I like to think of the help desk for any organization kind of like car insurance. You sure hope you never need it (them), but if you do, you want them to take care of you. When the technology is powering your business, you need it to be extra reliable, because that’s your income. Too often, the help desk behind big companies relies on scripts and metrics, rather than true support and help.
Take Facebook for an example. I think all of us have heard horror stories about Facebook/Meta making arbitrary decisions and then not being able to get to a human. Amazon is much the same way. If it’s a simple request, such as using their template to price match, then I’ve had good luck. If it’s something more complex, well, may the odds be in your favor.
Something I like to do before I purchase a service is to open a pre-sales ticket. I think of a question, one that may not be easily answered in the documentation, and I reach out and ask. If they aren’t going to provide good service to entice me to pay, then I wonder just how good the service will be after they get my money.
What am I looking for?
- Is the company reachable by a way that works for me? I prefer email and chat, so if I have to call to ask questions, that’s right out.
- Does the company reply with canned scripts or do they genuinely try to help?
- If the answer can be found in a help document, are they polite about directing me there or are they RTFM? (RTFM in tech speak is read the f*ing manual)
A reply will usually allow me to answer these questions and determine if I am going to be happy working with that business. It’s okay to test out support. Even if you never have a problem (remember the car insurance analogy), you want to know that they will help you if you do.
