4 Ways to Use Linksys Tech Support

Linksys tech support makes it easy for a user to actually solve a problem they are having with their device. In many instances, the network is setup and then maintained internally. There is no need for you to do anything with the device. It does all of the work for you. However, there are times that you may need to turn to tech support for additional aid. The good news is that if you have a Linksys wireless router, tech support is readily available.

In fact, Linksys offers numerous technical support options. Before you start to use them, you will need to have your Linksys admin code, which is provided to you when you purchase the device. It allows you into the administrative tools of the device. From there, consider your tech support options.

1. Use online tutorials and step by step troubleshooting tools. Most problems can be solved by using the online resources available to users at the company's website. The company offers Linksys router setup help, troubleshooting and more.

2. Use the Cisco Network. You can troubleshoot as well as repair your network by following the instructions provided to you here. This information can help you to get your system setup, to use it, or to manage the network in any way.

3. Forums are a great resource for help, too. Managed by staff and plenty of other users, you can connect with others to get your questions asked. This is a bit less formal in terms of what you will do, but it can offer you one of the fastest answers to your questions.

4. Go for the live chat help or phone help. Perhaps the best way to get complex Linksys technical support is to use costumer service. The company is easily accessible through live chat or over the toll free phone numbers. This is an important place to register your product, check your warranty and get answers to your questions.

In many cases, resetting your device is all you will need to do to get back online. In other situations, you may need a different type of Linksys router. However, if you find that this does not work, do not hesitate to contact Linksys support to provide you with guidance. The company works to make these devices as user friendly as possible. When you need help, though, there is help available to you from Linksys.

Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4140449

Industry Standards for Customer Service

Customer service is those actions a company takes to fulfill a customer's need or request. Specific standards do not exist across the customer service industry. Company management determines the customer service practices that are best for the business and the customer.

Issue resolution
The goal is to have a customer's issue resolved in one phone call. If the customer or company must continue to make phone calls to get the issue resolved, the customer's satisfaction decreases. However, depending on the nature of the company's product or service, more phone calls may be necessary.

Average Handle Time (AHT)
Depending on the type of customer service provided, the average amount of time taken to handle the customer's phone call can range from one minute to over an hour. For a book order, the average handle time could be five minutes. On the other hand, help desk technician calls for a software issue could have an AHT of 30 minutes or more.

Hold time
Call centers often tout that their customers do not wait a long time for an operator to answer the phone. Some companies say they answer 85 percent of their incoming phone calls within 15 seconds.

Tips
Representatives and their companies should not sacrifice customer service to achieve a certain industry standard. The company's products and services, and the work to deliver those items in the most efficient manner, are for the customer and for the business's economical benefit.

Source : eHow

Customer Support In The Virtual Era

Today a single customer complaint from someone with influence can have more impact on your company’s reputation than your best marketing — something we learned the hard way at Dell back in 2005 with Jeff Jarvis’ “Dell Hell” customer service fiasco. We quickly recognized what customers were saying online couldn’t be ignored and began taking immediate steps to engage directly with them on forums and across social media channels.

Social media became a core part of Dell’s business functions and customer service, and it was clear that providing support for our customers in the digital realm needed to be a vital element of our social strategy. In May 2010, we launched a centralized Twitter account @DellCares with the express purpose of helping customers in distress. At the time, the social landscape was littered with unaddressed complaints about Dell products, so we set out to change how customers perceive Dell and Dell support through listening, engagement and resolution.

Since introducing @DellCares customer care and tech support just over a year ago, we’ve connected directly with more than 10,000 customers, have converted 35 percent of our demoters to promoters and have established a reach that exceeds the circulation of the top 12 American newspapers combined.

We upped the ante in December when we opened the doors to our Social Media Listening Command Center, which allows us to monitor over 22,000 daily posts related to Dell as well as mentions on Twitter using the analytics tool Radian6. Since the launch, we’ve seen a significant decline in negative commentary about our products and services — proof that the ability to listen and respond instantly is a smart investment in any company’s future and a way to continually improve both business and customer relations.

While a listening mechanism like Dell’s requires resources likely unavailable to smaller businesses, any company can apply the principles we use with @DellCares to listen to what your customers are saying, to react to feedback more quickly and efficiently, and to gain a greater understanding of your customers’ needs and wants. What’s more, social media conversations can serve as an early warning system for issues that arise around your company’s products and services.

* Choose the right medium for your demographic:

Before creating a forum for customer support, evaluate your target market to determine which social media channels are most likely to reach them. Support forums and discussion boards can offer a great way to offer solutions to the masses and connect your customers with your experts, both your company’s experts and your customers and supporters that are experts. Twitter has a huge volume of 140 characters or less comments, and thus tons of opportunity for you to engage 1×1 with people talking about your brand, products, or services. Social networking platforms like Facebook, Orkut, and RenRen also offer great opportunities to connect with your community members. Your customers are already choosing their platform of choice, and it’s important to meet your customers where they play.

* Centralize your approach:

Initially at Dell we had more than 20 employees with Twitter accounts, not all of which were effective. While we had a number of employees focused on Twitter who were able to answer questions and direct customer issues or compliments to the right departments, it wasn’t an efficient use of their time nor the best way to solve problems. We launched our @DellCares Twitter stream for the sole purpose of helping customers resolve issues, and as a result we were able to help over 1,400 people in the first month alone. Having a centralized tweeting process is key to ensuring success and preventing confusion within your company.

* Personalization is key:

When you’re engaging with customers, it is important to connect with them on a personal level. People respond to people, so brands can lose credibility quickly if your communication appears to be coming from a robot. Each of @DellCares’ customer support representatives have their initials and headshots on the @DellCares profile page and every tweet is signed so customers know who they’re talking to and their tweets appear transparent.

* It’s a group effort:

Providing customer support through social media requires collaboration between customer service, marketing and product development to address an array of different problems. In order to respond effectively to issues via social media, it’s important that your customer service team is trained on your company’s brand messaging and your overarching customer experience strategy. If responses aren’t in line with your brand’s wider goals, it may create confusion and could impact customer satisfaction and retention.

* Use social media as a supplement, not a replacement:

Social media won’t replace conventional support tools; it provides a way for businesses to connect with customers real-time in the places where they’re already having conversations. While Twitter is great for finding customers and reaching out to them, the 140-character limit doesn’t allow for a lot of rich dialogue and it’s often necessary to migrate the conversations to a more appropriate medium. Once you’ve resolved the problem, provide public closure on the original channel.

* Define a response process and make sure to follow-up:

Just because social media is real-time doesn’t mean every problem needs to be addressed instantly. You have to take the time to understand the concern and think through a response to provide a working solution. Don’t forget to acknowledge the customer complaint and let them know that you’re working on resolving the issue. Keep them updated throughout the process and once the problem is resolved reach out to the customer on the original social channel to ensure that they’re entirely satisfied. This illustrates that you care about your customers as people and not just about extinguishing negative public commentary on your brand.

Customers are finding a voice through social media and using it as a support channel more and more. Tweeting a help request takes fewer steps than sending an e-mail or dialing a support line and can elicit an immediate response. At Dell, we want and need to be where our customers are and we suspect you do, too.

Source : forbes

Use the iPhone With Any Service Provider?

One of the down falls to many cell phones is that they are exclusive to one network or another which puts you out of luck if you really want a phone on another network but your current provider doesn't offer that phone. The iPhone is certainly no exception to this rule and many people broke their current contracts or waited until theirs was up and switched to AT&T so that they could use the iPhone since it was a revolutionary development. Still many others don't do this because they have excellent coverage or customer service on their current network.

The good news is that an iPhone is able to be used on any network once it is unlocked with various software or methods. The software jail breaks the phone releasing it from any locks to the current network from which it was previously tied to, AT&T being the specific one in this case.

You do not have to sacrifice anything when unlocking the phone either. The software remains up to date and many software programs guarantee that you can constantly receive updates to the software even after the phone has been switched and offer customer support as well. There is also a money back guarantee for many of these products if for some reason it doesn't work.

Another huge perk to this method is that applications can also be unlocked as well saving tons of money from purchasing them or buying something that you ultimately really don't want or like and wasting your hard earned money by trying it. Another method many people chose to try is to do it on their own with various tutorials and guides since it is claimed that the phone only requires a few simple steps to unlock and anybody can do it even without a huge technological background or proficiency as long as they can read and follow basic instructions.

One worry people may have is the lack of technical support for a jailbroken iPhone since obviously Apple will not cover a phone which has been modified. However, support is endless on the World Wide Web and many third party companies will offer their own support services especially if their software was the one used to unlock the iPhone and allow it to be used on virtually any cell phone network that you desire.

The reason that the iPhone is exclusive is due to a contract with AT&T with Apple which will eventually expire. It is useful to try a variety of methods when jail breaking your iPhone because sometimes a certain method may not work for one person but it will be perfect for another individual. Also, if you've tried unlocking it on your own it might not hurt to spend a little money and purchase software which will do the job for you which is as simple as plugging your iPhone into your computer and letting it do its magic. With all the different methods available to you today, there is no reason for you to not have access to your own iPhone.

Source: zineArticles

News on Multimedia Courses Technical Support

As you're considering studying a course to qualify for an MCSE, you're probably in 1 of 2 situations. You could be about to come into the computer world, and you've discovered that the IT industry has a huge demand for men and women who are commercially qualified. On the other hand you possibly are a knowledgeable person attempting to consolidate your skill-set with a qualification such as MCSE.

As you find out about, make sure you stay away from those that short-change you by not upgrading their courses to the latest Microsoft version. Such institutions will hold back the student because they'll have been studying an old version of MCSE which doesn't fall in with the existing exam programme, so they'll probably fail. Look out for training colleges who are just interested in your money. Always remember that buying a course for an MCSE is like buying a car. They're very diverse; some are reliable and will get you there in comfort, whilst some will be a big disappointment. A worthy company will offer you plenty of help to make sure a course is right for you. If a company has a creditable product, you'll be shown samples of it before buying anything.

An advisor that doesn't ask many questions - chances are they're just trying to sell you something. If they wade straight in with a specific product before getting to know your background and experience, then you know you're being sold to. With some live experience or some accreditation, you could discover that your appropriate starting-point is not the same as someone new to the industry. Starting with a user skills program first can be the best way to start into your computer studies, but really depends on your level of familiarity with computers.

A sneaky way that training companies make more money is by charging for exams up-front and then including an 'Exam Guarantee'. This looks like a great idea for the student, but let's just examine it more closely:

Patently it's not free - you're still coughing up for it - it's just been wrapped up in the price of the package. People who enter their exams one by one, paying as they go are far more likely to pass first time. They're conscious of their investment and take the necessary steps to be ready for the task.

Why should you pay your training company up-front for exams? Go for the best offer when you take the exam, instead of paying a premium - and do it locally - rather than possibly hours away from your area. A lot of extra profit is netted by many training colleges that take the exam money up-front. For quite legitimate reasons, a number of students don't get to do their exams and so they pocket the rest. Believe it or not, there are training companies that depend on students not taking their exams - and that's how they increase their profits. Many training companies will insist that you take mock exams first and hold you back from re-takes until you've completely proven that you're likely to pass - which makes an 'Exam Guarantee' frankly useless.

With average prices for VUE and Pro-metric exams in the United Kingdom costing around 112 pounds, the most cost-effective way to cover the cost is by paying when you need them. It's not in the student's interests to fork out hundreds or thousands of pounds for exams when enrolling on a course. Consistent and systematic learning, coupled with quality exam simulation software is what will really see you through.

Many training companies will only provide basic 9am till 6pm support (maybe a little earlier or later on certain days); very few go late in the evening or at weekends. Be wary of any training providers that use messaging services 'out-of-hours' - where an advisor will call back during typical office hours. This is useless when you're stuck and could do with an answer during your scheduled study period.

The most successful trainers utilise several support facilities from around the world. An online system provides an interactive interface to link them all seamlessly, irrespective of the time you login, help is just a click away, without any problems or delays. If you opt for less than direct-access 24x7 support, you'll very quickly realise that you've made a mistake. It may be that you don't use it throughout the night, but what about weekends, early mornings or even late evenings at some point.

Source: EzineArticles

Customer Support Technology

Customers must have a way to get in touch with company representatives when they need support with a product or service. Advances in communication technology provide customers with technological options to meet their needs more effectively and efficiently.

1. Interactive Voice Response
Many companies use interactive voice response systems, or IVR, to assist customers who call the company for support. IVR works through a telephone interface that allows the customer to "speak" to the recorded voice on the other end. IVRs provide customers with multiple options for the type of support they require. Sometimes customers can have all of their support needs met using IVRs.

2.Website Chats
Many companies have webpages that customers can visit online to obtain the technical support they need. Not only do websites offer a frequently asked questions page, but some companies even provide chat seminars in which customers can participate in a live chat with technical support staff. In a live chat forum, customers simply type their questions to the support staff, and the staff will reply with a typed message.

3. Remote Computer Support
If customers need support with their computers, special technology companies can virtually and remotely access the customers' device and fix it themselves. This method relies on an Internet connection. According to Technology News, customers contact the support technicians by phone or Internet, and the technicians use the Internet to connect to the customer's computer. The technician then troubleshoots the problem while the customer watches on his end of the computer screen.

Source : ehow

Government firms up support for tech-voc education

With more families struggling to afford their children an undergraduate degree, a government official said Monday that some are now turning to technical-vocational education to match the demand for skilled workers here and abroad.

Director General Joel Villanueva, the head of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), the sole government body tasked to handle tech-voc education, said his agency is ready to provide training attuned to the needs of various industries.

Under Villanueva’s term, a total of 622,831 individuals have received the certification out of the 740,673 who took the assessment from July 2010 to July 2011.

No data was released as to the number of graduates who made it to the job market.

Villanueva said the agency constantly consults with TVET (technical-vocational education and training) institutions and other partners to know their needs and get inputs on how to improve the delivery of TVET services in the country.

In each region, he said the potential of out-of-school youth, returning overseas Filipino workers and trainers should be tapped towards exploring technical-vocational education as an option to be more competitive.

For 2012, Tesda’s two scholarship programs –Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP) and the Private Education Students Fund Assistance (PESFA)– will get P700 million and P200 million, respectively, which are expected to benefit close to 65,000 scholars.

Villanueva said the agency has also stepped up its review and evaluation of programs in various qualifications it offers and identified and beefed up those that are demanded and most relevant to industries to ensure jobs for its graduates.

The country’s unemployment rate slightly went up to 7.1 percent in July from last year’s 7 percent, as the economy produced 870,000 jobs as against 729,000 people who joined the ranks of employed in the same period in 2010.