The art of software support: design and operation of support centers and help desks

1. Introduction. 2. Call Management Models. Achieving Customer Satisfaction. Call Flow Models. Other Call Management Considerations. Escalations. 3. Call Management Implementation. Hotline Support Basics. Phone Interface. Call Routing. Escalation Management. Non-phone Based Support. Disaster Recovery Planning. 4. Measuring Support Center Performance. Important Process Metrics. Customer Satisfaction. Analysis Metrics. 5. Packaging Support Programs. What is a support package and why create one? Defining Successful Support Packages. Pricing and Selling Support Packages. Sample Support Offerings. 6. Support Organization Structure. Do I need an organization dedicated to Support? Third-Party Support: Outsourcing. Reporting Structure. Do I need more than one Center? Internal Structure of the Support Group. 7. Managing Support People. Planning Support Staffing Needs. Hiring Support Staff. Managing Support Staff Performance. Retaining Support Staff. Managing Morale. 8. Managing Software Bugs and Code Fixes. Definitions and Models for Bug Fixing. Bug Fixing Process. Fixes for Third-Party Products. 9. Tools for Software-Support. Choosing, Justifying, and Implementing Tools. Phone System. Fax System. Call Tracking System. Bug Tracking System. Knowledge Base System. Proactive Customer Communication Systems. Customer Tracking System. Problem Reproduction Environment. Call Center Management Applications. Facilities. 10. New Product Planning. Planning for New Products. Training for New Products. Testing for New Products. Appendix A. Sample User's Guide. Appendix B. Call Resolution Overview. Framing the Call. Problem Solving. Creative Brainstorming. Checking Satisfaction. Appendix C. Determining Staffing Levels. Deriving a Staffing Level Knowing the Service Target. Deriving a Service Level from the Staffing Level. Effect of Call Length on Service Level. Theoretical Proof of "Big is beautiful". Appendix D. Creating and Justifying a Support Center Budget. Justifying a Support Center Budget. Building a Support Center Budget. Bibliography. Index.