential to

record other contact details.

Case study

Essential contact information

TheBThelpdeskorbroadbandenquiriesasksor

amobilephonenumber.Manyotheirbroadband

customershavetotelephoneromthenumberthat

wouldnormallybeusedtoconnecttotheInternet,

andthisisthenumberonwhichtherewouldappear

tobeaault.Anytestonthatlinecancausethe

connectiontoailandthecallertobecuto.For

thecustomertolocatethesamehelpdeskperson

isalmostimpossible.BTthereorehavetocontact

thecustomerithesupportistocontinueatall

orthisanothertelephonenumber,suchasamobile

number,isneeded.

1 Compilealistodetailsthatyoumightcollect

romtheenduser,sothatyoucouldcontactthem

againineedbe.

2 Compareyourlistwithothersinyourgroupand,

betweenyou,deviseaormtorecordthis

inormation.


5/36[] BTEC National | ICT Technical Support | Book 1

Table 28.1 lists the questions that need to be answered

and recorded at some point during the processing o a

ault.

Table 28.2 shows the data felds that might be needed torecord the inormation so that it can be analysed. The

items in the frst three rows o Tables 28.1 and 28.2 are

relevant or this unit. The data in the remaining rows is

essential or a complete picture o the incident and how

it was resolved, but relates more to the content oUnit29: IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair.

Question Whatneedstoberecorded

Who reported the ault? Name and contact details

When was it reported? The exact time as well as the date

Has someone been assigned to deal with this problem? Who was assigned, and at what time it happened

Has anyone decided on a course o action? What action was decided upon, when this took place and who made the decisionWhat was the actual problem? Categorise as: End user error / Faulty hardware / Faulty sotware, etc.

Has the problem been fxed? How it was fxed

How much did it cost to repair? Time spent doing the repair, cost o replacement parts

Table28.1 Questionsthatacallloggingsystemshouldanswer

Datafeld Notes

Call ID A unique reerence number to identiy this particular call and all subsequent action taken to resolve the ault.

Date and time o initial It is important to record the time as well as the date. Some aults will be reported and solved within the space

call o a couple o hours. Others may take longer.

Who initiated the call? The person who called may be noted by their name and department, or maybe an employee ID code, linked

to other databases held by the company. This may allow the HR (human resources) department to identiy

employees who regularly call or IT support, and may need to be given extra training.

Technician allocated to The help desk assistant will need to make an initial decision as to who best can help the caller. This will be

supervise the solution based on inormation given by the caller, and the call assistant may have a questionnaire to complete which

also helps to decide whether the ault is mostly hardware related or mostly sotware related.

Data and time o passing A delay in passing details o the problem on to a technician will mean the end user might be waiting longer

inormation to technician than he or she needs to.

Keeping track o this data will ensure more efcient processing by the help desk assistant.

Report rom technician(s) This may include inormation such as what equipment was repaired on-site, what equipment was removed

or repair, what loan equipment was given to the user as a temporary fx or what replacement equipment was

given to the user as a permanent fx.

Each event needs a date and time o action so that progress can be monitored.

Error diagnosis Details o exactly what went wrong and how it was fxed will help i other users call in with similar problems.

Costs (money) Equipment that is supplied to replace aulty equipment can be charged to a particular reported ault.

Costs (time) Time spent repairing equipment or just on-site with an end user, trying to diagnose the problem, needs to be

accounted or, and charged against each call.

Recommendations Lessons learnt in solving a problem should be recorded and considered when making decisions about stafng

levels within the support team, the equipment that is to be purchased in uture and training needs o support

sta and end users.

Table28.2 Datastoredinacallloggingsystem


6/36IT Practitioners [7]

Sometimes, lack o knowledge on the part o the end

user is the root cause o the problem, and it may prove

necessary to recommend training or individuals.

I several end users ask the same questions, one solution(that may save on time spent providing one-to-one

support) is to set up a web page (on the Internet or

within a companys intranet) listing FAQs and their

answers see page 00.How you communicate with the end user your manner

and attitude toward the caller and how to extract

relevant inormation, are covered in more detail in

section 28.2.2 (see page 00). But at this stage o the call

you simply have to collect acts and your direct

questioning needs to be done courteously and efciently,

using a manner and tone that will not inflame an end

user who may already be angry.

You may be provided with a script to help you through

this initial stage, so that you do not orget to ask or

particular inormation. When reading rom a script, it

is easy to sound bored because your conversationsbecome very repetitive. The end user quickly realises

you are using a script and might view this negatively.

Thereore, it helps i you can develop some personality

to your voice so that your end user eels better served by

you.

What does it mean?FAQstandsorrequentlyaskedquestions.

ISPstandsorInternetserviceprovider.

Case study

FAQs

FastHostsFAQsanswerthequestionsthatare

otenasked,suchasWhatisbroadband?,How

canIcheckthatbroadbandisavailableinmyarea?

andWhatspecPCdoIneedtorunbroadband?

1 Visitthesiteooneoyourserviceprovidersand

readtheFAQs.

2 CompilealistofveFAQsthatanoviceusero

oneparticularsotwarepackageoroneitemo

hardwaremightask.Swapthesewithapartner

andprovidetheanswersoryourpartnersFAQs.

Data collection forms

1 Anovicecomputeruseristryingtoconnecttothe

Internet,withoutsuccess.Listthedetailsyouwould

expectthisusertoprovidewhencallingtheISPs

helpdesk.

2 Anexperiencedwebdesigneristryingtouploada

newpageromDreamweaver,andishaving

problems.Listthedetailsyouwouldexpectthis

usertoprovidetothehostcompanyshelpdesk.

3 Designaormtocollectrelevantdatawhenrecordingonecalltoahelpdesk.

Assessment activity 28.1

28.1


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28.1.1.2 Faultlog

A log should be maintained or each computer system:

when the equipment was obtained, and when sotware

was installed, what settings have been used and so on. I

the system breaks down, this inormation may be

needed. When the system breaks down, the same log

may be used to record what went wrong and how it wasfxed, or a separate ault log may be set up just to record

the problems and how they were overcome.

A ault log may be kept manually, or it may be created

automatically by sotware. The ault log can prove useul

i a problem keeps happening, and the cause is

unknown. Noting the date and circumstances each time

something goes wrong may throw light on the source o

the problem.Electronically generated ault logs may be created by

sotware tools such as Dumprep.exe. I a serious error

occurs, this Windows XP ault-logging program writes the

error details to a text fle. The user is then prompted to

send the error inormation to Microsot (see Figure 28.1).

The sotware manuacturer can then collate inormation

about problems that users are experiencing and use thisdata to help them to track down the cause o the ault.

Unit 29: IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repairalso

considers ault logs; see page 00.

28.1.1.3 Diagnosticsandmonitoringtools

As each new operating system is introduced, so too arediagnostic and monitoring tools aimed to help the user

and support technicians track down aults and

improve the running o the computer system.

When you turn on a computer, the POST checks the

hardware to make sure everything is unctioning

correctly beore the operating system is loaded and

run.

I there are problems and these are ound beore the

screen is operational, a sequence o beeps is used to

indicate the nature o the ault. Once the screen is

operational, instead, an error code is given on-screen

showing which device is not unctioning properly.

Unit 29: IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repairlooks

at the value o the POST diagnostic inormation

(see page 00).Once the computer is up and running satisactorily, in a

Windows environment, the Control Panel oers the

Systems Properties route to inormation about how the

computer is unctioning; see page 00.

Remember!

Afault logisarecordoeventsthatoccurred,and

mayincludeinormationabouthowtheaultwas

fxed.

Help desk scripts

1 Callahelpdeskandnotepreciselytheconversation

thattookplace.Couldyoutellthatascriptwas

beingused?

2 Comparetheconversationsthatyouandothers

haverecorded.Checkhowsimilarthequestions

were,andtheorderinwhichtheywereasked.From

this,devisethescriptthatmighthavebeenused.

3 Workinginpairs,role-playtheprocessocallinga

helpdesk,usingyourscript.Asthehelpdesk

technicianexperimentswithwaysomakingtheend

usereelmorelikeanindividualreceivingthelevel

oattentionhe/shemightexpect.


Figure28.1 Theprompttosenddetailsoaaultto

Microsot


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28.1.1.5 Faulttype

Although the root cause o a problem might be

hardware or sotware or inefcient use o the

computer by the end user the ault, as perceived by the

user, is either loss o service or poor perormance.

Loss of service includes:

a crash when the whole system goes down

the system has hung up moving the mouse no

longer results in a movement o the cursor and there

is no response to a key being pressed a peripheral that no longer works: e.g. the printer or

the screen or the hard drive

ailure to connect to the Internet an error message

reports that there is a ault: no dial tone, or ailure to

connect at the server end.

Poor performance relates to the slowing down o the

system. It may take a long time or a web page to load,

or or material to be sent to the printer. Either way,the system is not operating in a way that is satisactory

or the end user and he/she puts in a call to the help

desk.

This unit ocuses on the role o the help desk sta in

felding complaints. Tracking down what is causing a

problem is the subject oUnit 29: IT Systems Trouble

Shooting and Repair(page 00).

28.1.2 Validation ofinformationSome sources o inormation are more reliable than

others. So, in the process o gathering detailed

inormation, you need to make sure that the inormationis valid. Invalid inormation will get in the way o you

arriving at a speedy solution to the problem.

28.1.2.1 Cross referencecheckswithuser

While talking to an end user about the problem, you

may be able to call up data on your computer system,including the current confguration o the end users

computer. However, this inormation may be out o

date; the end user may have upgraded the equipment or

Case study

Service levels

BThasatwo-tiersystemosupport:residential

customersversusbusinesscustomers.Business

customerspaymoreortelephoneconnectionsthan

residentialcustomersandareentitledto

compensationiBTailtoprovidetheservicethat

hasbeenpromised.Becausetheserviceiscostlyto

BTithereisaproblem,businesscustomers

thereorereceiveaspeediersupportresponse.And

sincetheresourcesavailabletoBTarelimited,this

canmeanthatresidentialcustomershavetowait

longertohavetheirproblemsresolved.

1 Foraserviceprovider,establishhowthecallsare

prioritised.Isthesystemair?

2 Findoutthedetailsoaservicelevelagreementthathasbeensetupwithaserviceproviderat

yourcollegeorplaceowork.

How critical is the problem to the continued

operation of the business? Who is experiencing

problems and how essential to his/her job unction is

his/her access to IT services? Some sta can continue

with other work, so fxing their IT problem is not as

crucial as or sta who spend all their working time at

the computer.

How severe is the fault? Will it cause more problems

i it is not fxed immediately? For example, a problem

that involves a aulty hard drive may well corrupt

data. Even i the end user did not have a high priority,

this type o ault may warrant speedier treatment. When was the request for support made? How long

is toolong or any end user to wait or a problem to be

resolved? Even users with the least important

problems deserve to be paid attention. I it seems to

take orever to receive support, this reflects badly on

the help desk team so all requests ought to be

processed within a reasonable time.

One way o deciding what is and what is not acceptable

is to draw up a service level agreement (SLA); this is

discussed in more detail on page 00.


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installed a more modern operating system. So, it makes

sense to confrm this inormation with the user during

the initial conversation.

Simple direct questioning will ensure you are basingyour judgements on correct inormation.

Which operating system are you using? Windows?

Which version?

Which make o printer is it? Hewlett-Packard? Which

model?

Which modem are you using? The internal one or an

external modem? An external one? How is it

connected to your PC? What sotware are you using? Word processing?

Which package? Which version o that sotware are

you using?

Some users may not be able to answer these questions

and you may have to direct them to how they can fnd

out.

For example, to discover which operating system is being

used, you may need to guide the end user to press Start,

click on Control Panel and select System. The General

tab window will then reveal the inormation you need to

confrm (see Figure 28.4).

28.1.2.2 Problemreproduction

So ar, the conversation with the end user has related to

simple direct questioning to establish who the end user

is, how you might contact them, and what confguration

they are working on. Now you need to fnd out exactly

what is wrong and what needs to be done to fx the

ault. However, the end user may jump to conclusions

and suggest things that are wrong with the PC, rather

than just giving you the acts.

As part o your problem-solving strategy, encourage the

user to describe the problem as they see it, but ignore or

at least set aside the interpretation that they give as towhat is causing the problem. Problem reproduction is a

useul strategy asking the end user to talk you through

what went wrong. This can reveal important inormation

that the user might not otherwise have told you.

One important act is the date when the problem was

frst noticed. I new hardware or sotware was installed

immediately beore the ault appeared, this might be to

blame. Take the end user back to a time when the PC

was working this will help him/her to think through

the events that led up to the problem, in the right order

and exactly as it happened. This may reveal vital clues,

but it will still be important to keep an open mind and

to consider alternative sources o the problem.

The goal o problem reproduction is that, i you can

recreate the same situation, you could be halway tosolving it.

Figure28.4SystemProperties:Generaltab

28.1

Questions, questions, questions

1 Compileaseriesoquestionsthatyoucouldaskto

confrmdetailsabouttheendusersPCorexample,

theconfgurationotheirPC.

2 Workinginpairs,tryoutyourquestionsonyourpartner.

Discusstheanswersandrefneyourquestionssothat

anoviceusercouldanswerthem.



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28.1.2.3 Reliabilityofdifferenttypesof

information

Having gathered as much inormation as possible rom

the end user, you can start to orm a picture as to what

might be the cause o the end users problem.

You may also fnd some other sources o inormation

helpul.

Manuacturers websites are a valuable source o

inormation (see Figure 28.5). I an application ails

to work, you can search the manuacturers websiteor the latest inormation about known bugs in the

system.

Open user orums (see Figure 28.6) can also prove

useul, although the advice given may not be tried

and tested, so you ought to be cautious beore

ollowing it.

Figure28.5 Asamplemanuacturerswebsite:

Hewlett-Packard

Figure28.6 Asampleopen

userorumsite:Tiscali

Open forum sites are moderated, i.e. someonehas the job of checking every posting to make

sure the site rules are followed. On this forum,

Chris is the moderator.

Each posting on aforum is called a tile.

A string of tiles is

called a thread.

28 1


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You might also consult with colleagues. They may have

met a similar problem beore and be able to advise you.

I good records have been kept o previously reported

problems and the ways in which they were solved, this

too can prove to be an invaluable source o inormation.

Both o these sources are considered next.

28.1.3 TechnicalknowledgeBeore you can hope to solve a problem which involvesthe breakdown o hardware or sotware, you need to

have a good understanding o how the system works

normally, and the kinds o problems that can occur.

This technical knowledge includes lots o acts and

fgures and knowledge and experience can be built

up over a period o time.

However, to share this expertise and help people with

less experience, written records such as product

specifcations, manuals and ault records are provided

as a reliable source o documentation. Colleagues

can also prove to be a useul resource, as well as

sotware-oriented sources such as knowledge bases

and those ound on the Internet.

28.1.3.1 Productspecificationsandmanuals

The product specification is written by the

manuacturer o the product. It contains details o

the technical aspects o a product, or example: its

dimensions, the correct voltage to use and details o

any consumables that are recommended. Failure to

comply with the recommendations in the product

specifcation may result in the product not working

as intended.

For example, some PCs have a voltage switch (see

Figure 28.7) so that they may be used in more than one

location. In the UK, the normal mains power supply is

240 volts; elsewhere, it may only be 110 volts. The switch

needs to be set or the correct voltage. Otherwise, thepower supply unit may not be ed sufcient power to

operate the equipment. This may result in the screen not

unctioning, or example.

A manual explains how to make the best use o a

hardware or sotware product. It is also usually written

by the manuacturer, but is addressed more to the end

user rather than to a technician. Unit 29: IT Systems

Troubleshooting and Repair(see page 00) explains how

these manuals might be used to assist a user who is

having problems, e.g. to create a particular eect with

a sotware package. Some eects are more complicated

to achieve, and greater experience in using the sotware

is needed. Some manuacturers provide tutorials to

introduce the end user to a particular concept

(see Figure 28.8).

28.1

Safety warning

notice

On/off switch

Voltage switch

CAUTION!

To avoid electrical shock

unplug the power cable

before opening

the computer.

Figure28.7 VoltageswitchonPC

Figure28.8 TutorialinDreamweaver


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Some users need to be led through tutorials and wouldbeneft rom one-to-one tuition. These users are likely to

call the help desk to ask or support. However, while you

may have the skills to help these end users, it may not be

the most efcient use o your time, so the organisations

policy may be to reer the end user or extra training

elsewhere; see page 00.

28.1.3.2 Colleagueswithspecialistexpertise

Technical inormation can oten be gleaned rom the

people around you. Colleagues at work, and riends

outside work, can oer their experience in solving

problems that you have just encountered. Knowing the

right person to ask is the key to success. Sometimes, you

may need to call on specialists: someone who is

technically competent at a higher level. Such specialists

may work within your organisation or you might be able

to contact them via a telephone help line.

28.1.3.3 Knowledgebases

Expert systems rely on knowledge bases. Support

technicians can draw on a knowledge base to help them

to decide on a course o action.

The Microsot Ofce Online knowledge base underpins

the help options oered on all Microsot applications

(see Figure 28.10).

Using a knowledge base like this one involves searching

or inormation that is relevant to the problem you are

trying to solve. Unit 29: IT Systems Troubleshooting and

Repairexplores this aspect o using a knowledge base;

see page 000.

Figure28.9

IthinkIllphone

ariend.

50/50

What does it mean?Aknowledge baseisadatabaseokeyacts.

2 1


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2.1


and you are given

the option to searchthe knowledge base.

Having entered a key term and

clicked on the green arrow, theSearch Results are listed

Or, you can go to Microsoft

Office Online from the dropdown Help menu.

Pressing F1 (or selecting Help/

Microsoft Office Word Help) opens

a Search panel.

Figure28.10Accessingthe

MicrosotOfceOnline

knowledgebase

Knowledge bases

1 BobistryingtoprintanExcelworksheetoran

importantmeeting.Heneedstopresentaone-page

report,butthelastcolumnohisspreadsheetgoeson

toasecondpage.Bobringsthehelpdeskandasks:

Isthereawaytoftallthedataononepage?Access

theMicrosotOfceOnlineknowledgebasetolocate

inormationthatyoucouldusetohelpBob.Andfnda

tutorialonprintingtechniquesorBobtowatch.

2 Bobdoesnothavetimetolearnhowtosolvehis

printingproblems.Suggestotherwaysthathecould

presenthisinormationtothemeeting.Whatother

communicationroutescouldheuse?Comparethese

optionswiththeoriginalplantopresentaworksheet.

3 SearchtheInternetormoreexamplesoknowledgebases.Poolyourfndingswithothersinyourgroup.



15/36


Remember!

FAQsstandsorrequentlyaskedquestions.

28.1.3.4 Faultrecordsshowingpreviously

foundsolutions

A ault log is most useul when it lists not only the

problems that were encountered but also the way in

which they were solved. There is no point in trying to

reinvent the wheel reerring to these records can save a

lot o time and energy. A ault log that includes the name

o the technician who solved a particular ault will allow

you to contact him/her i you have encountered a similar

ault and need specialist help.

28.1.3.5 Internetsources

There are two main sources o help on the Internet:

FAQs and technical orums.

Online help oten supplies a list oFAQs. Providing

answers to these FAQs, in this way, can solve the mostcommon problems or users, with minimal eort or the

help desk sta.

Technical forums (see Figure 29.x on page 000) provide

a talking space or users experiencing problems with

their hardware or sotware. Faults are oten discovered

ater sotware has been released and will aect all users.

As soon as such a ault is noticed and reported, the

manuacturer can start to try to fx the ault. Meanwhile,

Sources of information

1 Forasotwarepackagethatyouuseregularly,fndout

whatithastooerinthewayoFAQs.Whatotherguidancedoesitprovideorthenoviceuser?Make

noteso10toptips.

2 Foragivenproblem,suchasaperipheralnotworking,

identiythreesourcesoinormationthatyoucoulduse

tosolvetheproblem.

3 Discusswithyourriends:Whoseadvicedoyouvalue

themost?Whichoyouismostexpertandcan

thereorehelpothersoraparticularapplication?

Makeanoteoyourareasoexpertiseoruture

reerence.


Test your knowledge

1 WhatisanFAQ?

2 Wheremightyoufndhintsandtips?

3 Whatothersourceotechnicalsupportapart

romhardcopyresourcesandelectronichelp

mightproveuseul?

technical orums provide other users with warnings o

what does and does not work. This can save a lot o time

wondering i a particular ault lies with the user rather

than with the system.

28 2 C i i d i d id i


16/36


Communication is an essential part o problem-solving.

In this section we will be looking at the ollowing aspectso communication.

The type o end user he/she may be experienced and

know what is wrong, whereas a complete novice

might have no ideas to oer. Your skills in

communicating with all types o user will help you to

discover as much as possible in the shortest time, and

to keep the end user calm and happy in the process.

The type o advice that you give once you have

arrived at a solution, you need to choose an

appropriate way o oering advice or giving guidance.

For example, i the root o the problem is the end user

you may need to tactully suggest that they have some

training.

How you communicate orms o communication

range rom a ace-to-ace discussion with the end userto placing a guidance note on a website, or all

interested users to see. You will need to choose the

most appropriate orm or the situation.

Checking the outcome communication is a two-way

activity. It is not enough to tell the user how to resolve

a problem and then leave him or her to it. You need to

check that your instructions were clear enough to be

ollowed and that your advice proved to be useul.Only then can you be sure that you provided support

in a way that suited the end user. Some evaluative

eedback is thereore needed.

28.2.1 End usersThe end user is the person who has the problem, and

your problem is to solve his or her problem.

Your skills in communicating with the end user are

needed to help you to fnd out as much as possible about

the problem in the shortest possible time. With the

appropriate skills, you can also keep the end user calm

and happy during what might be a time-consuming

process o fnding the source o the problem, and fxing it.

How you communicate the vocabulary that you useand your manner o speaking should be matched to

the needs o the person with whom you are

communicating.

28.2 Communicating advice and guidance inappropriate formats

The end user may have little experience o the

hardware and sotware that he/she is using. I you usetechnical terms which sound like jargon to the novice,

you will create a communication barrier. Instead, use

the correct terms but add guidance to talk the user

through the steps involved. For example, you might

say I need you to open the Control Panel. To do this,

click on the Start Button. Yes, the one at the bottom

let o your screen. Yes, a let-click. Now, can you see

the Control Panel listed as an option? . . .

The end user may be more experienced a power user

even and have a good idea o the problem and how to

communicate it to you. With this type o user, you may

use more technical terms and expect the user to

understand them. However, at each step, check that the

user is still with you! So, you might say I need you to go

to the Control Panel. OK? I the user replies Yes. Nowwhat do I do?, you can continue. I not, you may need

to give more guidance, similar to that given to a novice.

The end user may be a technician like yoursel. You

would expect to be able to give high-level commands

such as Go to the Control Panel and be understood.

You should not need to give additional instructions,

nor check that the technician has carried out your

command correctly. How the conversation continueswill confrm that you are working together in tandem.

To summarise, your choice o vocabulary the technical

terms that you use and the level o the commands you

give, need to match the understanding o the end user.

Finding out how much the end user knows and their

level o competence cannot be done by asking outright

Are you a novice?. This could oend the end user.

Instead, during the initial stages o your conversation,

give reasonably high-level commands but be ready to

back them up with more detailed guidance. Then,

according to the response o the end user, provide the

appropriate level o guidance ater that.

What does it mean?Apower usertendstouseshortcutsandbeadeptat

usingthemouse.


17/36


28.2.2 Types of adviceThere are no quick fxes. The advice you give must meet

the needs o the user in the long term, otherwise the

problem may occur again very soon.

To provide the right advice and to solve the problem

completely, you should consider the problem rom all

angles and complete sufcient investigations to be sure

that you have discovered the cause o it. Only then can

you decide how the end user can proceed.

28.2.2.1 Recommendationsfor repairor

replacement

Your recommendation may involve the repair o an item

o hardware or the replacement o components. This

may involve a visit to the end users workspace, and you

will need to book an appointment that suits both the

end user and the technician who will be assigned or the

task. Unit 29: IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repair(see

page 000) considers this type o remedy in more detail.

28.2.2.2 Recommendationsfortraining

You might decide that part o the solution should

involve some additional training or the end user. This

might mean your giving some direct instruction on a

one-to-one basis, and arranging a suitable time or this

to take place. Or, you may be able to direct the end userto an online tutorial source. Meeting the training needs

o end users is considered as a remedy in Unit 29: IT

Systems Troubleshooting and Repair(page 000).

Giving good guidance

1 ReerbacktoyouranswertoQuestion1oAssessment

activity28.4.AtwhatleveldidyouanswerBob?What

assumptionsdidyoumakeabouthisleveloexpertise?

ComposeanemailinreplytoBobsproblem,attachinga

guidancedocumentwhichpresentsyouradviceasihe

wereacompletenovice.Printacopyotheattachment.


2 ReviseyouremailtoBob,assumingheisapoweruser.Revisetheguidancedocumentalso,usingTrack

Changes.Printacopyshowingthechangesthatyou

made.

3 Compareyourtwoversionswiththoseoothersinyour

group.

28.2.2.3 Recommendingsoftwaresolutions

Sotware is oten released or sale under licence beore

it has been tested enough to fnd all the bugs. The

manuacturer wants the product to reach the market

as soon as possible, beore a rival company can get in

on the action. The organisations that are frst to take

on a new release oten fnd themselves testing the

sotware or the manuacturer this is called the

beta test distribution stage. Once bugs are ound,

and the ault identifed, a patch is one immediate

solution that can be provided to users as a download

rom the sotware manuacturers website.

The patch is not necessarily the best solution or theproblem. However, any better solution has to wait until

the next ofcial release date o the sotware. As time

passes, the manuacturer completely debugs the sotware

and may then issue a new release. To acquire the updated

versions, the support team need to download them rom

the Internet and install them on the network or

individual computers that are licensed to use that

sotware.

What does it mean?Apatch(orfx)isaquickrepairjoborapieceo

codewhichisoundtobeaultyateritsreleasetothe

market.Itisusuallymadeavailableasareplacementor,oraninsertionin,compiledcode(i.e.inabinary

fleorobjectmodule).

28.2


18/36


Depending on how recently sotware was installed, and

how clean it is, your recommendation may thereore

include some changes to sotware, such as the

installation o a patch. Depending on the skill level o

the end user, you may need to arrange or someone to

do this, either at the end users desk or remotely.

Oten, ater such an installation, the computer has to be

restarted or rebooted beore the fx applies (see

Figure 28.11).

The manuacturer also leaves data on the users

computer to show which version o the sotware is

installed.

A system reset takes the computer back to its actory

settings. Less dramatic is the Windows utility called

System Restore that allows a user to restore the

computer data to a specifc ormer state (called the

restore point). Any personal data saved since that time

(such as new fles created or new email messages, or

changes to documents) remains intact, but all systemchanges are undone. The System Restore utility creates

automatic restore points called system checkpoints

Figure28.11 Instructionsto

rebootaterinstallation

What does it mean?Rebootingisanothertermorrestartingthe

computer.

Types of advice

1 Bob(romActivity28.4)isstillhavingproblemsprinting

outmaterialromhisspreadsheet.Writeanemail

suggestingthatyouprovideone-to-oneinstructionto

helphimmakethebestuseothesotware.Planwhat

youmightcoverasanintroductiontoprintingmaterial

romaspreadsheet.

2 Checktheavailabilityosotwarepatchesorone

programthatisinstalledonyourcomputer.Downloada

patchasdirectedandthenrebootyourcomputer.

3 Anitascomputerhascrashedortheourthtimethis

week.Shehasrungorhelp.Writedownthe

instructionsyouwouldusetotalkAnitathroughthe

processorebootinghercomputer.


periodically, to protect data rom unexpected problems.

The user may also be advised to create manual restore

points beore making any signifcant changes to the

system, such as installing a new program or making a

change to the registry. However, or some problems, a

system reset may be necessary.


19/36


it takes no time or eort on the part o the help desk

technician, apart rom reading the email.

Most organisations also oer a telephone link to the help

desk. More inormation can be gleaned more quickly in

a verbal conversation. However, the technician has no

visual clues about the end user and he/she cannot use

body language to show a caring, sympathetic attitude to

the end user. That is why the tone o voice and the words

used are so important. Telephone conversations can be

recorded but oten, telephone help desks rely on the

technician to record incidents, and this takes time.

Face-to-ace conversations require that the end user andthe technician are located in the same place. This may

not be possible: or many organisations, the customers

may be spread across the country and the calls centres

may be overseas. In organisations where ace-to-ace

discussions are possible, the technician should read the

body language cues rom the end user and respond in a

manner which creates a sympathetic and caring

atmosphere in which the problem can be solved.

28.2.3.2 Secondaryprovisionofguidance

Sometimes, the support team needs to let everyone

know about a change in operations: perhaps all the

passwords have to be changed, or the network will bedown or 30 minutes or essential maintenance. An

email to all concerned is an eective way o broadcasting

this inormation.

I there are more widespread changes coming up

maybe the provision o a new service with eect rom

the beginning o next month it may be more

appropriate to report this in the organisations monthly

newsletter. This acts as a press release and can be used toimprove the image o the support team. Photos o the

support team might be included to present a personal

image and this might help end users whose only contact

is via telephone conversations.

Sometimes, especially ater the introduction o new

sotware, there is a flood o calls asking about the same

thing. Rather than dealing with every caller individually,as soon as the pattern is noticed, a FAQ can be set up.

End users can then be directed to the FAQ; this method

works especially well when initial calls are via email.

28.2.3 CommunicationsAs a support technician, you need good interpersonal

skills. You must be able to interact with customers and

provide technical support in such a way that you arriveat a solution that meets the needs o the end user as

quickly and efciently as possible. There are a variety o

methods that you can use to provide support; there are

also a variety o ways you can present inormation to

meet your end users needs. This section considers your

options and looks, in particular, at how you might cope

with the best and worst case scenarios in your everyday

work as a support technician.

28.2.3.1 Directtouserinresponsetoaquery

There are three main options as to how you might

communicate directly with an end user: by email, by

telephone, ace-to-ace.

Some organisations insist on initial requests or support

being sent by email. This allows the support team to

prioritise the incidents and to deal with the most

important people and/or the highest risk problems frst.

A standard email can be sent back saying Your request

has been noted and someone will be in touch soon. This

can give much needed breathing space, especially i the

end user is very angry. Within a team o supporttechnicians, it is also then possible to assign the technician

best suited to deal with a particular problem end user.

Email communication provides a written record o the

request or help and, since it is written by the end user,

28.2


20/36


I there are more complex procedures which require

explanation, a technical help sheet can be devised and

distributed to all end users. This might be announced

in an email and supplied as a PDF attachment; and it

might be pinned up on the notice board in the sta

canteen.

28.2.3.3 Providinginformationto

relevantpeople

The FAQ page on the Internet or intranet is accessible to

all, but only those that have a problem will take the timeto reer to them.

With newsletters, the tendency is to send to all

employees, but to catch their attention the layout and

general presentation has to be good enough to entice

everyone to read it. The same philosophy now applies to

regular emails; i it looks like the same old stu people

will not fnd time to read it.So, when sending out emails with or without help

sheet attachments it is important to direct the emails

to those or whom the inormation is relevant. I end

users are bombarded with emails, some o which are not

relevant, eventually the emails lose their impact and will

be ignored.

28.2.3.4 Angermanagementskills

(selfandcustomer)

Nine times out o ten, the calls made to a help desk are

rom end users under pressure: their workflow may have

been interrupted by a system ailure or there could have

been a loss o data or a communications breakdown.

The end user is thereore likely to be upset and is callingyou because he/she needs your help.

Anger is a natural response to eeling threatened. I a

computer breaks down or ails to behave in the way it

should, anger can result rom the rustration that this

causes the end user. Some users, who can see that they

are not able to make best use o a computer, may be

angry more with themselves than with the computer.

Anger ranges in intensity rom mild irritation to violent

rage. It aects the body by increasing adrenalin levels

and speeding up the heart rate. I anger is the result o a

threat such as imminent disaster, these two physical

changes are essential they prepare your body or fght

or flight. I there is no physical threat, anger on a regular

basis has adverse eects on the individual, as it raises

blood pressure and prevents clear thought.

Anger in the workplace as generated by malunctioning

computer systems is thereore potentially damaging to

workers and needs to be managed.

I attempts are made to ensure the smooth running o

the computer systems, the chances o a malunction are

reduced and the rustration that downtime causes are

largely eliminated. In the real world though, things do gowrong, and oten a computer system ails at precisely the

moment when the end user has no time to spare. That

report is needed right now!

So, when the end user calls the support help desk, it is

almost certain that you will hear a level o irritation in

his/her voice, and i this is the tenth time he/she has had

to call this week, the anger level may be high.

Some people can express their anger in a controlled and

constructive way, but some cant! I eelings build up,

anger can erupt in an uncontrolled ashion. People can

say things which would have been better unsaid and

relationships can deteriorate.

In your conversations with end users, you need to take

into account that any anger that is expressed is a natural

i socially unacceptable response to rustration. It isyour job to remove the cause o the rustration. It is not

your job to upset the end user; so you must not take

oence at what the end user has to say. It is possible that

the users tone will be aggressive to start o with. A sign

o your skills in handling such an end user will be how

much the tone sotens by the end o your conversation.

One way o managing anger is to talk things through

with someone. At the help desk, you may fnd that youare the person the end user needs to talk to. He/she may

have legitimate concerns about new sotware or

hardware, and you will be the frst to hear about these.

I, ater a morning o angry callers, you are beginning to

eel angry too, how can you control your own anger?

Calming down is essential. Taking long slow breaths

will slow down your heart rate. I you can, leave yourworkstation and walk around or a ew minutes. Go

outside and empty your mind o the previous caller.

Look at the weather instead.


21/36


Distance can make impossible situations seem not so

impossible. Distance can be physical, e.g. walking to

the end o the corridor and back. Distance can also be

time; e.g. doing something else or ten minutes and

then returning to the problem. The problem might

sort itsel out in your head in the meantime.

Oten, anger is not caused by what has just happened.

The printer jamming may just be the fnal straw. Instead,

there may be some underlying sense o rustration which

is the root cause o a persons anger.

I you eel angry, ask yoursel i there are other actors

that are upsetting you. Are you unhappy in yourworking environment? Do you eel undervalued in your

work or in your relationships with your colleagues?

Is the behaviour o other team members aecting you

adversely? Have you got fnancial or health worries or

other problems outside your workplace?

I you are aced with what seems like unreasonable

anger rom an end user, ask yoursel what else may

have upset this person. Assume that the computerbreakdown is just the last straw or this person, and

you happen to be in the fring line. Your task is all the

harder, but you still have to resolve their computer

problem and maintain a good working relationship

with them. Most important, stay calm.

When angry, the ways in which end users express

themselves and how you might express yoursel tocolleagues or to your manager leaves a lot to be

desired. The tone used and the words that are chosen

tend to make matters worse; sarcasm is oten used.

Suppressing anger does not work either, so saying

nothing or sulking is not eective.

One way o dealing with anger is to be assertive.

Assertiveness involves expressing yoursel clearly and

calmly, without resorting to anger. Being assertive is noteasy; there are classes you can attend and books you can

read on the subject. It takes practice!

Another way you can reduce eelings o anger is to

change your liestyle out o the ofce environment.

Regular exercise can help to reduce tension and create

a window o time when you stop thinking about

work. Taking out your anger on a squash ball is onehealthy option. Less vigorous activities can work

equally well: yoga or meditation classes teach you how

to switch o.

Your diet, and especially sugar, caeine or alcohol

intake, can aect how you eel. I you eat a bar o

chocolate, or have a cup o coee, you may have abrie surge in energy but eel low later on. I you are

eeling angry and then drink alcohol, the alcohol

lowers inhibitions and you may say or do something

you will regret later.

Having a more positive view o lie can also end o

anger. I you are not happy with something in your

lie but cannot change it, then ocus on other aspects

o your lie and make sure you have times when youare happy and relaxed. You might vent eelings by

talking to riends, or express them through painting

or writing. You might also immerse yoursel in a

hobby like DIY or gardening.

It is not part o your role to suggest how your end user

might reduce his/her anger levels but, i you control

your own, you will be better placed to cope withoutbursts. You may also serve as a role model or those

around you.

28.2.3.5 Softskills

During your training you will have learnt how to use a

computer, how to install and customise sotware, andhow to test and fx hardware. You should have a lot o

acts at your fnger tips and experience in using a variety

o equipment. These are hard skills.

28.2


22/36


Sot skills relate to your attitude while carrying out

these tasks. When it is just you and the computer, sot

skills may not be needed. However, when you are dealing

with end users and trying to resolve their problems,

these skills are important.

You need to empathise with the end user. You need to try

to understand things rom his/her viewpoint.

The novice user may be reluctant to experiment with

sotware and so will not have wandered through the

menus to see what can and cannot be done. They may

have so little experience o sotware that even the

standard icons or Save and Print are alien to them. The more experienced user may be confdent in one

way o working but a new sotware package requires a

dierent way or doing the same things. This level o

user may fnd the transition difcult. They may have

to slow down as they are learning the new sotware

and can speed up again, and this may irritate them.

One way o showing that you have empathy with the end

user is to convey it through what you say. Use phrasessuch as OK and Yes, I see and I am sorry. I appreciate

how rustrating this is or you. I you make sure that

your tone confrms that you are indeed in sympathy

with the end user, you should be able to placate even the

angriest end user.

You also require patience. Give the end user enough time

to say whatever he/she has to tell you. Dont interrupt orcut across or use put downs. Apply active listening skills

instead.

In a ace-to-ace discussion, i you can maintain eye

contact while the user is speaking, this will show that

you are listening or at least gives that impression!

Repeating what the end user has just said, but

rearranging it into a question and asking or

confrmation, will convince the user that you have

understood the problem. For example: So, the printer

was turned on, but nothing printed?

Your body language can reinorce what you are saying.

Nodding implies agreement. Head to one side, looking

puzzled shows you are thinking about how to solve a

problem. Even i you cannot be seen by the end user,

using body language, somehow, conveys this in your

voice.

Body language

Bodylanguageisasubtlewayocommunicating.Posture,

acialexpressionsandpositioningohandsandeetall

tellastory.Oneresearcherclaimsthatwhatissaidonly

conveys7%oamessage,thetoneusedconveysanother

38%butbodylanguagetells55%othestory!

1 LookattheimagesinFigure28.12.Workinginpairs,

decidewhattheconversationmightbebetweeneach

pairopeople.Eachoyouassumeoneothe

charactersandwritedownwhatyoumightbesaying.

2 Compareyournoteswithotherpairs.Didyouhavea

similarunderstandingowhatwasbeingsaid?


Figure28.12Bodylanguageclues


23/36


28.2.3.6 Escalatingissues thatarebeyond

scopeofindividual

There will be situations when the problem presented to

you by an end user is one you cannot solve, and you

need to reer the end user to a more senior technician.

Most likely, you will be expected to take as much

inormation as possible and then alert a more senior

support team member that you eel you need help. You

will advise the end user that someone else will look at

the problem and contact the end user shortly.An end user may request action which is beyond your

authority, or example, compensation or lack o service

or provision o replacement equipment. In this case, you

will either have to direct the end user to the appropriate

department or pass on the details or them.

It may happen that the end user demands that he/she

speaks to someone with greater authority than you. Thismay be because they are rustrated with the apparent

lack o action and believe that, by insisting on escalation,

they will be given more preerential treatment. This may

well be the case! You will only have the responsibility or

certain aspects o support, and i the end user is

demanding more than you can oer, you will need to

reer them to someone higher up. However, be sure that

you have explored all possible avenues frst and collectedas much inormation as possible. Your superiors time is

more expensive than yours, so i you present all the acts,

the end users problem may be solved very quickly as

soon as it is escalated.

28.2.3.7 Providing andcommunicating

appropriateresponsetimesforresolution

An end user aced with a computer system which does

not work wants it fxed, but they appreciate that this may

take time.

Support is essentially about providing a service, but

creating a good impression is important too. I you can

give the impression that the end users problem is beingdealt with, and that resolution will happen as soon as

possible, the end user will eel reassured. But avoid

making a promise that you cannot keep.

I you say the problem will be resolved within 6 hours

and at the end o the 6 hours it is still not fxed, the end

user will complain. So, it is important to give the end

user realistic inormation about response times. I you

dont know, dont lie!

What does it mean?Escalation meansthereerraloaproblemhigherup

thechainocommand.

Bad news week

1 Workinginpairs,role-playascenarioinwhichoneperson

(theenduser)reportsaaultandtheotherperson(the

helpdesksupporttechnician)knowsthat,dueto

understafng(holidays,sicknessorlackoallocationostatothehelpdesk),heorshewillnothavetimeto

lookatthisproblemoraurther24hours.

2 Discusshowtoconveybadnewstoanangryperson

withoutincreasingtheirrustrationlevels.Makealisto

dosanddonts.


28.2.4 Checking solutionsHaving arrived at a solution, you could simply tell the user

how to resolve the problem and leave him or her to it.

However, you may not have ully understood the problem,

or the end user may not have ully understood your

solution or may lack the skills to carry out your

instructions correctly. They could be back on the phone

fve minutes later with an even more complicated problem.So, you need to check that your instructions are clear

enough to be understood and then ollow up to check

that your advice proved to be useul in the orm that it

was given. Only then can you be sure that support was

provided in a way that suited the end user. Evaluative

eedback may take time to collect but it can prove

helpul in adjusting how you solve similar problems in

the uture, and save valuable time then.

This subsection ocuses on two aspects o checking

solutions: testing and user review.

28.2


24/36


28.2.4.1 Testing

I a change has to be made to an end users

confguration, you should take the end user backthrough the start-up process and make sure that the

changes have worked as planned.

I a new component has to be installed or a peripheral

replaced, you should test the computer system beore the

end user is given access to it again. Then you should ask

the user to attempt to replicate the problem that they

reported in the frst place. Hopeully, your solution will

have cleared any problem and the confdence o the end

user will be restored.

28.2.4.2 Userreview

Sometimes the advice o the technician on the help desk

is sufcient to solve the problem, but sometimes it is

not. An end user may need to reer to other sources ohelp in order to fnd a satisactory solution. I this is the

case, the help desk should be told about it, and measures

should be taken so that other end users do not have to

do the same. I the end user manages to solve the

problem more quickly than the support team could, the

support team must be willing to learn rom them.

A eedback orm might be used to collect this type o

inormation.

Feedback

1 ExploretheInternettofndexamplesoeedback

orms.

2 Foroneparticularproblemthathasbeensolvedoryou

byanotherstudent,giveeedbackastohowthehelp

thatyouneededwasprovided.Includepositiveand

negativecomments.

3 Reviewtheeedbackreceivedaboutoneothe

problemsyousolvedoranotherstudent.What

changescouldyoumaketohowyouinteractwith

users?Setyourselsomegoalstoimproveyourown

perormance.

4 Consideringthetypesoeedbackreceivedandgiven,

designaormthatwouldbesuitabletorecordthe

eedback.Compareyourdesignwiththosecreatedby

othersinyourgroup.


As a support technician, you will work within an

organisation, and this organisation will have procedures

that you have to ollow, and methods that you are

expected to adopt. This section explores aspects o how

your day-to-day work will be governed by these rules

and other constraints such as time and the cost o the

resources you use.

28.3.1 Working proceduresand policiesAs part o your induction training, you will be told how

you ft within the organisation, who you will report to

and what is expected o you. You may be working onyour own or within a team o support sta, and your

clients may be in-house colleagues or end users

working or another organisation.

28.3 The influence of organisations on technicalsupport systems


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28.3


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Keeping accurate records provides a measure o the success

rate o the support team. Records should include the calls

taken, incidents dealt with satisactorily by the help desk

sta, those aults that were escalated to a technician (and

how these were resolved). These records also providevaluable inormation about the types o aults (see page 9)

and where they arise. Recognising trends in this data can

help in the ormulation o plans to provide better (i.e.

more reliable) hardware or sotware, and may also be used

to target training or the end users who need it the most.

28.3.1.3 Confidentiality

There are a number o saeguards, both in terms o

legislation and in terms o your contract o employment,

which exist to protect the confdentiality o personal

data, and you will be expected to abide by those rules

and regulations.

In particular, the inormation revealed to you by end

users may give you access to their private data. You must

not reveal this inormation to anyone else, nor use it

yoursel or any other purpose than the one or which it

was supplied.

Failure to abide by the given rules could result in

disciplinary action and termination o contract. For

more serious oences, you might ace a fne or a term o

imprisonment.The Data Protection Act and other relevant legislation

are considered in Unit 29: IT Systems Troubleshooting

and Repair, page 000.

28.3.1.4 Sensitivity of information

Some o the inormation you need to carry out your jobmay be sensitive. It may relate to uture plans or

upgrading hardware or sotware, or relocation plans. As

with any job, as an employee, you are expected to respect

the sensitivity o such inormation. To reveal highly

sensitive inormation, or example, to a rival

organisation, may well result in dismissal.

I you are working or a government department, youmight fnd that you are bound by the Ofcial Secrets

Act. Contravening this act is a very serious oence and

can result in imprisonment.

28.3.1.5 Outsourcingandgeosourcing

It is possible or the user support unction to be

outsourced.

Instead o having an in-house team look ater all the IT

equipment and maintenance needs, an organisation may

decide to place this service with another organisation,

which specialises in the feld o support. The core

competency o these companies lies in their technical

expertise ideal or support services which an

organisation may not be able to sta rom the in-housesta skills base.

Some service providers host the technology and provide

all technical support, such as or desktops, networks,

data centres and sotware applications, while the client

retains responsibility or owning and handling the

complete business process. For example, a service

provider might host and support a companys website,

but all data entry and processing o the database on

which the site is based continues to be owned and

perormed by the client.

The aim ogeosourcingis to locate a business unction

in a place where costs are minimised and/or to exploit

avourable exchange rates across countries. This may be

done internally or externally to the organisation

branches may be set up in other countries or the workoutsourced. Geosourcing may be applied to a particular

business unction or type o processing (such as a call

centre) based on costs, expertise, technological

inrastructure.

What does it mean?Outsourcingmeansarrangingoranexternalservice

providertocarryout,onanongoingbasis,anactivity

thatwouldnormallybeperormedin-house.

Geosourcingistheprocessoseekingexpertskills

inthebestgeographicallocation.


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2.1


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Organisational constraints

1 Youworkoranorganisationthatemploys150sta,all

locatedinonebuildingonourfloors.Allemployees

haveaccesstothecompanyintranetandtheInternetvianetworkedworkstations.Normalworkinghoursare

rom9amto5pm,MondaytoFriday.Thereareeight

ull-timeemployeesintheITsupportteam,each

workinga40-hourweek.Devisearotaorthesupport

stainwhichatleasttwomembersostaareworking

rom7amuntil7pmsevendaysaweek.

2 SearchorjobadvertisementsorITsupportsta.

Whatexpertiseisexpected?Whattrainingisoered?

Whathoursarethesupportstarequiredtowork,and

atwhatsalary?Presentyourfndingstoothersinyour

group.

3 Whatmightbetheeectsorstainyourorganisation

iITwereoutsourced?Considerandevaluateboththe

positiveandnegativeeects.


28.3.2.3 Userexpertise

The level o support needed or a particular organisation

depends very much on the level o expertise among theemployees.

For example, in a company that specialises in web

designing services or other organisations, nearly all the

employees will be competent in using computers and

languages such as HTML and Java. The level o user

support required or these employees is dierent rom

that required by an engineering company which has a

large sales orce, all using laptops, or in a actory where

process control is used to create a range o products.

The technicians working in the support team need to be

trained to become expert users o the sotware that the

employees have to use, as well as competent in

maintaining the hardware. Since there are a variety o

sotware platorms (Windows, Unix, etc.) and lots o

versions o any given platorm (Windows95, Windows

XP, etc.), a technician needs to accumulate experience

over time so that he/she can assist all manner o end user.

28.4 Technologies and tools used in technical support

As a technician, you are expected to make best use o

available technologies. This section looks at what is

currently available (at the time o writing) and considers

what is likely to happen in the uture.

28.4.1 TechnologiesThis subsection covers three o the technologies which

IT support technicians may use on a daily basis: email,

sotware diagnostic tools and the Control Panel.

28.4.1.1 Email

Email correspondence has increased dramatically in

recent years. It is rare or an organisation to send a

business letter, unless it is a mail shot; and it is rare to

receive letters through the post, unless they are junk mail.

Organisations such as banks, building societies and gas

and electric companies oer to provide online bills and

statements, rather than mail out a paper version.


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Organisations send remittance advice as attachments to

emails, telling suppliers that an amount has been

credited to the suppliers bank in payment o an invoice.

Many airlines provide e-tickets and these are sent by

email. This is ar quicker than sending outconventional tickets in the post.

When sending an email, it is possible to send to more

than one person at a time. The felds To:, Cc: and Bcc:

can be completed with as many email addresses as are

necessary. I you regularly have to send an email to the

same group o addresses, it makes sense to set up a

distribution list.

The method given here selects the addresses rom an

address book; you might also create a distribution list by

copying names rom an email. These instructions apply

to Microsot Outlook (see Figure 28.13). I you are using

other sotware, use the help unction to fnd out how to

set up a distribution list.

How to set up a distribution list1 Select File / New / Distribution List.

2 In the Name box, type a name that makes sense or

this group o email addresses.

3 Press Select Member this opens a dialogue box.

4 In Show Names rom the:, click on the down arrow

to reveal the available address books. Select the one

that contains the addresses o the people you want to

include in the group.

5 For each person you want to add, select the name

rom the list. I you use the CTRL key you can select

more than one person at a time rom a single address

book. When you press OK, any selected addresses are

added to your distribution list.

6 To add more members, perhaps rom a dierent

address book, repeat steps 3, 4 and 5.

7 The distribution list is saved in your Contacts older,

and can be selected as the addressee or an email.

What does it mean?Adistribution list isacollectionoemailaddresses

whichcanbereerredtobyasinglegroupname.

The notes section allows space for extra

information about this group of

addresses, e.g. what you plan to send to

them and the dates mailings were

actually made could be recorded here.

Choose a name to describe

the group of contacts in this

distribution list

Select an initial list of

members, or add e-mail

contacts to the list, one

at a time, later.Figure28.13 Settingupadistributionlist

28.4


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28.4.1.2 Softwarediagnostictools

Sotware diagnostic tools are essential when you are

troubleshooting. They provide much needed

inormation, and can be used to eliminate what is

working, until you are just let with what is not working.

Unit 29: IT Systems Troubleshooting and Repairconsiders

diagnostic tools and also tools such as WinVNC, that are

available to monitor trafc on a network; see page 000.

28.4.1.3 ControlPanel

The Control Panel provides access to everything needed

to control a PC: rom adding a new piece o hardware tosetting the time, rom choosing your Internet options to

setting power options. It also provides options to

customise the appearance and unctionality o a

computer. The Control Panel can be accessed through

Windows Explorer, My Computer or by clicking on Start

and selecting it (see Figure 28.14).

Remember!Diagnostic softwareattemptstodiagnosea

problem;itidentifespossibleaultsandoers

solutions.

Click on Start, or press the Start key on

your keyboard to reveal the Start menu.

Select Control Panel.

Figure28.14 StartmenuroutetotheControlPanel

Email distribution lists1 Fortheemailsotwareinstalledonyourcomputer,

checkhowyoumightsetupadistributionlist.

2 Writeguidancenotesonhowtosetupadistribution

list,includingscreengrabsoeachimportantstep

intheprocess.

3 Setupadistributionlistwhichincludesatleastsix

oyourriends,andemailtheguidancenotesto

them.

4 Youwillreceiveemailsromriendswithdetailso

howtosetupadistributionlist.Noticewhereyour

nameappearsontheemail.Checktheattachment

andtrytoollowtheinstructionsgiven.Writeareply

oreachsetoinstructionsreceived,commenting

ontheuseulnessotheguidance.



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Within the Control Panel, there are many icons (see

Figure 28.15): clicking any o these leads to a separate

unction.

You should visit every location on the Control Panel tobecome amiliar with every dialogue box, and every

option available. However, becoming amiliar with every

route through the Control Panel is not quite as big a task

as you might think. Many o them lead to the same place,

so what you need to learn is which route is best or you.

For example, in Windows XP, there are two routes or

getting to the Device Manager:

click on the Administrative Tools icon in the Control

Panel (see Figure 28.2 on page 000) and then on the

Computer Management icon (Figure 28.16(a))

alternatively, click on System in the Control Panel,

then select the Hardware tab on the System Properties

panel (see Figure 28.16(b)).

Similarly, here are two ways o locating Performance

Logs and Alerts:

Control Panel / Administration Tools / Computer

Management / System Tools

Control Panel / Administrative tools / Perormance.

And to get to the Disk Defragmenter, you can go via:

Control Panel / Administration Tools / Computer

Management / Storage

Start / All Programs / Accessories / System Tools.The settings that you change through the Control Panel

are stored in the Registry.

Remember!

TheControl Panelisaolderwhichoersroutesto

flesthatcanbeusedtomanagethecomputer

system.

Add Hardware leads to a wizard which

guides you through installing the

device driver for a new piece of

equipment. It also offers a trouble-

shooting service.

Add or Remove Programs lists

the software installed on your

PC and reports how often you

use it. You can then decide

which, if any, to delete.

Notice that the

options in the

Control Panel

are listed

alphabetically.

Figure28.15 TheControlPanel

What does it mean?

TheRegistrystoressettingsthatWindowsmakesitsel,e.g.thehardwareconfgurationidentifedduring

thebootprocess.

28.4


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(a) (b)

Figure28.16 RoutestotheDeviceManager:(a)throughComputerManagementand(b)throughSystemProperties

Each time you turn on your PC, the operating system

reers to settings in the Registry so that it knows the

settings that you want to use:

the hardware attached to your PC

the applications that you have installed

the machines IP address

details o your user account

the colour settings o your desktop.

Whenever you make a change to your settings, e.g. using

the Control Panel, it is recorded in the Registry. There is

no need to use the Registry itsel, because settings can be

changed more saely within the Control Panel.The Control Panel

1 Workingwithtworiends,shareoutthelistoiconsontheControlPanel.Fromyourshare,selecttwoor

threethatinterestyou.

2 Exploreindetailtheeectoclickingoneacho

yourchosenicons.Makenotessothatyoucan

rememberwhatyouhavediscoveredandbeableto

explainittoyourtworiends.

3 Takeitinturnstopresentyourfndingstoeach

other.


Test your knowledge

1 Givethreeexamplesosettingsthatcanbe

changedviatheControlPanel.

2 WhatinormationisstoredwithintheDevice

Manager?

3 Explainwhatinormationisstoredwithin

PerormanceLogs.

4 WhatistheRegistry?

5 Givefveexamplesosettingsthatareretained

withintheRegistry.

28 4 2 F t t d


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28.4.2 Future trendsO course, it is impossible to predict exactly what will

happen in the uture. However, close inspection o what

has happened in the recent past and o the latestinventions may help you to identiy possible uture

trends.

This subsection ocuses on three topics that have been

identifed by the awarding body. In addition, there may

be others that develop as time passes.

28.4.2.1 Increasingrelianceonremotesupport

It is possible to allow a remote user to have control over

your screen and to show you, on-screen, how to do

something. This can be activated through, or example,

Messenger (see Figure 28.17).

The end user has to agree to accept remote control and

can cancel it at any time. So, a basic level o control isretained by the end user. However, there are monitoring

systems already available which allow monitoring o

users without their knowledge and hence without their

permission; see WinVNC in Unit 29: IT Systems

Troubleshooting and Repair(page 000).

Balancing rights and responsibilities, and providing end

users with help while still allowing them a level o

privacy, is a juggling act which may prove difcult in

years to come.

28.4.2.2 Developmentofsystemsthatanalyse

and reportonfaultsfor otherusessuchas

planningcorporatetrainingprogrammes

Part o the purpose o collecting statistics about

incidents is to analyse the data and make decisions based

on trends spotted within the data.

I the same ault involving the ailure o a particular

component happens oten, the person responsible or

purchasing IT equipment needs to know, and perhaps

a decision will be taken to change supplier.

I the same end user makes repeated requests or

support, perhaps this individual should be directed

towards more ormal training options?

The person from whom you want

to request remote assistance

must be one of your contacts,

and they must be online at the

same time as you.

You can build up a list

of contacts, all of whom

also have Messenger

installed on their

computer system.

Messenger provides

an online chat option.

Figure28.17 Remotecontrol

I the same questions are being asked by lots o end

users, perhaps more training is needed on that

particular topic? Or perhaps an FAQ or help sheet is

needed.

Automatic analysis o the data would speed up theeedback time and allow management to make better

decisions. It would also ree up the person who currently

completes the analysis manually. In the uture, thereore,

we might expect that all aspects o IT support activities

will be monitored and analysed automatically.

28.4


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28.4.2.3 Developmentofcentral

infrastructures,contractedoutand

offshoreservices

The larger UK organisations, like BT and the major

banks, have already set up call centres overseas. I these

services prove successul, it may result in smaller

organisations ollowing suit and opting to contract out

services and consider geosourcing. Over time, this could

have an adverse impact on the availability o IT

technician vacancies in the UK. It might, however, open

up possibilities or suitably qualifed technical support

sta to take up posts overseas.

Test your knowledge

1 Giveexamplesorecentinventionsthathavetransormedhowpeoplecommunicatewitheach

other.

2 Suggesturtherdevelopmentsintechnologythat

mayalterthewaypeopleworkandplay.

3 HowmighttheroleotheITsupporttechnician

alterinthenextfvetotenyears?

Predicting the future

1 ResearchtheInternetornewsreportsonthesetting

upocallcentresbybanksandotherlarge

organisations.Whenweretheysetup?Howmanysta

dotheyemploy?Howhasthisdatachangedoverthe

pastfveortenyears?Presentyourfndingsasa

report.

2 Workingwithothers,searchtheInternetorcallcentres

locatedwithina50-mileradiusoyourhome.Extend

yoursearch,lookingurtherafeld,evenoverseas.

Recordcontactinormationoreachcallcentreandplot

thelocationsonamap.

3 Describetwocurrentsotwaretoolsusedbysupport

staoneshouldbeadiagnostictoolandonea

monitoringtool.Outlinepossibleuturedevelopments

inthisarea.Comprehensivelyreviewarecentadvance

insupportsystemstechnologyandevaluatetheimpact

itishavingontheprovisionosuchsupport.


EndoUnitassessment


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Theassessmenttasksinthisunitarebasedon

theollowingscenario.

ITSMAGIC is a small company which makes props

for magicians, such as top hats from which a rabbit

can be pulled. ITSMAGIC

Documents

BTEC Nat ITPract2e Unit28