Frequently Used Terms in a Support Department

1. Escalation: Escalation refers to the process of transferring a customer's issue or concern to a higher level of support or management. It usually happens when a customer's problem requires additional expertise or attention beyond the capabilities of the initial support agent.
2. First Call Resolution (FCR): FCR is a metric used to determine the percentage of customer issues resolved during the initial interaction with the support team, without the need for any further follow-up or escalation. It is an important measure of customer satisfaction and efficiency in the support department.
3. Knowledge Base: A knowledge base is a centralized repository of information, documents, and resources that support agents can access to find solutions to common customer issues. It serves as a reference tool to aid in quick and accurate problem resolution.
4. On-Hold Time: On-hold time is the duration a customer spends waiting on the phone or in a chat queue before a support agent becomes available to assist them. Keeping on-hold time to a minimum is crucial in providing excellent customer service.
5. Reactive Support: Reactive support refers to the practice of addressing customer issues as they arise or on-demand. Support team members respond to customer inquiries or problems after they are reported, rather than proactively preventing them. It is often the primary mode of support in most organizations.
6. Service Level Agreement (SLA): An SLA is a contractual agreement between a company and its customers, defining the level of service and support the company will provide. It outlines various metrics, such as response time, resolution time, and availability, to ensure customer expectations are met.
7. Ticketing System: A ticketing system is a software tool used by support departments to manage and track customer issues. It assigns unique identifiers (tickets) to each customer request, allowing agents to prioritize, assign, and track the progress of each ticket until resolution.
8. Upselling: Upselling is a sales technique employed by support agents to suggest additional products or services that complement what a customer already owns or intends to purchase. It aims to increase revenue by encouraging customers to spend more.
9. User Acceptance Testing (UAT): UAT is the final phase of testing before a product or feature is launched. It involves real end-users testing the software to ensure it meets their needs, finding any potential issues or bugs, and providing feedback for further improvements.