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| Foreword | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Introduction to the Help Desk | |
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| Origins of the Help Desk | |
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| What Is a Help Desk? | |
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| Support for Users | |
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| Technologies in Use | |
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| Characteristics of Users | |
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| Experience with Technology | |
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| Exposure to Technology | |
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| Reliance on Technology | |
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| Common User Problems | |
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| Hardware Problems | |
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| Software Problems | |
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| Network Problems | |
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| Security Problems | |
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| Operating System Problems | |
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| Components of a Successful Help Desk | |
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| People Skills | |
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| Process Management | |
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| Help Desk Tools | |
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| Measuring Help Desk Performance | |
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| Objective Measures | |
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| Customer Satisfaction | |
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| Organization and People | |
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| Help Desk Location | |
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| Centralized | |
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| Decentralized | |
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| Help Desk Structure | |
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| Pool | |
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| Dispatch | |
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| Tiered | |
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| Specialized Structure | |
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| Method Structure | |
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| Outsourcing | |
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| Reasons for Outsourcing | |
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| Advantages and Disadvantages of Outsourcing | |
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| Outsourcing and Job Opportunities | |
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| Help Desk Careers | |
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| Career Stages | |
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| Position Requirements | |
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| Certification | |
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| Position Certification | |
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| Product Certifications | |
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| Information Technology Career Paths | |
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| Help Desk Management | |
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| Network Engineering | |
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| Quality Assurance | |
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| Software Engineering | |
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| Database Administration | |
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| Project Management | |
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| Web Production and Development | |
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| Guidelines for Career Advancement | |
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| Receiving the Incident | |
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| Receiving the Incident | |
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| Becoming Aware of the Problem | |
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| Contacting the Help Desk | |
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| Authenticating the Problem and Verifying the User | |
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| Logging the Call | |
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| Screening the Call | |
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| Prioritizing the Call | |
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| The Listening Process | |
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| Receiving the Message | |
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| Interpreting the Message | |
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| Evaluating the Message | |
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| Responding to the Message | |
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| Help Desk Challenges | |
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| Handling Emotions | |
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| Ignoring Distractions | |
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| Dealing with Different Levels of Knowledge | |
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| Communicating by Telephone | |
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| Varied Communication Styles | |
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| Guidelines for Effective Communication | |
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| Listening to the Caller | |
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| Communicating with the Caller | |
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| Barriers to Effective Communication | |
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| The Origin of Problems | |
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| Caller Responses to Avoid | |
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| Processing and Resolving the Incident | |
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| Step 1: Identifying the Problem | |
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| Collect Data | |
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| Rule Out the Obvious | |
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| Step 2: Determining the Cause of the Problem | |
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| Open-Ended and Closed-Ended Questions | |
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| Replication | |
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| Root Cause Analysis | |
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| Step 3: Generating Options | |
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| Brainstorming | |
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| Thinking Outside the Box | |
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| Step 4: Evaluating and Prioritizing Options | |
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| Module Replacement | |
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| Hypothesis Testing | |
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| Configuration Management | |
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| Step 5: Determining a Course of Action | |
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| Decision Making | |
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| Problem-Solving Challenges | |
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| Stressful Situations | |
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| Diverse User Base | |
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| Problem Ownership | |
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| Responsibilities | |
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| Notification | |
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| Escalating Problems | |
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| Escalation Policies | |
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| Nontechnical Escalation | |
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| Dealing with Difficult Users | |
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| The Angry Caller | |
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| The Abusive Caller | |
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| The Talkative User | |
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| Resolving Calls | |
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| Closing Calls | |
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| Determining User Satisfaction | |
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| Following-up | |
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| Documenting Calls | |
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| Information and Knowledge | |
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| Benefits of Documenting Calls | |
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| Computer Telephony Integration | |
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| The Need for Automation | |
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| Private Branch Exchange (PBX) | |
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| Centrex Systems | |
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| Automated Call Distributors | |
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| Call Routing | |
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| Methods for Routing Calls | |
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| Data Collection | |
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| Interactive Voice Response | |
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| Voice Applications | |
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| Voice over Interner Protocol (voIP) | |
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| Speech Recognition | |
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| Convert Speech to Text | |
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| Collect Caller Information | |
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| Assistance for People with Motor Skill Impairments | |
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| Obtain Status of Most Recent Open Request | |
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| Authenticate Callers | |
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| Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) | |
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| Widespread Availability | |
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| Features and Benefits | |
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| Advantages of CTI | |
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| Web-Based Support | |
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| Self-Service Support | |
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| Evolution of Self-Service Support | |
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| Advantages of Self-Service Support | |
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| Characteristics of an Effective Support Web Site | |
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| Problems Suited to Self-Service Solutions | |
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| Progressive Support Options | |
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| Automated Help | |
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| Self-Service | |
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| Real-Time Assisted Support | |
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| Delayed Assisted Support | |
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| Web-Based Support Tools | |
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| Automated Support: Self-Healing Programs | |
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| Self Service: Knowledgebase | |
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| Self-Service: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) | |
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| Self-Service: Online Documentation | |
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| Real-Time Assisted Support: Live Chat | |
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| Real-Time Assisted Support: Remote Control Programs | |
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| Delayed Assisted Support: E-mail | |
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| Delayed Assisted Support: Discussion Forums | |
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| Web-Based Support: Benefits and Challenges | |
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| Benefits | |
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| Challenges | |
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| Performance Management | |
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| Service Level Agreements | |
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| Characteristics of Effective Service Level Agreements | |
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| Benefits of Service Level Agreements | |
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| Performance Metrics | |
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| Using Metrics | |
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| Sources of Data | |
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| Interpreting Metrics | |
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| Reviewing Performance and Reporting Results | |
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| Reviewing and Revising Performance Metrics | |
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| Customer Satisfaction | |
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| Measuring Customer Satisfaction | |
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| Communicating Results | |
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| Call Monitoring | |
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| Monitoring Formats | |
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| Characteristics of an Effective Call Monitoring System | |
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| Quality Versus Cost | |
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| Determining Operating Costs | |
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| Interpreting Cost per Call | |
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| Knowledge Management | |
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| Benefits of Knowledge Management | |
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| Decreased Call Volume | |
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| Shared Expertise | |
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| Reduced Training Time | |
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| Reusable Solutions | |
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| Enriched Job Content | |
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| Personal Empowerment | |
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| Continuous Improvement | |
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| Characteristics of an Effective Knowledge Base | |
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| Easy to Use | |
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| Simple to Maintain | |
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| Relevant | |
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| Accessible | |
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| Proactive and Reactive Knowledge Management | |
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| Reactive Knowledge Management | |
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| Proactive Knowledge Management | |
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| Components of Knowledge Based Solutions | |
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| Situation | |
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| Analysis | |
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| Information | |
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| Resolution | |
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| Knowledge Management Processes | |
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| Capture | |
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| Structure | |
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| Review | |
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| Release and Maintain | |
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| Knowledge Base Search Methods | |
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| Keyword Search Engine | |
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| Natural-Language Processing | |
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| Expert Systems | |
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| Case-Based Reasoning | |
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| Knowledge Management Metrics | |
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| Development of New Metrics | |
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| Reevaluation of Existing Metrics | |
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| Barriers to Effective Knowledge Management | |
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| Fear of Job Loss | |
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| Fear of Losing Value to the Organization | |
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| Fear of Change | |
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| New Opportunities | |
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| Asset and Security Management | |
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| Asset Management | |
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| Challenges of IT Asset Management | |
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| Benefits of IT Asset Management | |
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| Tracking Assets | |
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| Collecting Asset Information | |
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| Accessing the Database | |
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| Asset Management and the Help Desk | |
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| Availability of Configuration Information | |
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| Accuracy of Information | |
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| Prevention of Widespread Problems | |
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| Remote Diagnosis of Problems | |
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| Detection of Unauthorized Software | |
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| Determination of Total Cost of Ownership | |
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| Implementation of Change Requests | |
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| Tracking of Warranty and Maintenance Information | |
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| Threats to Computer Security | |
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| Sources of Security Threats | |
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| Physical Security | |
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| Network Security | |
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| Security Processes | |
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| Identifying Assets | |
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| Assessing Security Needs and Risks | |
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| Preparing for Security Violations | |
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| Monitoring Networks and Their Use | |
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| Responding to Incidents | |
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| Additional Security Measures | |
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| Backups | |
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| User Awareness and Education | |
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| Disaster Recovery | |
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| Help Desk Survival Guide | |
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| Stress in the Workplace | |
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| Burnout | |
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| Responses to Stress | |
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| Good Stress, Bad Stress | |
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| Symptoms of Stress | |
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| Physiological Symptoms | |
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| Psychological Symptoms | |
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| Behavioral Symptoms | |
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| Sources of Stress in the Workplace | |
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| Time Pressure | |
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| Workload | |
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| Threats to Job Security | |
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| Interpersonal Interactions | |
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| Workplace Environment | |
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| Information Overload | |
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| The Challenge of Change | |
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| Resisting Change | |
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| Viewing Change as Opportunity | |
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| Creating a Positive Work Environment | |
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| Organizational Efforts | |
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| Individual Efforts | |
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| Techniques for Managing Stress | |
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| Help Desk Simulation | |
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| Introduction to HelpStar | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Index | |