24-Hour After-Sales Support

When a website or system suddenly fails, how can you quickly activate a post-sales response procedure? This book provides you with a step-by-step guide to handling an emergency, from warning signs to a solution. It covers 24-hour service team cooperation, user communication, and postmortem analysis, to help you maintain control of the situation and minimize business losses.

Preparation for emergencies.

Establish a clear response procedure.

Don't wait until a problem occurs to rush into action. Get your team to agree on a clear division of labor and an action plan in advance, such as who will be responsible for technical troubleshooting, who will liaise with the customer, and who will keep track of progress.It is suggested that the flowchart be posted in a conspicuous place in the workplace so that at critical moments a half-hour of communication can be saved.

Prepare a "lifesaving tool box.

Like having a first-aid kit at home, you should have an electronic toolbox containing server log query scripts, a table of common error codes, and a guide on how to start a backup server.Remember to update it monthly. Don't let an outdated plan delay the repair process.

Gold rules for handling problems.

The first step is to stabilize the customer's emotions.

If a system crashes, the users are the first to lose their cool.Don't just focus on fixing the problem, but also make sure to put up an error notice in a prominent place on the website.For example, "The technicians are working hard to restore service. We expect to be back up by X: X. Your data has been backed up, so please don't worry." Such a concrete promise of a time of restoration reduces customer complaints by 80 %.

Don't just go ahead and do it.

Not every problem requires everyone to work through the night! The impact of the problem is divided into three levels: Level 1 (total system failure) requires immediate activation of a telephone conference, Level 2 (partial system failure) requires priority protection of core business, and Level 3 (individual user problem) requires conventional support channels.Only by distinguishing between the urgent and the less so can one avoid burning out.

It's a necessary course for those who have just had a breakdown.

A second meeting had to be held.

Don't be under the illusion that fixing a problem will solve everything. Pull your team together and use the "three questions method" to review the situation: Why did this happen? Why was it not discovered earlier? How can we prevent it from happening again? Remember to summarize the conclusions of the meeting into a checklist. Next time you encounter a similar problem, the speed of resolution can be doubled.

We have to give an explanation to the customers.

Fixing the system is just the bare minimum. Offering compensation to affected users is what really earns you extra credit.For example, when giving a gift certificate, a handwritten letter of apology from the head of the technical department is attached. Such details can help turn a user's anger into understanding, and even lead them to actively promote the company's customer service attitude.

Revising the emergency response plan

Every malfunction is an opportunity to upgrade the defense system.We can use the lessons learned from this incident to improve our emergency response plans.Next time there's an emergency, you'll be glad you've already taken care of things.