A Guide to Customer Service Skills for Help Desk Professionals by Donna Knapp, softcover, 288 pages, 2004, $72.95

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Overview

This book is designed to provide individuals interested in the field of technical customer support a guide to the "soft skills" and the "self-management skills" needed to deliver excellent customer support at the help desk. It provides the reader with a better understanding of what a career in customer support would entail with strong real-world computer support examples, case studies, and exercises. This book:

• Provides help desk students with a "how-to" approach to delivering excellent customer support.

• Offers a guide to the "soft" skills and self-management skills needed to deliver excellent customer support.

• Real-world case studies and exercises provide meaningful scenarios to practice skills as they are learned.

• Can be used as a companion to other help desk titles or as a standalone book.

• Provides useful tips that enable students to achieve job satisfaction and avoid frustration and burnout.

Designed as a text book, A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Help Desk Professional is logically organized and presents material in an order and amount perfect for managers or supervisors looking to teach their help desk staff about more effective communication techniques. In this book,

• Each chapter begins with a list of important concepts to be mastered within the chapter.  This can be used as a quick reference, as well as a useful study aid.

• CloseUps portray help desk employees in real companies and at industry support organizations provide additional insight into real world applications of the topics.

• Quotations from business leaders and authors provide interesting and inspirational summaries of key components.

• Hands-On exercise and review questions enable you to apply chapter concepts as you perform practical tasks, research, and interviews.

• Case Projects provide an understanding of the demands you are likely to face and the know-how to meet those demands.

Table of Contents

1. Achieving High Customer Satisfaction
   • Delivering quality technical customer support
   • Influencing customer perception
   • Developing the right mix of skills
2. Developing Strong Listening and Communication Skills
   • The power of listening
   • Communicating with customers
3. Winning Telephone Skills
   • Creating a positive telephone image
   • Fine tuning your telephone skills
   • Letting your caring attitude shine through
4. Technical Writing Skills for Support Professionals
   • The emerging paradigm: technology delivered support
   • Improving your writing skills
   • Managing and disseminating knowledge
5. Handling Difficult Customer Situations
   • Handling upset, angry, and demanding customers
   • Keeping yourself in control
6. Solving and Preventing Problems
   • How to solve problems methodically
   • Taking ownership
   • Focusing on prevention
7. Teams and Team Players in a Help Desk Setting
   • Working as a team
   • Being a team player
8. Minimizing Stress and Avoiding Burnout
   • Reducing the negative effects of stress
   • Managing your time

Appendix A:  Additional Sources of Help

Help Desk Books
Call Center Management
Automation Aids
Online Support
Customer Satisfaction
Knock Your Socks Off
Help Desk Institute
Telecom Books
Communication Skills
Call Center Monitoring
Bargain Books (50% off!)

Seminars

Subject Index
Catalog Index

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