Problem solving tips for helpdesk personnel

Communicate and Record

The worst thing for a user is if they believe their problem is not being given attention. They don't care that you have dozens of other users to deal with. That isn't (and shouldn't be) their concern.

You must manage expectations, if you say "I'll get back to you", their idea of when you should do so might be very different to yours. Instead, say "I'll get back to you before 12:00 tomorrow" and make sure you do, even if it is to tell them that there has been no progress.

Record everything. No one has a perfect memory and no one only ever deals with one thing at a time. You must make a note of conversations, actions, agreements etc.

• You can easily hand tasks over to other personnel
• You rarely work on one problem to the exclusion of others until it is completed. So you will be switching back and forth and will need some sort of reminder as to what has happened beforehand.
• You will build up a knowledge base of problems and solutions for use in the future.
• If there are recriminations, you have a record of what was done!

In what form you record this is up to you. You could use a document, a simple database, write your own program or use software specifically designed for use by helpdesks.

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