I just thought I’d post a little reminder that I have a support desk at:-
http://www.Vendiva.com/support/
which uses TicketDesk Pro my help desk software.
The reason I’ve posted this reminder is because when I checked my email yesterday, I’ve had 3 people who are clearly frustrated because it seems I’m not answering their emails.
In fact, I’ve answered all of them, including all 4 of Catherine’s (if you’re reading this), so don’t think I’m ignoring you. Email gets checked twice a week now, with my goal for it to be once a week, but the support desk gets checked several times a day.
The problem is, as I’ve said before, even though I have both domain keys and SPF records in place to authenticate my email (and I also use AuthSMTP on some accounts), ISPs insist on filtering a lot of what they consider to be business email. From their point of view, they supply internet services to home users and therefore will only allow “home usage” email to be delivered.
If you’re running an internet business, then create a business email account off your main domain, and use that instead. No more ISP filters and you can communicate fully with the world again.
But if you really want to get my attention, then use my support desk. And if you want to ease the load on yourself, get a copy of TicketDesk Pro, it’s extremely easy to use. Before TDP, I was spending 2 hours a day on support by email. Since installing TDP, it takes me no more than 30 minutes to do all my support, and that’s with checking at regular intervals.
The reason it’s all become a lot faster is because I’ve fully loaded it with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and Standard Responses (SRs).
The FAQs catch most problems, and the SRs catch the bulk of the rest. In practice, many of the SRs are repeats of the FAQs as some people like to be told rather than look it up. That’s okay, it takes me a few seconds to read, select an SR and add it to my reply.
I’ve come to rely on the Standard Responses so much that I’ve created often used URLs in there. So now I can select an SR, add it, then select a URL and add that too. Or I can combine several SRs to create a fuller answer.
If you’re struggling with email yourself, then TicketDesk Pro is definitely the way to go to reduce your workload. It’s easy to use and it has some great benefits.
I’ve just upgraded my support desk to TDP 1.1 and I must say it’s great.
Previously, with a different product I had to create my own standard responses (I had to buy extra software to do that and it’s not integrated) and I think I have something like 150+ standard responses that are relevant to my situation.
As well as my own support desk I cover the support for another marketer and on a daily basis I’m seeing something up to 200 questions. It would be impossible to handle without standard responses.
Having standard responses has shaved something like 2 hours (!) off my working day – which is great.
But I’d like you to keep in mind something else: by using a standard response you can make sure you give the *best* and *fullest* answer to your customers. If you’re going to re-use an answer then it’s worth the time to make sure the wording is clear and complete (concise wouldn’t hurt, either!).
Over time, as you see how people respond to the answer you can tweak it to make sure it’s crystal clear.
Let’s be really honest. If you’re tired at the end of the working day and answering harder questions it’s so easy to cut the answer short because you want to be done and dusted. But with a standard response you can make sure you *always* deliver a quality answer that actually meets the needs of the customer.
For me, personally, that is the biggest benefit of the SR. The time-saving is a very,very nice cherry on the top!
TDP is so much more than you’re saying, Frank, that your visitors may not realize just how they can *increase* their business by using it.
Amin: As usual you add such a lot of value with your comments. You’re dynamite you know that don’t you? 😉
Yes you’re absolutely right. The Standard Responses allow you to go into lots of detail that you might normally have missed when answering email support the “manual” way.
And without thinking, that’s exactly what I’ve done with all of mine. It just makes so much more sense to give a fuller answer to every question. Some things are so natural to do that you miss just how big a benefit the Standard Responses are.
Thanks for pointing that out to me. 😉
-Frank