jeff dray

Blog Post

Creating a process for fault resolution

April 20, 2009 1:44pm PDT

How do you ensure that your help desk people ask the right questions without giving them a script to read out which will make them sound like robots?

6 Latest comment by Buzz09

Blog Post

There is a right way to resolve help desk call tickets

April 13, 2009 5:13am PDT

Jeff Dray writes that people who resolve and close help desk tickets have a duty to close them in such a way that the information they offer is useful and allows fault and trend analysis.

25 Latest comment by gcquinton@...

Blog Post

What info should help desk call tickets contain?

April 6, 2009 12:21pm PDT

Jeff Dray's gripe with help desk call logging systems is that you often get a lot of unnecessary information with them, but the vital stuff is left out. What would you make the required fields if...

28 Latest comment by plaidaddictt@...

Blog Post

Keeping on top of the work flow

March 30, 2009 1:29pm PDT

Letting the routine stuff slide when work is piling up is a false timesaver, says Jeff Dray. If left too long, things like paperwork and follow-up calls can become an impediment to getting other...

Blog Post

Freelance training, a good source of extra income

March 23, 2009 1:07pm PDT

Have you ever thought about making a little extra cash by helping out neighbours with their computer problems? It is not only a good way of helping others but will help you reinforce your own...

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Blog Post

Can your help desk understand you?

March 16, 2009 2:51pm PDT

When his PDA phone starts dying on him, Jeff Dray finds that the ease of world-wide customer service is overkill for simple help desk requests.

3 Latest comment by unus@...

Blog Post

How well do your customers understand what you tell them?

March 9, 2009 1:14pm PDT

Jeff Dray finds that his relationships with customers often allow him to find out things about them that hadn't been noticed by their own colleagues. As he has pointed out before, the people are...

6 Latest comment by die_s_p_a_m@...

Blog Post

Spring-cleaning your working life

March 2, 2009 11:29am PST

Jeff Dray's thoughts have turned to spring and renewal, and thus, the cleaning out and reorganization of his work life. It's time to delete files, throw out the rubbish, and order new supplies....

7 Latest comment by TonytheTiger

Blog Post

Age before beauty?

February 23, 2009 11:34am PST

Jeff Dray considers the age divide in the workplace. Youth and vigour, as well as age and experience, have their place in support roles, and the combination of the two benefits everyone.

47 Latest comment by TechSupport1

Blog Post

Ordering supplies: Somebody up there hates me!

February 16, 2009 8:06am PST

Have your intentions about ordering supplies ever been misunderstood? How did you deal with the consequences of having too little or too much delivered to your work site? When your car is your...

14 Latest comment by jsaubert

Blog Post

Flexibility: A nuisance or key to providing good service?

February 10, 2009 11:17am PST

We have all experienced it; we had the day’s work planned down to the last minute then something happens to turn it upside down. Do we stick to the plan or should we change them at a moment’s...

Blog Post

Essential items for your toolbox

February 2, 2009 12:28pm PST

My toolbox weighs a shoulder-wrenching amount, yet most of the time I use the same few tools. From time to time, I force myself to sort through the box to remove some of the hardware that makes...

77 Latest comment by Da Saint

Blog Post

Building a relationship with your customers

January 26, 2009 12:22pm PST

Whether you work in support for in-house users or for external commercial customers the people you work for are your customers. Building a good relationship with them is vital to help you through...

6 Latest comment by gugoasa

Blog Post

Why soft skills may not be the whole solution but a big help

January 19, 2009 1:13pm PST

When other functions fail, soft skills will help to build bridges and get customer relationships back on track. Where user support is concerned, a great deal of what you do is look after the...

8 Latest comment by santeewelding

Blog Post

Are we giving the right kind of support to end users?

January 12, 2009 11:30am PST

Sometimes we need a bit of help from the manual but what if, in addition to failing to understand the technology, we have trouble understanding the instructions as well? It would be nice to be...

4 Latest comment by R-T-F-M

Blog Post

New year, new help desk

January 5, 2009 12:57pm PST

New years resolutions are made so that you can start the year on a positive note, yet they nearly always get consigned to the dustbin of history by the time January is over.

5 Latest comment by ajaxnii

Blog Post

Accuracy is the key to call logging

December 29, 2008 2:37pm PST

Does your help desk write down notes on paper before logging them to the system or do they live log? Do your help desk tickets suffer from 'Chinese Whispers?' The answer is to set up your logging...

5 Latest comment by Mr T-Man

Blog Post

The alternative Geek-Speak glossary

December 22, 2008 3:00am PST

What are geeks really saying when they use technical terms? For some less tech-savvy managers and end users, a good glossary is essential to better understanding. Read Jeff Dray's "alternative"...

21 Latest comment by jpgollaba@...

Blog Post

Global help desk support: Can it work?

December 15, 2008 6:38am PST

The answer to handling multiple support offices around the globe is clear, non-colloquial communication. It's not just the users who sometimes have a hard time understanding their technical...

12 Latest comment by GlennHughes

Blog Post

Getting it all done, the art of time management

December 8, 2008 12:04pm PST

Have you got a brain like a sieve or can you remember every little thing you are supposed to do? Do you have methods that help you to keep up with work or do you lurch from one crisis to the next...

14 Latest comment by webtips@...