The help desk works hard at customer relationships but does an automated call distributor help or hinder? When you need to disseminate information quickly, how much personalization do you have to trade off?
Pyramid calling for the help desk
- Date: November 17th, 2008
- Author: Jeff Dray
- Category: General, Customer Relations, Help, Help desk, remote desktop, remote support
- Tags: Help Desk, Call Centers, It Operations, Jeff Dray, Call, Manufacturing, Team Management, Management
Will remote support technology make your users happier with the help desk?
- Date: November 14th, 2008
- Author: Selena Frye
- Category: General
- Tags: Remote Support, Remote Administration, Help Desk, It Operations, Selena Frye, Webcast, Call Centers
One study finds that only one in five organizations gets good marks for meeting user expectations of tech support.
Do not let equipment standardization lead to inflexibility
- Date: November 13th, 2008
- Author: William Jones
- Category: General, support
- Tags: equipment standardization, support, William Jones
In organizations with a lot of computers, using similar hardware wherever possible creates economies of scale. For support techs in particular, having standard machines makes it easier to provide consistent service, but we should not let loyalty to a specific platform blind us to other solutions when they are appropriate.
A crazy idea — put those dirty keyboards in the dishwasher
- Date: November 12th, 2008
- Author: Joe Rosberg
- Category: General
- Tags: Keyboards, Hardware, Peripherals, Joe Rosberg
It's been shown that keyboards hold more germs and bacteria than just about any other surface in the home or office. How do you clean them - or do you clean them at all?
Lies, damned lies, and statistics
- Date: November 10th, 2008
- Author: Jeff Dray
- Category: General, Customer Relations, Training, Help, Help desk, support
- Tags: Statistics, Jeff Dray, Ticket, Event, Help Desk, Call Centers, Team Management, It Operations, Management
Do you rely on statistical reports and help desk tickets to review your department, or do you look into the ongoing story of support to gauge your sucess?
Help revise the A+ certification exam. Maybe.
- Date: November 7th, 2008
- Author: William Jones
- Category: General
- Tags: A+, certification, William Jones
Your experience can help CompTIA shape the A+ certification, if you fill out their feedback survey. One problem: the survey is poorly written. Will you take one for the team and help out?
Are you making the 64-bit transition?
- Date: November 5th, 2008
- Author: Joe Rosberg
- Category: General
- Tags: 64-Bit Technology, 64-Bit, Network Technology, Processors, Semiconductors, Hardware, Components, Networking, Joe Rosberg
64-bit technology has been available for a while. How many TR members are taking advantage of the additional speed?
Help desk “open days” could help forge bond between support and users
- Date: November 3rd, 2008
- Author: Jeff Dray
- Category: General, Customer Relations, Training, Help, Help desk, remote support, support
- Tags: Help Desk, Call Centers, It Operations, Jeff Dray
Getting people to use the help desk can be a tricky thing but it can be made easier by building relationships with end users.
Do netbooks make sense for corporate users?
- Date: October 30th, 2008
- Author: William Jones
- Category: General
- Tags: mobile computing, netbook, William Jones
Last year, word of Asus's forthcoming Eee PC and the One Laptop Per Child XO laptop had most techies pining for a mini notebook. More companies are making them now, but does that mean they are more than a novelty?
When running a one-person IT shop, know when to call in the experts
- Date: October 29th, 2008
- Author: Joe Rosberg
- Category: General
- Tags: Information Technology, Expert, Challenge, Strategy, Management, Joe Rosberg, Video Conferencing, Camera
When a one-person IT department is presented with a new challenge, something totally outside the realm of what might be business as usual, we should know when to tackle the challenge ourselves, learning something new in the process, and when to call in an expert who already knows the technology.
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