(cid:2) CONTENTS Technical Support Essentials Advice You Can Use to Succeed in Technical Support ■ ■ ■ Andres R. Sanchez i (cid:2) CONTENTS Technical Support Essentials: Advice you can use to Succeed in Technical Support Copyright © 2009 by CA, Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks, trade names, service marks and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies. The information in this publication could include typographical errors or technical inaccuracies, and the authors assume, no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness. The statements and opinions expressed in this book are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of CA, Inc. (“CA”). CA may make modifications to any CA product, software program, method or procedure described in this publication at any time without notice. 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Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this work, neither the author(s) nor Apress shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this work. ii (cid:2) CONTENTS To Victoria, Julio and Diana The reasons and rewards behind all my endeavors. iii (cid:2) CONTENTS Contents at a Glance (cid:2) Contents at a Glance ....................................................................................................................................... iv (cid:2) Contents ........................................................................................................................................................... v (cid:2) About the Author ............................................................................................................................................. xi (cid:2) Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... xii (cid:2) Preface ........................................................................................................................................................... xiv (cid:2) Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... xvi PART 1 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) Advice for Dealing with Yourself and Your Work ................................................................ 1 (cid:2) Chapter 1: Your Work Ethic .............................................................................................................................. 3 (cid:2) Chapter 2: Intricacies of the Field ................................................................................................................. 25 (cid:2) Chapter 3: Your Work Practices .................................................................................................................... 43 PART 2 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) Working with Others ........................................................................................................... 65 (cid:2) Chapter 4: The Technical Support Group ...................................................................................................... 67 (cid:2) Chapter 5: The Technical Support Colleague ................................................................................................ 95 (cid:2) Chapter 6: Leadership in Support ................................................................................................................ 119 PART 3 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) The Support Organization ................................................................................................. 139 (cid:2) Chapter 7: Support Roles and Behaviors .................................................................................................... 141 (cid:2) Chapter 8: Structures and Tiers ................................................................................................................... 161 (cid:2) Chapter 9: Process and Practice ................................................................................................................. 181 PART 4 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) Working with Customers .................................................................................................. 199 (cid:2) Chapter 10: Customer Service ..................................................................................................................... 201 (cid:2) Chapter 11: Communications ...................................................................................................................... 225 (cid:2) Chapter 12: Perspectives ............................................................................................................................. 243 (cid:2) Index ............................................................................................................................................................. 261 iv (cid:2) CONTENTS Contents (cid:2) Contents at a Glance ....................................................................................................................................... iv (cid:2) Contents ........................................................................................................................................................... v (cid:2) About the Author ............................................................................................................................................. xi (cid:2) Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... xii (cid:2) Preface ........................................................................................................................................................... xiv (cid:2) Introduction ................................................................................................................................................... xvi PART 1 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) Advice for Dealing with Yourself and Your Work ................................................................ 1 (cid:2) Chapter 1: Your Work Ethic .............................................................................................................................. 3 The Value of Technical Support Work ............................................................................................................. 4 A Dynamic Career: Moving Up Laterally, and Even Down When Necessary ................................................. 5 Keep Your Job .................................................................................................................................................. 7 Yeah, It’s a Job, But Make It More .................................................................................................................. 9 Look Out for Your Company .......................................................................................................................... 10 Tell It Like It Is ............................................................................................................................................... 12 You Either Have It or You Don’t—Troubleshooting ...................................................................................... 14 Leave the Work Where It Belongs ................................................................................................................. 15 Make a Difference in Every Call .................................................................................................................... 17 Success is Up to You ..................................................................................................................................... 18 Take the Initiative .......................................................................................................................................... 20 Specialize in Something ................................................................................................................................ 21 (cid:2) Chapter 2: Intricacies of the Field ................................................................................................................. 25 The Status of the Profession ......................................................................................................................... 26 The Curse of the One-Eyed Man .................................................................................................................... 27 The Paradox of the Solo-Solver ..................................................................................................................... 29 Technical/Mechanical Support Style Theory ................................................................................................ 30 The Avit Phenomenon .................................................................................................................................... 32 Support Demand Function ............................................................................................................................. 33 The Multidisciplinary Field ............................................................................................................................ 35 v (cid:2) CONTENTS The Vernacular of the Profession .................................................................................................................. 37 The Expert Proletariat .................................................................................................................................... 38 One Last Note About Science ........................................................................................................................ 40 (cid:2) Chapter 3: Your Work Practices .................................................................................................................... 43 Write Down Anything New Immediately After You Learn It ......................................................................... 44 The Above-Average Performer ...................................................................................................................... 45 The Resource Collector ................................................................................................................................. 47 Work Smarter, Not Harder ............................................................................................................................. 49 Following the Watson Way ............................................................................................................................ 51 Don’t Be Afraid of the Tough Issues ............................................................................................................. 52 Find Your Zebra ............................................................................................................................................. 54 The Knowledge Seeker .................................................................................................................................. 55 Reinventing the Wheel ................................................................................................................................... 57 The Technology Contributor .......................................................................................................................... 59 Recognizing Opportunities ............................................................................................................................ 60 The Approachable Expert .............................................................................................................................. 62 PART 2 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) Working with Others ........................................................................................................... 65 (cid:2) Chapter 4: The Technical Support Group ...................................................................................................... 67 Group or Team: Which Is It? .......................................................................................................................... 68 Informal Groups ............................................................................................................................................. 69 What’s So Good About Groups Anyway? ...................................................................................................... 71 Groups: What’s In It for the Individual? ........................................................................................................ 73 The Vision of a Group .................................................................................................................................... 75 Group Communication ................................................................................................................................... 77 The Involved Group ........................................................................................................................................ 79 The Open Group ............................................................................................................................................. 81 The Group Crisis ............................................................................................................................................ 83 The Constructive Group ................................................................................................................................. 85 Support Group Development Cycle ............................................................................................................... 87 The Successful Group: An Inventory ............................................................................................................. 89 Cohesiveness ............................................................................................................................................. 89 Collaboration ............................................................................................................................................. 90 Sympathy ................................................................................................................................................... 91 Total Value = 3 — The Dysfunctional Group ....................................................................................... 92 Total Value = 4–5 — The Struggling Group ........................................................................................ 92 Total Value = 6 — The Idiosyncratic Group ........................................................................................ 92 vi (cid:2) CONTENTS Total Value = 7–8 — The Healthy Group ............................................................................................. 92 Total Value = 9 — The Communal Group ............................................................................................ 92 (cid:2) Chapter 5: The Technical Support Colleague ................................................................................................ 95 Work on Trust ................................................................................................................................................ 96 Respect Among Colleagues ........................................................................................................................... 97 Coworker Solidarity ....................................................................................................................................... 99 Teach Them How to Fish ............................................................................................................................. 101 Personal Conflict ......................................................................................................................................... 103 The Power of Criticism ................................................................................................................................ 105 Comforting the Demoralized Colleague ...................................................................................................... 107 Understanding Your Colleagues’ Behaviors ............................................................................................... 108 The Customer Within ................................................................................................................................... 110 The High Performer Vs. the High Producer ................................................................................................. 112 The Self-Sustaining Colleagues .................................................................................................................. 114 Dealing with the Impossible Coworker ....................................................................................................... 115 (cid:2) Chapter 6: Leadership in Support ................................................................................................................ 119 What Is a Leader? ........................................................................................................................................ 120 The Leader: Made or Born? ......................................................................................................................... 121 The Major Leadership Models ..................................................................................................................... 123 The Pragmatic Leader ................................................................................................................................. 125 The Linda Effect ........................................................................................................................................... 126 Characteristics of a Support Leader ........................................................................................................... 128 Leadership Development ............................................................................................................................. 130 The Situational Support Leader .................................................................................................................. 132 Leading by Involving Others ........................................................................................................................ 134 Cultivating Leaders Within the Support Group ........................................................................................... 136 PART 3 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) The Support Organization ................................................................................................. 139 (cid:2) Chapter 7: Support Roles and Behaviors .................................................................................................... 141 Your Excess Value ....................................................................................................................................... 141 The Contributor Role in Regard to Management ........................................................................................ 143 The Role of the Support Manager ............................................................................................................... 145 The Nature of Management ......................................................................................................................... 147 Systems Theory in Support ......................................................................................................................... 149 Managing Behaviors .................................................................................................................................... 151 The Davila Cycle .......................................................................................................................................... 152 vii (cid:2) CONTENTS The Price of Recognition ............................................................................................................................. 154 The Management Support Structure ........................................................................................................... 155 The Fallible Manager ................................................................................................................................... 157 (cid:2) Chapter 8: Structures and Tiers ................................................................................................................... 161 The Structure Dilemma ................................................................................................................................ 162 The Tiered Approach ................................................................................................................................... 163 Technology vs. Skill ..................................................................................................................................... 165 The Service-Oriented Structure .................................................................................................................. 167 The Meaningful Support Structure .............................................................................................................. 168 The Reactive/Proactive Tiered Approach ................................................................................................... 170 The Performance-Driven Structure ............................................................................................................. 172 Common Mistakes from the Upper Tiers .................................................................................................... 174 Wiping Off the Tiers: The Flat Structure ..................................................................................................... 176 The Hybrid Support Structure ..................................................................................................................... 177 (cid:2) Chapter 9: Process and Practice ................................................................................................................. 181 What’s a Process? ....................................................................................................................................... 182 Discretionary Process Principle .................................................................................................................. 184 The Reasons Behind Process Changes ....................................................................................................... 185 The Support Practice: A Definition .............................................................................................................. 187 Group Process Evolution ............................................................................................................................. 189 Process and Maturity .................................................................................................................................. 191 Practice and Incompetence ........................................................................................................................ 193 The Process Map: Friend or Foe? ................................................................................................................ 195 Problem Solving: A Waste of Time .............................................................................................................. 197 PART 4 (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2)(cid:2) (cid:2) Working with Customers .................................................................................................. 199 (cid:2) Chapter 10: Customer Service ..................................................................................................................... 201 Customer Service: A Dimensional Explanation .......................................................................................... 202 Customer Reality ......................................................................................................................................... 204 The Customer’s Iceberg .............................................................................................................................. 206 Find the Affliction .................................................................................................................................... 207 Real Wants ............................................................................................................................................... 208 Real Needs ............................................................................................................................................... 208 All About the Behaviors ............................................................................................................................... 208 The Open Mind Approach ............................................................................................................................ 211 Problematic Interactions and Coping Strategies ....................................................................................... 213 Rational-Emotive Therapy ....................................................................................................................... 215 viii (cid:2) CONTENTS Systematic Desensitization Therapy ...................................................................................................... 215 Cognitive Character Replacement .......................................................................................................... 216 Mindful Agreement Technique................................................................................................................ 216 Customer Service: The Hierarchical Approach ........................................................................................... 216 Meet the Customer’s Needs .................................................................................................................... 217 Address the Customer’s Requirements .................................................................................................. 217 Accommodate the Customer’s Requests ............................................................................................... 218 Respect the Customer’s Wishes ............................................................................................................. 218 Consider the Customer’s Suggestions ................................................................................................... 218 Reshape the Customer’s Unrealistic Demands ...................................................................................... 219 The People Business .................................................................................................................................... 220 Talk Is Not Cheap ......................................................................................................................................... 221 Inexperience ............................................................................................................................................ 222 Buying Time ............................................................................................................................................. 222 Inefficient Processes ............................................................................................................................... 223 (cid:2) Chapter 11: Communications ...................................................................................................................... 225 At the Core of Our Work ............................................................................................................................... 226 Colleague Communication: It’s All About Us .............................................................................................. 228 Talk in Terms of “Us” .............................................................................................................................. 229 Be Genuine in Small Talk ........................................................................................................................ 229 Speak a Common Language ................................................................................................................... 229 Communication Challenges with Language Accent ................................................................................... 230 Get to the Point: Cutting the Useless Chatter ............................................................................................. 232 Situational Communication ......................................................................................................................... 234 Email ........................................................................................................................................................ 235 Online Chat .............................................................................................................................................. 235 Online Forums ......................................................................................................................................... 236 Phone Support ......................................................................................................................................... 236 When All Else Fails ...................................................................................................................................... 237 Spinning the No ........................................................................................................................................... 239 (cid:2) Chapter 12: Perspectives ............................................................................................................................. 243 What the Future Holds ................................................................................................................................. 244 The Renaissance Professional .................................................................................................................... 245 The Preventive Support Model .................................................................................................................... 247 No More Training Down the Drain ............................................................................................................... 248 The Support Contractor ............................................................................................................................... 250 Opportunities in Global Labor Dynamics .................................................................................................... 251 ix (cid:2) CONTENTS The Need for Uniformity .............................................................................................................................. 253 Going Customerless ..................................................................................................................................... 255 The Extra Mile .............................................................................................................................................. 256 Where to Now? ............................................................................................................................................. 258 (cid:2) Index ............................................................................................................................................................. 261 x