What's Your Problem?

Quint, Barbara, Information Today

Customer support lies at the crux of the online industry's problems these days. All the advisers in the art of management harp unendingly tht companies and industries must build their products, services, and futures around what the customer wants. At the same time, computer shoppers complain that technical support from hardware and software firms has nearly vanished at a time when platforms have become more complex. At least free technical support has, though the 900 number has arrived.

The database industry faces even more challenges as its traditional professional searcher market presses for continued expert service, while the growing end-user market demands expensive, time-consuming coaching. What to do? What to do first? What to do for how much?

Lessons from WordPerfect

A customer support desk's best question is an unasked question. This rule also applies to support call prevention programs, AKA training and documentation. In the real world of customers' learning to search, customer support often serves as a "format" or "media" choice. Just as some audience members prefer visual presentations and others verbal--right brain, left brain sort of thing--some novice searchers prefer personal coaching over class-plus-textbook. Gender gap considerations may operate in this area. As so many T-shirts proclaim these days, real men don't ask for directions, but women may feel more comfortable in talking through the learning process. Many professional searchers still come from the female-dominated profession of librarianship.

Bottom line, search services and CD-ROM database producers should …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: What's Your Problem?. Contributors: Quint, Barbara - Author. Magazine title: Information Today. Volume: 12. Issue: 1 Publication date: January 1995. Page number: 7+. © 2009 Information Today, Inc. COPYRIGHT 1995 Gale Group.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.