Technical Support
Centre Accreditation
Securing best practice, quality methods and
‘fit-for-purpose’ resourcing and facilities
www.thelpi.org
With the increasing power and accessibility of technology emerges an unprecedented requirement for remotely delivered client support, which must not only respond to challenges but also provide the innovation and flexibility to fully accommodate its demands.
Through Technical Support Centre Accreditation, The Learning and Performance Institite (The LPI) provides independent verification that organisations have proccesses, facilities and resources which are in-keeping with their promises, and such organisations can provide evidence to substantiate their success. Critical in this process is the positioning of technical support centre staff on a
development path which encourages not only technical prowess but also the less tangible facets of listening, coaching and caring.
The first class Technical Support Centre aims to achieve problem resolution and client satisfaction through its own competencies and behaviours.
Technical Support Centre Accreditation provides the organisation with a spontaneous message of best practice, quality methods and ‘fit-for-purpose’ resources and facilities. Further, it demonstrates that the long-term interests of the client are secured through the ‘Client Charter’ and the published Code of Practice. In a highly competitive industry such differentiation is key.
Introduction Learning
& Performance Institute
For the purpose of this document, a Technical Support Centre is any entry that provides remote assistance to users of a technology -based system, product or service,
typically.:
Who is it aimed at?
User Help Desks providing PC support to employed staff Call Centres for technology- based products and services, providing support for
customers - typically mobile phone users, ISP clients, etc
Outsourcing Agencies providing user support under the terms of a Service Level Agreement Software and hardware vendors providing support under the terms of a licence or guarantee
Indeed, any instance, regardless
of size, where individuals utilise
remote communication to
provide support, guidance and
tuition to technology users.
Raising Standards through Accreditation
The Technical Support Centre is unique and free-standing. Using remote communications, it must provide timely and appropriate resolution for any problem reported by the client. Clearly, the resolution of a problem may take many forms, not least of which will be the appeasement of an irate caller in a placatory manner or, similarly, it may be a spontaneous and well delivered ‘technical fix’.
To be successful, a Technical Support Centre demands from its Support Analysts (or call handlers), a special mix of technical competence and call handling skills. If the true prowess of the Support Analyst is to be realised and the ideals of client self-reliance are to be achieved, this mix of technical competencies and call handling skills must be bound together with liberal quantities of sympathetic and effective remote coaching.
The client should also ‘learn by their experience’. Additionally, the caller has the right to expect the Support Analyst to not only provide the answers, but to also unravel the question!
From the outset then, the responsibility of the Support Analyst is to identify the nature and extent of the problem in order that the objective of the resolution can be stated and the caller’s expectation realistically established. The effectiveness of resolution and the level of caller satisfaction can only be judged when these initial terms of reference have been mutually agreed.
In order to fulfill the entitlement of the client and meet the commitments of the business through appropriate levels of service, the following process need careful management:
Having identified these essential processes and realised their absolute dependency on effective training - whether the training of Support Analysts or their abilities to train their clients - the Learning and Performance Institute provides a Code of Practice and recommended best practice model. Technical Support Centre accreditation specifically and uniquely addresses these key critical success factors, and compliments other more generic quality accreditations.
Career Development, Training and Assessment for Support Analysts: clearly defined roles and responsibilities, appropriate technical skills and product knowledge, call handling skills, questioning skills, coaching skills and problem diagnosis.
The Life Cycle of the Call: call progression, call escalation, call logging and analysis.
The Client Relationship: Service Level Agreements - promises and undertakings, measurement of satisfaction, call effectiveness and behavioural change.
www.thelpi.org
Technical Support Centre Accreditation indicates conformance to standards of service provision and staff maintennance which are required in the contexts of successful technical problem resolution and the longer term self-sufficiency of the client.
Technical Support Centre Accreditation is delivered by The Learning and Performance Institute.
Critical are the processes for Call Progression and the appropriateness of Call Escalation. Clear phases exist in the ‘passage’ of the call to its successful completion. All of these phases require the skills of the Support Analyst and the availability of the internal processes to support their activities.
The call handling skills neccessary for effective call progression are the basis for individual competency requirements within the Technical Support Centre Accreditation programme:
Accreditation Process
Learning
& Performance Institute
Communication:
selective use of language, conversation and protocol
Questioning:
the structure and use of questions and the use of probing skills to ensure clarity, understanding and analytical thought
Establishing and Maintaining Credibility:
a professional approach to the subject matter, identification of, the client’s needs
Coaching Skills:
competence in identifying current knowledge level, transfer of critical knowledge/skills in a structured manner within learners’ abilities
These individual competencies can be verified by recognised certification or appropriate supporting evidence. Call escalation levels and call handling responsibilities must be clearly identified and linked to appropriate Support Analyst development and training.
The progress of the call should be clearly logged with the provision for hand-over, monitoring,
intervention and management reporting as appropriate To allow review and ongoing assessment of
staff performance, facilities should exist for third-party, non-intrusive call monitoring. Recording facilities
may be appropriate to enable post-call review.
In addition to providing clear routes and directives for career development, the Technical Support Centre must provide Support Analysts with distinct
training routes for:
Ongoing Technical Training:
to mirror career development and escalation level
responsibilities, and the development of technical skills, and product awareness
These processes must exist in addition to an information management system regarding the appropriate products and services. This must be demonstrably up to date and appropriate in its usability.
Typical of any training process, requirements for assessment, certification, support and feedback are critical. The incentives of compensation, reward and recognition should not be ignored.
Ongoing Call-Handling ‘soft skills’ Training
Stop Press Training:
spontaneous update training to ensure that Support Anaylsts are up to date with new releases, ‘bugs’, tarrif changes, and so on Personal Training:
to provide Support Analysts with a vehicle for individual review and consolidation, or to reflect the requirements of specific calls or ongoing personal developments Technical Support Centre
Accreditation vs ITIL Technical Support Centre
Accreditation is complementary to the popular ITIL service
management standard. Whereas ITIL focuses on individual
competencies and certifies individuals accordingly. Technical Support Centre Accreditation tells your customers that your
organisation has adopted and is conforming to best practice standards.
How to Start the Accreditation Process
Having submitted a written application, all applicants will be visited by an LPI Accreditation Consultant. Prior to the visit the organisation will be provided with a comprehensive set of guidance notes in order that the supporting material and relevant individuals can be made available.
The assessment visit will typically take a full-day during which quality aspects in 5 main areas will be considered. It should be stressed that the visit is not prescriptive - it is aimed to allow a ‘consultative audit’ involving review, open discussion and recommendation.
Of particular issue within the visit will be:
Scope of service, business profile and service
undertakings
Continued accreditation will be secured through ongoing conformance and annual review.
Subsequent meetings will review agreed actions and
address pre-agreed agenda items.
The Learning and Performance Institute wishes to encourage organisations to apply for Technical Support Centre Accreditation. For this reason, the investment required is kept to a minimum possible level consistent with ensuring that relevant expertise is available and administration is efficient.
Quality and calibre of staff, Continuous Professional Development (CPD), training and review
Quality of facilities and resources
Call-management processes
Quality indicators - client
satisfaction and business
effectiveness in a Technical
Support Centre context
This Code of Practice provides the basis for The Learning and Performance Institute’s Technical Support Centre Accreditation programme, delivered by The LPI and through which the LPI will maintain and monitor a register of accredited organisations.
Organisations which undertake to abide by the terms of this Code of Practice, and can demonstrate that they do so, are eligible to be accredited by The LPI.
Code of Practice
Definition
In the context of this Code of Practice:
A ‘Technical Support Centre’ is an entity that exists with the purpose of providing remote technical support to the ursers of a particular system or product. An external Technical Support Centre typically provides services to other organisations under terms of payment - and Service Level Agreements.
An Internal Technical Support Centre provides services to staff members within the same organisation and may work under the remit of Internal Service Level Agreements or staff charter.
‘Client’ means any person or organisation that enters into a contract with a TSC for the provision of support services. In the case of an Internal TSC ‘client’ implies any member of staff who has an entitlement to the support services of the Internal TSC by virtue of their terms of employment.
‘Caller’ is any person requiring and entitled to the support services of the TSC.
A ‘Support Analyst’ works within the TSC in the capacity of providing remote technical support to clients on behalf of the Centre. Support analysts may also be known as Call Handlers, Technical Support Specialists, Help-Desk Specialists etc.
‘The Accredited Organisation’ means any enterprise, institution or organisation accredited by The LPI as an Accredited Technical Support Centre under the terms of this programme.
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Publicity and promotion
In promotional literature, the Accredited Organisation shall express itself clearly and without ambiguity so that clients may know exactly what is being offered and what levels of service are to be provided.
The Accredited Organisation shall not give false or misleading indications, whether by words, illustrations or other means, in relation to the service which is to be provided to the client, neither shall it make any statement which cannot be substantiated.
The Accredited Organisation shall not publish or display any advertisement that may be confused with any other organisation.
Fictitious testimonials shall not be used, neither shall testimonials from other parties with interests in the business of the
Accredited Organisation without declaring this interest within the testimonial.
The Accredited Organisation will make all of its clients and prospective clients aware of its Accredited status and hence its conformance to the Technical Support Centre Code of Practice, usually by including such reference within promotional materials. However, such references are only permitted for the duration of the Accreditation and must be in a form approved by The LPI.
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Service Level Agreements
Prior to a client contracting for the provision of its remote support services, the Accredited Organisation shall make information available on:
The Scope of the support available in terms of products, services and technologies.
The level of service to be provided to the client in terms of complexity and technological competence in whatever form will provide a meaningful and unambiguous definition to the client.
The level of service to be provided to the client in terms of hours, response times, calibre of staff etc.
The target audience for the support service.
Any constraints or exclusions which may affect the service provision (e.g. service only provided to callers who have attended previous training, support not provided to third party organisations, support only provided to individuals who can supply necessary security word etc. )
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Support analyst competencies
The Accredited Organisation will ensure that Support Analysts posses the necessary technical and soft skills expertise to adequately deliver the level of service as implied or stated within any undertaking with its clients.
The Accredited Organisation will ensure that Support Analysts are fully aware of their responsibilities at any escalation level and are provided with all facilities and support to secure their effectiveness in meeting these responsibilities.
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The Accredited Organisation shall ensure that:
Support Analysts posses the necessary technical skills and product/service awareness to provide the level of support implied through their
specific job responsibilities.
Support Analysts [are fully competent in the appropriate skills of call handling and remote coaching, verifiable by either holding The LPI’s Certificate in Technical Support Skills, or another certificate in call handling as recognised by the LPI, or by demonstrably working towards the attainment of same.
Support Analysts are participating in a recognised Continuous Professional Development (CPD) scheme as administered by an appropriate external professional body or formally defined internal procedure.
Resource levels are sufficient to provide a timely escalation of a call, when, in the opinion of the Support Analyst, escaltion is an appropriate action.
Support Analysts are provided with a work situation that is conducice to effective call handling and problem resolution from the aspects of:
> Noise levels, space and privacy
> Efficient call logging system
> Ability to mirror/stimulate the user enquiry where possible
> Information/enquiry database
> Access to online or paper-based tutorial and support documentation
> Remote communication with clients and/or internal support Note: this list is not exhaustive - included by implication is any factor or item which may also affect the suitability of the Support Analyst’s work environment.
Support Analysts are fully aware of the training and personal development options that are available to them.
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Publicity and promotion
The Accredited Organisation shall make available such statistical, documentary and other information that The LPI may reasonably require to be assured that the Code of Practice is being observed.
The Accredited Organisation will co-operate with scheduled LPI monitoring visits and will facilitate access to Technical Support Centres by LPI Accreditation Consultants and/or verifiers.
The Accredited Organisation is aware that LPI Accreditation Consultants and/or verifiers may use unannounced and fictious role play as a method of sampling the call handling and coaching skills within the Technical Support Centre.
The LPI will be provided with necessary telephone numbers, security codes, etc, to facilitate this activity.
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Complaints Procedure
A statement of the procedures for making and responding to complaints shall routinely be made available by Accredited Organisations to clients with whom they have contracted.
Accredited Organisations shall respond to client complaints in a prompt and courteous manner.
Should any Accredited Organisation not resolve the complaint to the satisfaction of the client, the Accredited Organisation will advise the client of the right to notify The LPI of the outstanding complaint. A form, available from The LPI shall be supplied by the Accredited Organisation. Complaints by clients shall be made direct to The LPI and must generally be made within 30 days of the Accredited Organisation having given an initial response to the complaint.
If The LPI is satisfied that a complaint against an Accredited Organisation is justified, the Accredited Organisation shall be bound by The LPI’s decision on the matter. A document outlining the complaints procedure in more detail is available from The LPI.
Internal Controls
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