Encouraging End User Self Sufficiency

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Sit in on any conversation between support staff and sooner or later the issue of users, and their often questionable technical knowledge, is likely to come up. As well as exchanging 'the worlds worst user stories', you'll often hear general gripes about the user who couldn't create a table or send an email with an attachment. The problem is, while the story might seem funny when told between tech's over coffee, from a business perspective there really isn't anything amusing about it. Here's why.

First, the user tries to send an email but doesn't know how to attach a file. Why doesn't the user know? Well, lets imagine that they haven't had to do it before. So what they do is try and figure it out for 20 minutes on their own before giving up and calling the helpdesk. After holding for 10 minutes, the helpdesk walks them through the procedure and the mail is sent. The end result is that a task which should take less than a minute has now taken 30 minutes, and the costs associated with the problem are, relatively speaking, huge.

One solution to such problems is really quite simple - make users more self sufficient. But, to do that, you must provide the tools and tips to make them that way. Here are a some suggestions of how you can help users to help themselves, ease the burden on your overworked tech support staff, and ultimately save your company money.

1. Don't ignore the basics
Some of the simplest and most damaging mistakes are often made by users who simply don't have a grasp of the basics, or perhaps did once but don't now. For example, perhaps the user has forgotten (or was never told how to) format a floppy disk. The result is a formatted C: drive which must now be reghosted or reloaded. You might not have an OS (such asWindows 2000 Pro) that lets them do this, but many organizations still use less secure OS's that will allow it. A short tutorial, accessed via an intranet web page or a quick reference card, can save a sizable amount of grief all round.

2. Create documentation for infrequently performed tasks
Most of us forget how to perform even the most basic tasks if we don't do them for some time (at least that's the excuse I give my wife for not doing laundry), and users are no different. If it's been over a year since the user zipped a directory's worth of files and ftp'd them to a remote location, they are unlikely to remember the procedure during a race to beat the 5:00pm payroll deadline a year later. For infrequently performed tasks, make sure that there is easy to access, clear, concise documentation available.

3. Run Information Sessions
Lay on a free buffet lunch and you'll be amazed at just how many otherwise disinterested employees will turn up for an information session on a new product or system. You may think that these same people will only be interested in the cold cuts and subs, but make the presentation interesting enough and people will listen and learn. If you want to make the information session even more attractive, think about a door prize or two as well. Of course you might also try the approach of making attendance of the sessions mandatory, but be prepared for a more hostile crowd.

When you do have the information sessions up and running, make sure you advertise them well. Notify managers directly, send out emails to appropriate departments, and even post flyers by the vending machine. Use presenters for the sessions that are fun, and make sure that the sessions are informative. Just like a good movie, word will spread about an interesting and informative information session (even faster if the food is good!).

4. Use Resources Already Available
Here's a 'novel' approach to those niggling end user queries - buy a handful of copies of a user guide for the common products used in your organization. Instead of re-inventing the wheel, and writing your own material, you can use existing material to make users more self-sufficient. Give copies of the books to the most 'intensive' end users and have a library of other books available to those users who just have occasional queries. Make it easy enough to get a hold of a book that you don't deter people, but create some kind of signing out system so that you don't lose track of who has which book.

To take this book idea one step further, create technical libraries that contain a range of books users will find useful in solving minor support issues. We are not talking about supplying multiple copies of 'Upgrading and Repairing PC's', but a few copies of 'The Dummies Guide to Microsoft Office' can do wonders in terms of helping users to help themselves with basic tasks.

If budgets allow, also consider purchasing computer based training products or sign up with an online training provider and make users aware that these resources exist. There is a golden rule here that can be applied to almost every element of user education. The more accessible you make it, the more likely they are to use it. The Field of Dreams mentality - "if you build it, they will come" - might have worked for Kevin Costner, but you are more likely to have to tell people directly if you want them to use your training resources.