Date: Fri, 17 Jan 97 10:01:45 Pacific Standard Time From: "Sean J. Schluntz" <schluntz@pinpt.com> To: "Jordan K. Hubbard" <jkh@time.cdrom.com>, Annelise Anderson <andrsn@andrsn.stanford.edu> Cc: Amancio Hasty <hasty@rah.star-gate.com>, chat@FreeBSD.org, Michael Smith <msmith@atrad.adelaide.edu.au> Subject: Re: FreeBSD into larget corp. environment? Message-ID: <Chameleon.853525458.List@journeyman> References: <11447.853497856@time.cdrom.com>
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> > My view is that phone-in tech support (as an initial contact) is
> > an inherently flawed approach. You cannot possibly pay what anyone
> > good enough can get doing other work (nor would they want to do it).
> > It is especially problematic with a small staff. The person who
I disagree with this. This is the whole reasoning behind multi-teared tech
support. You have a couple people who are just above basic users. People who
want to work part time around school or full time as an entry level person.
These 'first level' people would have all of the information that we have at
their fingertips. A local copy of the archives would probably be a good idea
instead of relying on the Internet. You could also build a database as time
goes by with answers to questions that you had a hard time finding.
The call would come in to a 'first level' person, who would take down all of
the various information about the person who was calling in (Call back if the
call gets lost, CC info or support contract number.), the system information
and the problem that they are having.
At that point the tech should have a clue if this is something that they can
take a shot at. If it is they can do a system look up on the problem and if
they have any good info pass that on to the person ('Easy' stuff that is
already documented. ) if they can't get the info they could tell the person
that some one will get back in touch with them in the next hour (Or what ever)
and the go to a look up sheet.
The look up sheet would be a list of FBSD coders and techies who want to make
a bit of extra money. For each of them would be a list of contact numbers,
times they are available and what areas they know about. You would then
contact one of them and give them the information about the problem. They
would contact the customer and help them with the problem. After it was
resolved they would 'report back' via eMail form or something else so we know
the resolution and can put it in the database.
If they don't know the resolution they can bring someone else in as well.
There are many other things you could do to stream line it all and such.
> So you think that the customer won't insist on talking to a human
> being as an initial contact? I guess I really don't have a good feel
> for how customers regard email as an effective support tool these
> days. If they're comfortable with the idea of just sending a message
> into the void and expecting some sort of timely response back from us,
> well, I guess I certainly won't argue. I'm just not entirely certain
> of that latter point.
It won't work to a lot of people. Many corporate customers _need_ the
person-to-person contact. Besides, if the FBSD system is down and that is
their eMail how are they going to get in touch?
Having gone to support conferences and listed to the thoughts of many who are
in companies bigger and smaller than the one I am and none of them were
thinking of removing the voice contact part of ther support.
We have been encouraging our customers to use eMail here, but even with that
only about 1/8th of our customer contact is through eMail.
> > But the point is really to do something rather than nothing, and
> > starting with phone-in tech support from an office is sufficiently
> > daunting in terms of costs and organization that it is unlikely to
> > get done at all. And it seems important that something be offered,
> > even if it is not perfect.
>
> So, I guess what you're saying is that there are already enough bodies
> who are willing to work through a company like FreeBSD, Inc that we
> could present a credible tech support picture to FreeBSD sites?
>
> Hmmmmm. And who's going to be the business manager for this again?
> This sounds suspiciously like a lot of ongoing paperwork. :-)
It is a fair amount of paperwork. You just have to have someone willing to
work for it. If you all are really interested in doing this give me a call,
'lets do lunch' as they say. You're in Concord right Jordan? I'm out there
at least once every other week.
-Sean
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Sean J. Schluntz <schluntz@pinpt.com>
Manager, Support Services ph. 408.997.6900 x222
PinPoint Software Corporation fx. 408.323.2300
6155 Almaden Expressway, Suite 100
San Jose, CA. 95120 http://www.pinpt.com/
Local Time Sent: 01/17/97 10:01:46
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