What Is the Second Most Important Characteristic of an IT Support Engineer?
Survey Says IT Communication Skills!
In our last post, we talked about how the ability of the engineer to follow processes is the most important characteristic. However, the ability to follow processes on its own is not a winning formula. There are three ingredients and the second one is IT communication skills.
However, when you look at job descriptions for engineers, they read like a technical manual. For instance, there is a string of technical competencies they must master. In fact, for most MSPs, it is even greater because they expect the engineers to master all levels – not just the one they are being hired for.
Typical End-User Experience with Bad Engineers
As an end-user, I am sure you have received help from several desktop engineers in work and personal life. Certainly, there is one that stands out over time – either because he was so good, or because he was really bad.
For example, the good one probably listened to your issue, walked through a solution, fixed the problem, and went on their way. In contrast, the bad one was probably condescending, had a thick accent, or talked techy jargon over your head, and left you feeling lost as to what just happened.
The Importance of Great IT Communication Skills
Unquestionably, being technically astute is an important quality, but I would much rather get someone good with technology and give them the resources to be great than to hire someone who is going to chase away my clients.
Any network operations manager knows that knowledge can only be used on machines – not people. They know great engineers should be able to communicate through stressful situations, have empathy, exercise patience, show confidence in their work, and be technically astute.
Unfortunately, this is a hard combination to find. Especially when you consider the low unemployment rate in this industry. But, the technical knowledge without good IT communication skills ends up costing the MSP money. Therefore, the smart MSP’s guard against this.
Techy Talk Masterminds – Or So They Think!
Unfortunately, it is very common with small MSPs to talk the techy talk rather than communicate the solutions in layman’s terms. While their techy knowledge is quite impressive at first, it becomes old quickly.
Without a doubt, I can’t tell you the countless times a prospect told me that their IT guy showed up, went into the server room closet, stayed in there for five hours, and gave them a whopping bill. When they asked him what he did, he spoke circles around them with techy jargon.
At the end of the day, they had no idea what they paid for or why it was necessary. They felt bullied and lost. I am here to tell you, that is not the way IT support is supposed to work. After all, the most important word in IT support is “support.” All of which require great IT communication skills!
INSI Makes IT Communication Simple
At INSI, we believe the client should understand the work we did and the options they have. For this reason, we have Customer Service Managers (CSM) who serve as the single point of contact for their clients. Each CSM is a seasoned engineer who has great communication skills. Likewise, they will get to know your company, employees, and IT needs very well.
Also, each CSM committed to the security and reliability of your network. As such, they make recommendations with security and reliability in mind. Best of all, your CSM is responsible for directing and coordinating all the activities on your account. Most importantly, they are measured on your client satisfaction. This results in clear communication between INSI and the client.
Avoid the Techy Jargon – Call INSI Today for All Your IT Support Needs!
Do You Want To Learn More About the Importance of IT Communication Skills?
If you would like to know more about this topic and how it affects you, visit Amazon or Barnes & Noble for a copy of the book IT Outsourcing Secrets – A Small Business Guide to Comparing IT Support Companies.
