Experts have weighed in with predictions for what will matter in IT in the coming year, and chief among them are customer service, IT/business alignment and collaboration. The challenge, however, is teaching staff the soft skills needed to turn the predictions into reality.

You cannot solve a problem if you don’t have the facts. Combine this one with a hearty serving of patience.

We’ve assembled a few tips to give your help desk an edge over its competitors in the IT of the Future. Remember, these are only to be used as a guideline. Progress, not perfection.

1. Put yourself in the customer’s situation: Responding to a frustrated and angry customer with frustration and anger will only lead to chaos (perhaps not quite chaos, but surely extreme irritation). Not that I condone rudeness, but try to imagine how you would feel if, say, you are set to deliver a year-end report to your manager and all of your formulas are displaying #REF! errors. Acknowledge the customer’s legitimate frustrations, and find a solution.

2. Think of yourself as a teacher: You aren’t just a PC-on-fire extinguisher; you also have the ability to empower by teaching a caller something he didn’t know.

3. Convince yourself that it’s OK to not know something: Faking it, in many cases, creates more distrust than simply telling someone that a particular issue is beyond your scope. Fess up, and hand the call to a more seasoned colleague. The customer will have his issue fixed quicker, and will leave happier. Read more…

Jenny Sweeney Customer Service 2010, Excel, Help Desk, IT, IT/business alignment, new year, soft skills