1

Welcome to the lesson about the mission critical support.

2
3
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
Explain the top rules of conduct
Describe the recommendations
Explain the best practices
4
There are four topics in todays training.
We start with an introduction. Then we delve a little deeper by providing explanations of
the top rules of conduct and best practices, followed by best practices of typical
situations, and a summary of the lesson.
Now let us start with the introduction.
5
This lesson may be interestingfor all employees in your support organization and other
interested colleagues.
You should use the content to discuss about the content in your team meetings, for new
colleagues - study and discuss with your mentor, and for advanced colleagues study
and review with own experiences and practices.
6
The key topics to provide excellent support are:
Product expertise, technical skills, and communication skills.
Where the communication skills are a key ingredient for excellence in Service &
Support.
We can improve our service & support by Increasing internal communication, Increasing
customer communication, and offering professional training programs and e-learning
sessions about various communication topics.
7
The motivation to increase our communication skills is because it can help to avoid
customer complaints.
Customer complaints that we receive every day in a service and support environment
are:
Insufficient status updates
The time required to solve a message
Long ping-pongprocess without any reaction or solution for the customer
Now lets use this motivation to delve into the communication topic.
8
Correct!
The key topics to provide excellent support are:
Product expertise, technical skills, and communication skills.
Sorry, that is incorrect. The correct answers are:
Product expertise, technical skills, and communication skills.
The key topics to provide excellent support are:
Product expertise, technical skills, and communication skills.
Where the communication skills are a key ingredient for excellence in Service &
Support.
We can improve our service & support by Increasing internal communication, Increasing
customer communication, and offering professional training programs and e-learning
sessions about various communication topics.
9
Nowwe delve a little deeper by providing the top rules of conduct and giving an overview
about best practices.
10
Mindset: Put yourself in the customers shoes
Be aware that answers from you can be read by several people at the customers site. Hence, never
make someone lose face. (FORBIDDEN: How can you ask such a question?!? It is obvious that this
cannot work!)
View the customer as your partner
Comments like Works as designed are not really helpful and friendly; try to explain the reasons, ask
for understanding
The person who reports a problem usually has a manager who requires a fast problem resolution
Should the issue really not to solve also not with an workaround be friendly and take courage to
communicate this
To think the customer would forget the message when you never reacts is quit unconfident and
unprofessional.
The result is a bad reputation for our whole Service & Support team
Attitude: Be professionally positive & honest
I dont know the answer to your question, but I will find someone who knows the answer.
Avoid negative words (problem), use positive words (message, incidence, issue).
If you do not understand something admit it, ask an colleague. If not, the customer will find out
anyway (sooner or later).
11
Credibility: Only make promises you are able to keep
Avoid raising unrealistic expectations. By not being firm enough (Ill see what I can do) you raise
expectations.
If you cannot deliver, you will disappoint the expectation.
Always give the customer a clear perspective about the next steps.
12
Credibility: Only make promises you are able to keep
Avoid raising unrealistic expectations. By not being firm enough (Ill see what I can do) you raise
expectations.
If you cannot deliver, you will disappoint the expectation.
Always give the customer a clear perspective about the next steps.
Reliability: If you say you will do something, DO IT
If you say you will give a status at the next days, always give the status, even if the status is that you
were unable to complete the message and need more time. You have also the possibility to set a plan
date upon approval by customer.
If the plan date is overdue w/o any solution do not hesitate to contact and inform the customer anew.
For a customer, not knowing what is going on is worse than knowing that you are working, but can't
finish.
Be aware, with an regular status update to the customer you can avoid proactive possible escalations.
Responsibility: Always keep in mind that the customer sees our company as a
whole
Always inform the customer if you forward his message to another component or support level
13
Please always analyze the issue sufficiently enough before you decide to forward the message
Inform the next colleague who is working on this message about your analyze results.
Thats really teamwork and save time for all following processors and reduce the solution time
effectively.
Comments like This is not my area of responsibility. to the customer cause frustration and offer no
help
Be aware big Ping-pongmessages makes a bad impression on the customers side concerning our
expertise and work organization
14
When a customer tried to call you and did not reach you
Call back immediately;
When the solution is given in a consulting or FAQ note
Always give a summary in the written answer (step-by-step guide, excerpt from the
note etc.)
When you explain the solution on the phone
Always document it in the customer message afterwards.
When you are working on a message over a longer period of time
Always make sure that the customer knows what is happening (or not happening)
but avoid to write such terms like I am on vacation the next two weeks
or I was on holiday the last weeks
and do not write I am the only person responsible with this knowledge in my area
Possibly it is right but it makes a really bad impression of our customers. The solution for such issues
should be to have a representative during holiday times and also another colleague with the required
knowledge in your area.
15
Please get in contact with your manager in case of such problems to ensure that a solution
will be provided.
Give always a regular status update
Or set a plan date as agreed upon with the customer
When the customer has already waited for quite some time
Apologize to the customer! Express that you are committed to resolve the issue now.
When you pick up a message that has been on the queue for a while with no activity
immediately call the customer. Tell them that you are taking it over.
Before you call a customer
prepare yourself: Which information do you want to get? Which information do you
want to get across?
What do want to achieve? Who do you need to talk to?
After you called a customer
make comments to your call, use notice type call to customer
note: the customer can see these comments too
16
In many cases, calling the customer is the most efficient way of dealing with them.
Sometimes its even mandatory- for example, when the customer has requested your
call or when you promised to call the customer or when after 2 rounds of questions &
answers the issue is still unclear to you
Calling can have many advantages over writing, it helps you get a sense of urgency
of the issue and you can clarify the issue more quickly and avoid ping-pong.
Also you should collect all necessary information fast, this will avoid ping-pongas well.
You should always call when the issue is urgent (e.g. in case of a contract priority).
When you think the customer has difficulties in understanding the product.
When you realize that there are several messages in your area that come from the
same customer and have the same priority: Let the customer decide about the urgency.
Small talk can help to give the customer a feeling that he/she is in good hands.
Sometimes though, its better to write, because:
The customer does not feel comfortable on the phone (for example, having to talk in English).
17
Your reply consists of lists of instructions which need to be carried out by the customer in a certain
order.
Sometimes you simply have to document what you have done or intend to do.
18
For your communication with the customer it is key, that you are a good listener.
Always you needto make sure you understand the customer message correctly with all
relevant points. Rephrase the issue for clarification in case of uncertainly or unclear
objective.
Avoid misunderstandings by getting a picture of the issue. Let the customer explain, but
guide him as much as possible and use attachments to get the full picture.
In advance you should use the phone, screen shots, remote tools, and whatever is
necessary to get clarification and details about the issue.
19
Correct!
For your communication with the customer it is key, that you are a good listener.
Sorry, that is incorrect. The correct answer is:
You are always a good listener
For your communication with the customer it is key, that you are a good listener.
Always you needto make sure you understand the customer message correctly with all
relevant points. Rephrase the issue for clarification in case of uncertainly or unclear
objective.
Avoid misunderstandings by getting a picture of the issue. Let the customer explain, but
guide him as much as possible and use attachments to get the full picture.
In advance you should use the phone, screen shots, remote tools, and whatever is
necessary to get clarification and details about the issue.
20
Next on our agenda is the topic about best practices of typical situations.
Please read the slides.
21
Situation: You are supposed to call a customer.
Prepare yourself by answering the following questions:
Which information do you want to get?
Which information do you want to get across?
What do want to achieve?
Who do you need to talk to?
Make sure that you address the right contact person.
Keep in mind that the person who created the message may be different from the person who actually
encountered the problem.
Do not assume too much expert knowledge.
22
Situation: Opening of a conversation with customer
Introduce yourself.
Give the exact reason for your call (message number and short text).
After giving the reason for your call, find out if your contact has the time (and the
knowledge) to discuss the open points (e.g. ask if he/she could spare some minutes of
his/her time and if he/she is the one who observed the error)
Keep in mind that sometimes a customer feels embarrassed that he/she has to open a
message, especially when it is a consulting question. Therefore, do not hesitate to
compliment the customer for the good preparatory work, e.g. precise sample data or an
open service connection. Try to make the customer feel that his/her concern is
legitimate. (also when you write a customer back)
23
Situation: You are supposed to process a customer message. The problem situation is
clear to you. However, one particular piece of information is missing.
Call the customer and ask for the particular information or request the information via
message.
Make it clear that it is definitely better to call (if it's really one piece of information) than
to send the request for information via message.
24
Situation: You receive a message which is highly incomplete
Send a list of questions. Make it clear that these questions need to be answered.
Possible questions could be:
What are your logon data?
Please, send a step-by-step example?
Can you please send the information about the direct contact person and his/her phone number?
What is the analysis from solution?
Would you please send an excerpt from short dump/log files?
Note: Some notes exist with lists of questions. The standard notes are 16018 or 46962,
but they're not feasible in every case, because they might be too comprehensive.
But there are also notes for special areas (e.g. note 324797 for IS-U-TO-MI).
25
Situation: When the problem situation described in the customer message is rather
unclear to you. You ask yourself: What is actually the problem?
Call the customer and discuss the issue with him.
Make sure that at the end of the conversation you have understood the issue. Get a
confirmation: I understand the issue as follows: - Is that correct?
Keep in mind that the person who created the message may be different from the
person who actually encountered the problem. If this is the case, try to get in touch with
the person who actually encountered the problem.
Avoid ping-pongmessages: Keep asking questions via message, since this may lead to
a lengthy and tedious ping pong.
26
Situation: You are supposed to compile a reply to a message to the customer
Do not assume too much detailed knowledge. In case of doubt, describe everything in
detail. Give the customer a step-by-step description of what is necessary to resolve the
issue.
Sometimes this might not be necessary. But usually you do not know in the first place if
it is necessary or not. In the long run, it is definitely more efficient to be comprehensive.
Be very clear in what you are saying. Otherwise, you might generate follow-up
questions.
27
Situation: You are calling a customer to explain the solution to him.
Always document a summary of the telephone call in the message to be on the safe
side.
This will help you with similar messages in the future.
This will help the customer.
This will help other colleagues to find and reuse your solution.
28
Situation: You are supposed to start a reply to a message to the customer and need a
form of address
If a name is given in the message:
Dear Mr - Dear Ms
If a name is given, but you are not sure if the name is male or female:
Dear <first name><last name>
If no name is given in the message
Dear Customer - Dear Sir or Madam
If the customer addresses you using your first name, you may do that also.
Very impolite would be:
Hi customer
Hi .
29
Situation: Message has already been shifted around between several levels,
components and processors
Call the customer right away.
If necessary, apologize for the delay in processing
Try to anticipate the end of the story andget in contact with the colleagues involved in
the ping-pongprocess.
Get in contact with your manager in case of any unclear questions to the responsibilities
between teams or levels or
Dont continue ping-pong
30
Situation: The message process will takes longer than you thought. You would like to set
a plan date.
Please contact the customer first via e-mail or phone before you set a plan date and
explain the reasons for it.
If the customer is agreed with your proposal to set a plan date then you can do it.
Make a notice about the reason and the agreement into the displayed popup. This text
will be visible to customers. Possibly you can create an reminder for yourselve that you
do not forget this agreed time.
Should it happen that the plan date is overdue w/o any solution you have to contact and
to inform the customer anew about the status of the message process.
Not wanted: Do not set a new plan date after overdue the previous plan date w/o
contact the customer anew.
Avoid to set the plan date again and again. This is not the sense of this feature and
makes a bad impression by the customer concerning the reliability of your statements.
31
Situation: You have processed a message and are about to close it now
Avoid being too directive.
Do not explicitly ask the customer to confirm the message. Otherwise the customer
might confirm the message and open a new message hoping to get a different
processor. In this case, the entire context with the first message would be lost.
Otherwise the message will be founded and the number of the former message will be
inserted as information.
32
Situation: The customer threatens to contact an SAP Executive Board Member unless
you deliver the solution for a particular problem immediately.
First keep calm and be further polite and friendly
Explain to the customer that you have to involve your management as well and do this
immediately.
33
Situation: You are located in a time zone which is different from the customers time
zone.
Explain to the customer that you are located in a different time-zone and therefore there
might be some delay in response.
If you make clear that you are 100% committed to solve the issue, in general you will
win the customers understanding.
34
Here now some myths that you may have in mind. But as always there are some best
practices based on experiences to overcome this.
The customer knows more than I do.
Prepare your call and response carefully.
If its so do not hesitate to admit it and compliment your counterpart. He will appreciate that as long as
you are committed to provide the requested help
The customer will be angry when I call.
General experience is that Customers are generally grateful when you call.
That there is a correlation between calling a customer and receiving high Positive Call
Closure (PCC) scores.
The customer will ask me a question I cannot answer.
It is totally OK if you reply that unfortunately you cannot answer this question right now,
but I will find out and get back to him by a precise date and time.
Even very experienced colleagues are not always able to answer every question.
35
The customer will ask for my phone no. and call me again and again later on.
Ask the customer to call your Support Hotline and they will put him through.
I am not familiar with the customers mentality .
You are not expected to be an expert in country-specific customs and practices.
Be always polite. Ask your advanced colleagues or your Manager for support around
that topic.
If I call the customer, I will not be able to send the message back to the customer
quickly.
In general, calling the customer saves time and avoid a lot of question-answer loops
with the customer.
36
Correct!
For a situation where the message is highly incomplete these are possible questions.
Sorry, that is incorrect. The correct answers are:
What are your logon data?
Please send a step-by-step example?
Do you have an excerpt from short dump/log files?
Send a list of questions. Make it clear that these questions need to be answered.
Possible questions could be:
What are your logon data?
Please, send a step-by-step example?
Can you please send the information about the direct contact person and his/her phone number?
What is the analysis from solution?
Would you please send an excerpt from short dump/log files?
37
Note: Some notes exist with lists of questions. The standard notes are 16018 or 46962,
but they're not feasible in every case, because they might be too comprehensive.
But there are also notes for special areas (e.g. note 324797 for IS-U-TO-MI).
38
Last we come to the summary.
39
You should now be able to:
Explain the top rules of conduct
Describe the recommendations
Explain the best practices
40
Thank you for attending this lesson.