>Hi,
>
>Fixing problems may sometimes be a hard task, even harder if you can't figure out exactly what the problem is.
>
>Talking to fellows working at a client's IT help desk, we agreed that it could be a good idea to have some kind of "instruction" to give their users (of computers and computer systems - I mean users that make hardware help calls and software help calls), in order to help them in reporting problems.
>
>This instruction should be a way to guide users in describing correctly the problem they are experiencing, contextualizing the occurrence of the problem etc. Doing so we hope to have improved eficiency in solving problems, and user satisfaction.
>
>Any sugestions?
>
>Thanks,
>
>Fernando

I have another kind of approach than Jamie's, but anticipating on another kind of problems too;

When a system is very large, and therefore more complex, 9 out of 10 questions are about the useage, misinterpreting things or the lack of pressing the help-key. Take into account the OO-environment of the app, and help can usually only be elementary for the object, leaving the functionality in combinations -not invented by you !!- to the end-user;

For ourselves a golden rule is to put your (complex) problem in writing, leaving you with the solution in the end by itself. In our opinion this accounts for every person, so a user too.
So let them write instead of call you.
Frees you from hectic as well.

More persons than not having problems with expressing themselves. Not a debet for the user, but it just is like that; who your user is is not in your hands, and the most you can do is making a selection at the company level. This by itself usually only theory, 'cause think of the $.
What we do, is let the user think and act as we do ourselves i.e. being the rude person answering "yes" to the quesion "do you know the time ?"; the answer really shouldn't be more dan "yes" (or "no") to a question of this. Remember, this is how we think ourselves, and for the best quality of communication the other person should behave the same for this matter.
So react to all wrong answers or questions in a way it implies they are wrong.
And yes, this leaves you as an "impossible" person.

Most of persons can't read nor listen;
If you explain -best is in writing- you 'll find that they misinterpreted. Overhere we all are known to write extensive as how I do myself (note that in my English this is even worse, not knowing the most powerful words); more than once (a day) we have reactions of writing too much, and yes, somewhere this is true. However, if all is right, not any word or comma is there for nothing; in our opinion being briefer just isn't possible, unless you leave the responsibilities out of your comments (!!).
So learn the users to read all you wrote, and point out to them than the missing comma of them really made a difference, and you couldn't understand.

A lot of questions are asked more than once;
The same user may do this, and another user within the same company may ask the same another user asked before. Both disturb us;
we document everything in a way all of us has access to it (think of a wiki), and a user should do the same. If it's too difficult for them to give access to the others, more than one user calling you is just not allowed.
So each time a question is asked twice, point out your unhappyness on it and try to teach it shouldn't happen again you don't have time for this.
Then answer the question anyhow.

Many users know better than you; they have experience on other systems where this and that works too etc.;
Of course in the end you know best what's in your system and why (not).
So give full responsibility or admit they are right, but then solve it !

Don't make the misstake to remember you or the user being rude the previous time; any call is a new one and your memory on this should be as little as possible.
So always be friendly the next time and try to do this from the heart.
Note that being rude (which we are explicitly when feld needed) drives away your customers from a principle; however, in 15 years we never lost a customer; be real at all times !

The most hated part by users, is when you 're not there where you're needed. Mind you, all of the above "teaching them" won't apply if you make misstakes yourself. One of the largests is not responding in time.
So organize yourself to be there all the time i.e. give all priority to the helpdesk.


In the end you gain on this. Of course a golden rule is never put out any functionality which is not "finished", or your phone won't stop.
Mind you, the above is mapped on the environment that an upgrade goes to thousands of users. So be prepared ! And believe it or not, we spend less than one manday on our helpdesk with these quantities; if our focus wouldn't be on these kind of things we sure would be a 10 times larger than we are leaving me with no time at all to write this kind of stuff.