Many of you in the information technology industry find yourselves in the inevitable position of having to work someone through a problem on the phone. Even if your job isn\u2019t actually phone support, one of your internal (or external) customers will find themselves in a pickle, and you\u2019ll find yourself on one end of a phone conversation with a potentially irate or annoyed customer that needs your help.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve compiled a list of things you can do to deal with situations like this. Hopefully they will help make the experience more productive and less painstaking.<\/p>\n

Stay calm<\/h3>\n

Although you might be having a bad day, to the customer, that doesn\u2019t matter. If they\u2019re calling you, they are most likely at their wits end and you\u2019re their last resort. If you get mad and raise your voice, you aren\u2019t helping the situation in the slightest.<\/p>\n

Stay on their level<\/h3>\n

<\/strong> Even if you are walking your customer through a mundane task that you\u2019ve completed a thousand times, just remember, they haven\u2019t. Don\u2019t be condescending when they need you to repeat yourself or want to confirm what you said. Don\u2019t assume the level of someone\u2019s technical competency. Get a feel for their skill level before you start firing off acronyms.<\/p>\n

Stay humble<\/h3>\n

Humility goes a long way when dealing with a potentially irritated customer. Here is something I like to keep in mind: even if they aren\u2019t as technically inclined as you are, they probably have a lot more experience in another area than you. Everyone has their specialty. Showing off your knowledge doesn\u2019t make you look smart; it just makes you look conceited.<\/p>\n

Stay accessible<\/h3>\n

When you resolve the issue, don\u2019t make them feel guilty for asking you for help. Try suggesting alternative channels where they can get more information about their problem. This can improve interpersonal relationships as well as make future dealings with this individual more pleasant.<\/p>\n

Stay committed<\/h3>\n

Follow up with the customer, if appropriate, to make sure the problem isn\u2019t reoccurring. Some users will simply live with a problem because they don\u2019t want to bother you. Even if their problem is fixed, this shows that you remembered they had a problem and took the time to follow up.<\/p>\n

In Conclusion…<\/h3>\n

The next time you get a frantic call from a customer who has a dire problem that must be resolved, don\u2019t shrug and roll you eyes. Instead, take a deep breath, sit down, and concentrate on getting the problem resolved. A bad attitude isn\u2019t going to fix anything.<\/p>\n

Anything I forgot? Chime in below!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many of you in the information technology industry find yourselves in the inevitable position of having to work someone through a problem on the phone. Even if your job isn’t actually phone support, one of your internal (or external) customers will find themselves in a pickle, and you’ll find yourself on one end of a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n