A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining your PC, 6e

Chapter 22The Professional PC Technician

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Objectives

• Learn about some job roles and responsibilities of those who sell, fix, or support personal computers

• Learn how to interact with customers when servicing and supporting personal computers

• Learn about software copyrights and your responsibilities under the law

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Introduction

• How to manage your career– Stay abreast of new technology– Use every available resource to do your job well– Strive for top professional certifications

– Maintain excellent customer relationships

– Know how to communicate well – Behave with professionalism

• Where PC technicians provide service to customers– Over the phone or online

– In person on-site, or sometimes in a shop

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Job Roles and Responsibilities

• PC support technician– Works on-site and closely interacts with users– Responsible for ongoing PC maintenance

• PC service technician– Pays service calls to customers

• Bench (depot) technician– Works in a lab environment

• Help-desk technician– Provides telephone or online support

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Certifications and Professional Organizations

• Benefits of certification and advanced degrees – Proof of competence and achievement– Enhanced job opportunities

– A higher level of customer confidence– Qualification for other training or degrees

• Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA)– Most significant certifying organization for PC technicians

– Sponsors A+ Certification Program and manages exams– Over 13,000 members drawn from computer industry – CompTIA Web site: www.comptia.org

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Figure 22-1 CompTIA A+ Certification Web page

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Certifications and Professional Organizations (continued)

• Passing A+ Essentials exam validates entry-level skills

• Advanced A+ exams:– A+ 220-602: grants you the IT Technician designation– A+ 220-603: Remote Support Technician designation– A+ 220-604: grants you Depot Technician designation

• A+ Certification has industry recognition• Other certification programs are more vendor specific

– Examples: programs for Microsoft, and Cisco products

• Ongoing education: staying abreast of new technology

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Recordkeeping and Information Tools

• Service organizations provide you with most tools • Helpful resources and tools:

– The specific system you support

– Copy of user documentation– Documentation more technical than the user manual– Online help targeted to field technicians– Expert systems to analyze and solve problems– Call tracking systems (online or paper-based)

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What Customers Want: Beyond Technical Know-How

• Two types of customers– Internal: an associate within the company– External: an individual outside the company

• Advice for becoming an exemplary PC technician– Have a positive and helpful attitude– Own the problem– Be customer-focused– Maintain integrity and honesty– Perform your work in a professional manner

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Support Calls: Providing Good Service

• Characteristics of good service:– The technician responds quickly – Work is completed in a reasonable time

– The technician is prepared for on-site visits

– The work is done right the first time– The price for the work is reasonable and competitive– The technician exhibits good interpersonal skills– Customer informed about the progress of the work

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Planning for Good Service

• A good service call requires a plan• General support guidelines

– Follow company policies for answering an initial call

– Check the simple things first; e.g., cable connections– Review company service policies– Start the troubleshooting session – Search for answers using all available resources– Ask for help (if necessary)

– If the problem is solved, ensure that customer agrees– Create a written record of the session

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Making an On-Site Service Call

• Preparation– Review information given you by whoever took the call– Know the problem you are going to address

– Be aware of the system that needs servicing

– Arrive with all equipment appropriate to the task

• Interacting with the customer– Be on time for the appointment – Practice interactive listening and always be courteous

– Interview the user for a background on the problem– Ask for permission before touching any equipment

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Making an On-Site Service Call (continued)

• When the customer is involved in solving the problem– Keep the customer informed as you work– Explain the problem and what you must do to fix it

– Give the customer a set of cost-effective options

• After the problem is solved– Allow the customer to verify your work– Ask user to ensure that backed up data is fully restored– Review the service call with the customer

– Explain preventive maintenance to the customer

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Phone Support

• Preparation– Identify yourself and your organization– Ask for and record contact information for customer

– Assess whether you should handle the call

– Allow the caller to describe the problem

• Essential skills– Excellent communication skills– Good phone manners

– A good amount of patience– Ability to visualize yourself in front of user’s PC

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Figure 22-2 Help-desk technicians can benefit from a hands-free headset

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Phone Support (continued)

• When the customer is not knowledgeable– Don’t use computer jargon while talking– Follow along at your own PC

– Give the customer opportunities to ask questions

• When the customer is overly confident– Show respect for the customer’s knowledge– Slow the conversation down– Avoid accusing the customer of making a mistake

– Use technical language appropriate for customer

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Phone Support (continued)

• When the customer complains– Be an active listener– Give the customer a little time to vent

– Don’t be defensive

– Ask for guidance in improving communication

• When the customer doesn’t want to end a phone call– Ease the caller into the end of the call– Ask if anything needs more explanation

– Briefly summarize the main points of the call– Be silent about new issues

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When You Can’t Solve the Problem

• Ask for assistance from higher up the support chain• Guidelines for escalation

– Know your company’s policy for escalation

– Document the escalation– Use the proper channels– Advise the customer you are passing on the problem– Follow-up with the customer

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Protecting Software Copyrights

• License: right to use software (gained in purchase)• Copyright: right to copy software

– May be transferred from one entity to another

• Legal responsibility: protect the software copyright

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Federal Copyright Act of 1976

• Requires that copies of software used be legal • Allows for one backup copy of software to be made• Software piracy (copyright infringement)

– Distributing unauthorized copies of software

• 26% of business software in US is obtained illegally• Site license: right to use multiple copies of software

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Industry Associations

• Software Information Industry Assoc. (www.siia.net)– Educates the public and enforces copyright laws

• Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org)– Manages BSA Anti-Piracy Hotline:1-888-NOPIRACY

• Hard-disk loading: installing pirated software on disk

• Signs of hard-disk loading– No end-user license is included– There is no mail-in product registration card

– Documentation and original disks are missing– Documentation is photocopied or labels are handwritten

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What Are Your Responsibilities Under the Law?

• Software Rental Amendment Act (1990)– Prevents illegal renting, leasing, lending, or sharing– Copyright holder may extend written permission

• Criminal penalties for software piracy (1992)– Imprisonment for up to five years and/or fines– Applies to illegal copying/distribution of 10 or more units

• Responsibilities– Use only software purchased or licensed for your use

– Print and file end-user licensing agreement (EULA)– Comply with all terms of license (includes site license)

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Summary

• Servicing roles: PC support technician, PC service technician, bench technician, help-desk technician

• CompTIA: sponsors A+ Certification Program and manages exams

• A+ Certification: fundamental credential for PC technician

• A+ series of exams: A+ Essentials, A+ 220-602, A+ 220-603, and A+ 220-604

• Two types of customers: internal and external

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Summary (continued)

• An outstanding PC technician is adept with PCs and people

• License: the right to use software

• Copyright: the right to copy software

• Site license: right to use multiple copies of software• Hard-disk loading: unauthorized installation of

software on a hard drive