My boss wants me to improve my relationship with the users - opinions?

draught

I just started my position a few weeks ago so I'm still figuring things out. This is the first job I've had where going to lunch with the boss is even a thing. The fact that I'm even going to lunch is good and I believe he is looking out for my longer term interest. I know he likes me. Besides the social fun talk he had one key point for me.

• For the job specifically mainly he told I should make it where the users view me as someone they need and can't live without (job security). I should of sort consider myself like a brand and need to show them how useful I am.

I'm pretty shy. That has never stopped me though it's merely something to get over. For the first three months I'm going to have to push this social angle and start going the extra mile to make users happy.

Very different job for me because first time I don't have someone over my shoulder telling me exactly what to do. It's been great but these aspects are new to me and I'm still figuring them out. My boss had advice for dealing with the users but I want other opinions as well.

Pleasing the clients more and making myself the person they rely on that's what I'm thinking about.

Does anyone have any advice or anything extra I should try to do just in terms of dealing personally and directly with the users?

This isn't going as far some kind of sales relationship where I need to go out with them for lunch or something the idea is just make myself someone the users will want, need and ask for me. My boss gave me some tips but besides that I'm just wondering how others here handle this and specifically the VIP users?

So far I don't go around the building and do personal visits or checkups or anything like that. I'm starting to think that might be a good idea. In other jobs I've always waited for tickets or problems to come to me first. This is a new a one. The VIPs are most important but there are two I've dealt with so far. I'm sort of feeling like I need a business card I can hand out right now!

Just need to get through the first 3 months then I can I relax.

urstuffplz1

I always believe the easiest way to build a strong relationship with a customer is by instilling confidence in them about your technical ability and willingness to help them - if you don't know the answer that is fine, but tell them you will find out and get back to them, you just need to clarify some details before fixing/giving details to ensure you are correct - no one is perfect and users understand this (I should add, most of the time!!). Simple things like following up with a call a day after an issue to verify they have had no further problems show that you care about them and are willing to go the extra mile. Throw in comments like "Give me a call if you get any further problems or want advice" also shows that you are there to help and willing to go that little bit further for them. Additionally, whenever I have to go to an area to speak to a user/fix a problem I always ask if everyone is ok, any issues or anything I should know about. Sometimes, a user might say "X is annoying me and keeps happening", ask if they have raised it, and if not, raise it for them and get them a resolution/answer if you can - let them know if you have had to pass it to another department and have a ticket reference/contact for them to chase up after.

In terms of the VIPs, they'll be extremely busy with management/people stuff - just do the above with them as well. This is all I have ever done and I've always had a good rapour with them - obviously, if they raise an issue, make it your priority for them, especially if it is affecting their daily working.

EANx

Users generally want several things from someone providing technical support:

- Sociability
- Competency
- Reliability
- Timeliness

I put them in that order for a very specific reason. It's not unusual for a tech to be very competent but also off-putting. Shy is one thing but some techs are rude, condescending, etc. In a lot of cases, users prefer to deal with someone with less skill but who they feel is more approachable or who makes the visit pleasant and no one wants to deal with a tech that makes them feel dumb (ref: Saturday Night Live skits about "Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy"). And if you're working on a team, you'll eventually find users specifically requesting you to come out.

Once you get past the social aspect, the experience is far-more transactional and in any purely business relationship, you'll find that people value competency (duh). Beyond that, you would think that people want timeliness over reliability but it's actually the other way around. When you know someone is reliable you can adjust accordingly. They are reliably 15 min late? Tell them the event starts 15 minutes before you planned. Likewise, if they tech is consistently 20 minutes late, you know to plan for that.

So, advice offered. Under-promise and over-deliver. Since you're new, you need to be reliably timely. On the social aspect, don't let "being shy" get you down and don't try to overcompensate by forcing yourself to seem like an extrovert.

- Make eye contact
- Smile as you say hello
- Make a little small talk - if appropriate - while working
- Any plans for the weekend?
- How was your weekend?
- Looks like it will be a nice day for a walk at lunch
- Comment about something on the user's desk or in their office. "Office trinkets" tell you an awful lot about the user as a person.

IMO, the most effective tool in your arsenal is a polite way to encourage people to let you sit down and fix the problem. It's one thing if you can tell them, click-here, click-there and you're done but sometimes it's far faster for you to do the task, especially if it's not something they will need to do on an ongoing basis. So a go-to line to politely ask them to vacate the chair so you can get to work is required. My preference is "Do you mind if I drive?" while pointing at the workstation.

The second most effective tool is movement, get away from your desk and wander around. Are you on your way between tickets? Stop and talk with someone. At some point, you'll find a group of people doing something interesting. Swing by, say hi, see what they're up to. As they get to know you, they become your proxies for how awesome you are. People who have a bad experience with one of your colleagues will complain to someone else. That someone else can say "oh, that sucks, I had a similar experience with draught" or they can say "so sorry to hear. Draught came by last week and helped me with XYZ. Maybe you should give him a call." People talk and while it's unfortunate, the "bar of excellence" with deskside support is fairly low. Take advantage of your colleagues lack of motivation to stand out in a positive fashion.

Your goal at this stage in your employment is two-fold; do things that look good and don't do things that look bad.

draught

That's really good advice I've been working on sending emails or calling before I show up. Small talk is something I can work on.

The second most effective tool is movement, get away from your desk and wander around. Are you on your way between tickets? Stop and talk with someone. At some point, you'll find a group of people doing something interesting.

I have not being doing that because every job I've had tickets get assigned to me.

The issue that ties into this is I need to find which group of users I'm specifically responsible for. I was not told that information. I feel really dumb asking now but so be it. It would have been nice to have been told I was expected to do exactly this!

I have to keep asking questions about what exactly I need to do or should do. I hate that. But how else would I be able to know about an organization otherwise?

An issue is that Rick the person who's role I'm replacing is still around but being promoted. The users go to Rick first because he's known and who they have been going to. What's wanted by my manager is that they start going to me.

I felt dumb the other day I could have addressed a problem really easily alone with a top VIP. It sounded like a big deal, I haven't met that VIP more than once and was nervous that it could be something difficult or who knows and Rick offered to go with me so I figured that was the safer route.

Because I do not want to look like I don't know what I'm doing in front of maybe the most important person I'll deal with. I think I made the right choice though because being seen with rick fixing an issue is still a positive association. Had I risked going alone I might have become nervous and missed the problem. Now I know that user I'll be comfortable going alone next time. Of course the issue was extremely small and easily fix. I'm learning VIPs will complain about everything.

I'm a perfectionist. I think I'm getting nervous too early and everything will work out.

mikey88

I am going to address the elephant in the room and ask - why are you working tech support with a CCNA and other certs? Otherwise, good points so far for surviving help desk.

draught

Resume building. The last time I interviewed for network engineer positions a few years ago I was not taken very seriously because I had no tech job background. My bachelor's in IT is nearly finished at which point I plan to push forward for a junior network engineer position or something similar.

The plan is to finish this contract and move on to bigger things.

UnixGuy

This is a great opportunity for you.

You are on a great path because you acknowledge that you are shy, so you know you can improve. Take your time to get used to talking to customers, and then improve on your smalltalk skills. This will do wonders for your career down the line.


There are shy people who never acknowledge they are shy, and as a response they develop an aggressive persona - that's the worst approach.

you seem to have a positive outlook and your boss like you, so take the time to improve your customer service and social skills - it takes time, so enjoy the process and don't stress yourself too much about it. We all have to start somewhere.


As a bonus, if you want to improve even quicker, take up a social hobby, anything that you can do in a team sport. This will help a lot.

NetworkingStudent

draught wrote: »

I just started my position a few weeks ago so I'm still figuring things out. This is the first job I've had where going to lunch with the boss is even a thing. The fact that I'm even going to lunch is good and I believe he is looking out for my longer term interest. I know he likes me. Besides the social fun talk he had one key point for me.

• For the job specifically mainly he told I should make it where the users view me as someone they need and can't live without (job security). I should of sort consider myself like a brand and need to show them how useful I am.

I'm pretty shy. That has never stopped me though it's merely something to get over. For the first three months I'm going to have to push this social angle and start going the extra mile to make users happy.

Very different job for me because first time I don't have someone over my shoulder telling me exactly what to do. It's been great but these aspects are new to me and I'm still figuring them out. My boss had advice for dealing with the users but I want other opinions as well.

Pleasing the clients more and making myself the person they rely on that's what I'm thinking about.

Does anyone have any advice or anything extra I should try to do just in terms of dealing personally and directly with the users?

This isn't going as far some kind of sales relationship where I need to go out with them for lunch or something the idea is just make myself someone the users will want, need and ask for me. My boss gave me some tips but besides that I'm just wondering how others here handle this and specifically the VIP users?

So far I don't go around the building and do personal visits or checkups or anything like that. I'm starting to think that might be a good idea. In other jobs I've always waited for tickets or problems to come to me first. This is a new a one. The VIPs are most important but there are two I've dealt with so far. I'm sort of feeling like I need a business card I can hand out right now!

Just need to get through the first 3 months then I can I relax.

1)Read or listen to the audio book how to WIn Friends and Influence people.

Here is the summary:

https://www.samuelthomasdavies.com/book-summaries/self-help/how-to-win-friends-and-influence-people/

How to Win Friends and Influence People: The Principles
Part 1: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People

Principle 1: Don’t criticize, condemn or complain
Principle 2: Give honest and sincere appreciation
Principle 3: Arouse in the other person an eager want
Part 2: Six Ways to Make People Like You

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people
Principle 2: Smile
Principle 3: Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language
Principle 4: Be a good listener
Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person’s interests
Principle 6: Make the other person feel important—and do it sincerely

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How to Win Friends and Influence People Summary - Deconstructing Excellence
A Sure Way of Making Enemies – and How to Avoid It. In a similar vein, you should never waste your time trying to prove someone wrong.

An Easy Way to Become a Good Conversationalist. To put it simply, quickly find what interests the other person, encourage them to talk about themselves, and shut up. People are usually far more interested in what they are already interested in than they are in listening to you.

2) I would watch The Compassionate Geek Videos Customer Service Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY0YVj4LroU&list=PL58D8B118DED1097A

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My tips
1) Learn all of your customer names and remember their names.
2) Practice not just hearing , but listening to others with the intent to understand them. Ask probing questions
3) REMEMBER People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.