The title of this article is First Contact. Star Trek fans know that this is clearly something that needs to be done carefully. After all, contacting an alien species for the first time is the only chance to make a good first impression. Will the first contact be responsible for an all out war or a peaceful partner in the galaxy?

Support Analysts have a similar challenge. Ignoring technology, there are basically two general approaches for how an analyst can obtain information from a customer:

Approach 1 – Get all the customer’s contact and account information before starting:

Analyst: Weapons department, outpost 232. This is the phaser support line. What is your intergalactic account number?
Customer: Sorry, I don’t have my intergalactic account number on me. I just wanted to… <analyst interrupts>
Analyst: Please provide me with the serial number of your phaser.
Customer: Sorry I don’t know that. I just wanted to…<analyst interrupts again>
Analyst: Can I get your last starbase, intergalactic phone number, and squadron?
Customer: <now getting irritated> I DON’T have any of that information! All I want to do is… <analyst interrupts again>
Analyst: I can’t help you until I get your contact information.
Customer: I only want to know if the next model phaser with the 4 stun settings has shipped yet.
Analyst: We don’t handle that. I need to get your information so I can get credit for this call. What is your intergalactic account number?
Customer: <has now given up, hung up, and is going on space-net to declare that the people that work on the phaser support line are intergalactic idiots.>

Approach 2: First, LISTEN to what the customer has to say!

Analyst: Welcome to phaser support. This is Kathy. How can I help you today?
Customer: Can you tell me if the next model phaser, with the 4 levels of stun settings has shipped yet?
Analyst: Yes they have. In fact, I have received mine already. I love the level 2 stun setting. I use it to zap my husband and get him off the couch. Are you trying to track your phaser shipment?
Customer: Yes.
Analyst: Great, I can help you. Can I get your name and current outpost?

Customers will tell you that they prefer approach 2 above. The “best practice” and conventional wisdom of getting all the customer’s contact information before listening to their concern is actually a worst practice. Getting all the contact information up front is easier for the analyst but is more frustrating for the customer. Analysts should not be robots. They should have good judgment, be good listeners and be able to adapt and pace themselves to their customers. Analysts should get the technical information they need from the customer when it makes sense during the conversation instead of disrupting the customer’s thought process. Remember the prime directive: It’s about the customer!

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 9th, 2007 at 5:10 pm and is filed under Service Humor, Service Tips, Service Best Practices. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.