Name:

BUS102 Midterm Study Guide

True/False
Indicate whether the statement is true or false.
A
1.
Today, the help desk is primarily considered a stepping stone to other professions.
2.

A support center typically has a smaller scope of responsibility than a help desk so it can provid

3.

It is standard practice on most help desks not to log easy-to-solve or common complaints.

4.

Monitoring is when a supervisor or team leader listens to a live or recorded call or sits beside an
quality of the call.

5.

A caring attitude refers to the help desks ability to be available when customers need help and m
obtain help.

6.

Help desk analysts use verbal skills to communicate with customers; they do not use nonverbal

7.

When diagnosing a customers problem, it is important to determine his skill level so you know
when solving the problem.

8.

Sometimes not asking questions is actually a component of providing good customer service.

9.

When speaking to customers, you should always use your normal rate of speech.

10.

Empathy is one of the 3 critical factors discussed in this chapter that makes up your tone of voic

11.

E-mail and Internet support services are expected to increase considerably in the coming years;
will be much reduced, if used at all.

12.

If a customer leaves a message for a help desk analyst, the analyst should return the call, even if
know that the call was received and logged, and that it is being handled.

13.

When helping a customer over the phone, you should always let the customer ask the first quest
willing to listen.

14.

A workaround is considered the final resolution to a problem; once it is implemented, and the cu
should be closed.

15.

If a manager is going to evaluate an analysts handling of a call, the analyst should be provided
constitutes a successful call, prior to being evaluated.

16.
17.
18.

Good writing skills are no more important for help desk analysts today than they were ten years
IM is rapidly surpassing e-mail as a preferred method of communication in the business world.
When entering data into text fields in a problem management system, standard terms for words
you use synonyms, other analysts will understand what you mean.

19.
20.

A good solution should describe things to attempt when diagnosing problems or responding to i
Since readers want to acquire information quickly, numbered sequences or lists arranged in a lo

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
21. What is a help desk?
a. A group of people who resolve problems.
b.
c.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

A single point of contact within a company for managing d.

problems and requests and for providing solutionoriented support services.

Which type of support includes services that help a customer understand and bene
capabilities
by support
answering questions, solving problems, and providing
training?
a. customer
c.

b. product support
d.
Which task involves using tools to observe and control network performance to pre
impact
of problems?
a. network
control
c.
b. network administration
d.
Network and system administration involves _____.
a. setting up and maintaining user accounts.
b.

c.
performing e-mail and database management.
d.
What is the the most expensive component of a help desk?
a. people
c.
b. processes
d.
What is a collection of information sources such as customer information, documen
procedures,
and
incident
resolutions?
a. a Service
Level
Agreement
c.
b. a knowledge base
d.
Which term refers to the perceived worth, usefulness, or importance of a product o
a. cost
c.
b. value
d.
What are problems and requests received by help desks often called?
a. occurrences
c.
b. incidents
d.
Results that customers consider reasonable or due to them are called _____.
a. expectations
c.
b. service levels
d.
Which are used by many Web sites to identify users and track their preferences?
a. tracers
c.
b. incidents
d.
Which is a primary characteristic of a world class company?
a. It achieves and sustains high levels of customer
satisfaction.

b. It has customers all over the world.

c.
It provides 24x7 support.
d. All of the above
Which type of computing is an environment where people have access to their info
systems
from public
shared access points, such as airports, hotel
a. anywhere
computing
c. rooms, and librar
b. global computing
d.
Voice mail, e-mail, and Web-based support are referred to as support _____.
a. routes
c.
b. channels
d.
Be willing to a customer may mean _____.

35.

36.

37.

38.

a.
b.
c.

maintaining a 5% abandon rate

taking ownership of all problems
resolving or escalating problems within the required
time

d.

responding to voicemail messages within 30 minutes

Which is correct?
a. The customer is always right.
b. Satisfied customers are always loyal.
c.
Help desks should learn to strike all negative phrases
from their vocabulary.

d. All of the above.

What is the number one reason that customers choose to do business with another
a. They were dissatisfied with the product.
b. They formed new relationships.
c.
They felt an attitude of indifference.
d. They moved away.
A Help Desk Institute survey cited what as the most important quality for a support
a. problem solving ability
c.
b. listening
d.
Which is an example of passive listening?
a. Waiting for the speaker to finish before you answer.
b.
c.

39.

40.

41.

Responding to the speaker.

Simply taking in information and showing little regard
for the speaker.

d. Asking the speaker questions.

Which is an example of active listening?
a. Verifying that you understand the speaker.
b. Paying attention to what is being said and how it is
being said.
c.
Not asking the speaker questions.
d. Both A and B.
Which is an example of active listening?
a. Asking questions that are too basic for the customers
skill level.
b.
c.
d.
If a
a.
b.
c.
d.

Using acronyms with new customers.

Learning the customers business language.
Both A and B.
customer is very angry, an analyst should _____.
let him vent
use a verbal nod of the head to indicate he is listening
refrain from interrupting him
All of the above

42.

43.

44.

45.

When is it appropriate to interrupt a customer?

a. When he is upset.
b. When he is being abusive.
c.
When he is describing what caused his problem.
d. It is never appropriate to interrupt a customer.
If you are unsure whether a customer understands what you have just said, how sh
a. Continue talking, but speak more slowly so the customer
will be sure to understand.
b.

Keep talking; the customer will interrupt if he has a

question.

c.

Ask the customer if he would like you to repeat what you

have said.

d.

Assume the customer did not understand what you said

and repeat, verbatim, the information.

What is paraphrasing?
a. Slowly repeating what the customer has just said.
b.

Restating information using slightly different words.

c.
d.

Removing all acronyms from your speech.

Using appropriate technical jargon in your speech.

What is the most common way to build rapport with a customer?

a. Answer the phone promptly.
b. Use a standard, polite greeting when answering the
phone.
c.
d.

46.

47.

48.

49.

Ask the customer how you may help them.

Listen for the customers name and use it respectfully
during the remainder of your conversation.

Which is a benefit of active listening?

a. Assisting an analyst in downplaying the urgency of the
problem.
b.

Enabling an analyst to address the customers emotions.

c.

Helping an analyst to keep the conversation on track.

d. Both B and C.
Which is an effective method of dealing with chatterers?
a. Restate their information and opinions.
b. Sympathize with their complaints.
c.
Avoid encouraging them.
d. Both B and C.
Which concept does Listening is not waiting for your turn to talk explain?
a. jumping ahead
c.
b. distractions
d.
Which is a common mistake in customer service?
a. Delivering too much information.
b. Being too empathetic.

c.

Getting too much information from the customer.

d.

Being too polite.

50.

51.

52.

53.

54.

55.

56.

57.

Which factor most influences customer perception when people are communicating
a. tone of voice
c.
b. verbal communication
d.
Which is true about voice pitch?
a. High-pitched voices are viewed as strong.
b. To lower your voice pitch, raise your head.
c.
Low-pitched voices are associated with someone who is
in control.

d. All of the above.

Who is most likely to avoid engaging in social conversation and wants to get to the

a. aggressive people
c.
b. chatterers
d.
According to a Help Desk Institute survey, what percentage of its membership indic
request
a. 42%services through the telephone?
c.
b. 51%
d.
According to a Help Desk Institute survey, what percentage of its membership indic
voice
mail?
a. 60%
c.
b. 70%
d.
What does the acronym ACD stand for?
a. Available Call Diagnostic
c.
b. Attendant Call Distributor
d.
Which is true of ACD systems?
a. They integrate with databases.
b. They can automate routine tasks, such as changing a
password.
c.
They determine what calls an analyst receives.
d. All of the above.
Which is true about a VRU?
a. It can provide the analyst with a history of the callers
previous problem.
b.

58.

59.

60.

It allows the collection of a unique identifier and then

verifies something about the customer.

c.
It enables screen pops.
d. Both A and B.
What is the service provided by a local phone company that identifies the telephon
calling?
a. caller identification
c.
b. automatic number identification
d.
What is the service provided by a long distance phone company that identifies the
person
calling?
a. caller
identification
c.
b. automatic number identification
d.
Which is a benefit of CTI?
a. Giving a 911 operator the address of the emergency.
b.

Displaying a previous order to the sales representative.

c.
d.

Facilitating fax server transmissions.

All of the above.

61.

62.

63.

64.

65.

66.

67.

68.

69.

Which is true about unsupported products?

a. Typically, helps desks retain ownership of problems
relating to unsupported products.
b.

As long as analysts are familiar with unsupported

products, they should try to help the customers with
these products.

c.

Analysts should exhibit a can do attitude when faced

with unsupported product questions.

d. Both A and C.
When dealing with unsupported products, some companies establish a(n) _____ pol
time
limit for assisting customers.
a. best-effort
c.
b. quick-fix
d.
Which is appropriate when a customer asks to speak to an analyst who is unavailab
a. Ask for the customers name and then politely explain
that the analyst is unavailable.
b.

Inform the customer that the analyst is meeting with his

supervisor about a project he is working on.

c.

Tell the customer that the analyst hasnt shown up

today.

d.

Inform the customer that the analyst is unavailable and

ask if you may help the customer.

What kind of transfer is synonymous with a conference call?

a. hot transfer
c.
b. quick transfer
d.
Which kind of transfer might be appropriate if there is a backlog of incoming calls i
a. hot transfer
c.
b. quick transfer
d.
Which kind of transfer might be appropriate if the analysts quickly realizes that the
wrong
telephone
a. hot
transfer number?
c.
b. quick transfer
d.
What kind of survey involves calling a customer and asking for feedback on a probl
recently
solved? survey
a. event-driven
c.
b. overall satisfaction survey
d.
What kind of survey asks customers for feedback about all calls they made to the h
time
period?
a. event-driven
survey
c.
b. overall satisfaction survey
d.
In which instance will customers use IM technology?
a. For non-critical problems.
b. When they want to receive detailed information.
c.
d.

When they want to obtain answers to FAQs.

When they have questions that need to be answered
before they order a new product.

70.

Today, help desks are relied upon to do what?

a. Develop procedures that can be used by customers.
b.

71.

c.
Relay knowledge by word of mouth.
d. Both A and B.
Which is an example of a technology used to enable self-service for customers?
a. Using an ACD to assign a call to the next available
analyst.
b.

72.

73.

74.

75.

76.

77.

78.

79.

Record problem information only when the problem is a

new type of problem.

Using SBR to route the call the appropriate analyst.

c.
Using a fax-on-demand system to obtain FAQs.
d. Both A and B.
Clicking what might open a pop-up window with a definition or instructions?
a. emoticon
c.
b. hyperlink
d.
Which is a self-service typically offered via a Web site?
a. A solutions database that customers may use to solve
their own problems.

b. Online forms to submit problems and requests.

c.
A link to live text chats with help desk analysts.
d. All of the above.
According to a Help Desk Institute study, what percentage of help desks provide th
ability
to use e-mail to submit requests?
a. 16%
c.
b. 23%
d.
E-mail is typically used to do which of the following?
a. Conduct satisfaction surveys.
b. Automatically create trend reports.
c.
Provide a knowledge base for customers.
d. All of the above.
Which of the following works well for entry-level analysts and involves a structure o
answers
designed
to lead an analyst to a solution?
a. fuzzy
logic
c.
b. CBR
d.
Who is responsible for maintaining a help desks knowledge management system?
a. a knowledge engineer
c.
b. a database administrator
d.
Why are knowledge management systems beneficial?
a. They reduce the number of escalations to the second
level.
b. They increase analysts problem solving skills.
c.
They improve the consistency of resolutions.
d. All of the above.
Which type of report typically provides an assessment of the current environment,
that
resultreport
in an improved environment, and recommendations?
a. will
progress
c.
b.

requirements report

d.

80.

81.

82.

83.

Which is true?
a. When writing procedures, only include information about
what to do; do not include information about what not to
do.
b.

The help desk manager should create the Help Desk

Analysts Guide.

c.

Use jargon and technical terms in your writing, even if

simpler words will do just as well.

d.

Try to strengthen the impact of your writing by saying

how good, how bad, or how fast something is, instead of
just saying that something is good, bad, or fast.

What is a form?
a. A predefined document that contains text or graphics
users cannot change and areas in which users enter
data being collected.
b.

A predefined item that can be used to quickly create a

standard document or e-mail message.

c.

The standard method of entering data into a problem

management system.

d.

An element of a database record in which one piece of

data is stored.

What is a template?
a. A predefined document that contains text or graphics
users cannot change and areas in which users enter
data being collected.
b.

A predefined item that can be used to quickly create a

standard document or e-mail message.

c.

The standard method of entering data into a problem

management system.

d.

An element of a database record in which one piece of

data is stored.

Which is correct when writing e-mails to customers?

a. When closing a message, sign it as from the help desk,
not from you personally.
b.

84.

Include as many subjects as necessary in the e-mail

message.

c.
Use a meaningful subject line.
d. Both B and C.
Which is true of online chat and IM?
a. They are expensive.
b. They are instantaneous.

c.
d.

DATE:___________________

102 Midterm Study Guide

True/False

sidered a stepping stone to other professions.

ler scope of responsibility than a help desk so it can provide more thorough service.

esks not to log easy-to-solve or common complaints.

eam leader listens to a live or recorded call or sits beside an analyst to measure the

sks ability to be available when customers need help and make it easy for customers to

o communicate with customers; they do not use nonverbal skills.

em, it is important to determine his skill level so you know how to respond and proceed

tually a component of providing good customer service.

ould always use your normal rate of speech.

rs discussed in this chapter that makes up your tone of voice.

are expected to increase considerably in the coming years; therefore, the telephones role

help desk analyst, the analyst should return the call, even if only to let the customer
ogged, and that it is being handled.

hone, you should always let the customer ask the first question, so he knows you are
resolution to a problem; once it is implemented, and the customer is happy, the call

analysts handling of a call, the analyst should be provided with a checklist of what
being evaluated.

ortant for help desk analysts today than they were ten years ago.
preferred method of communication in the business world.
a problem management system, standard terms for words are not necessary. As long as
l understand what you mean.

gs to attempt when diagnosing problems or responding to inquiries.

ation quickly, numbered sequences or lists arranged in a logical order work well.

Multiple Choice
s the statement or answers the question.
A phone line used by people who need
technical support.
A place where telephone calls are made,
or received, in high volume.

services that help a customer understand and benefit from a products

ons, solving problems, and providing
training?
technical
support

training support
to observe and control network performance to prevent and minimize the
network maintenance
network monitoring
ensuring that the data the company
collects is secure.
All the above

component of a help desk?

technology
information
on sources such as customer information, documents, policies and
ions?
a customer database
an incident-tracking database
ved worth, usefulness, or importance of a product or service to the customer?
customer service factor
expectations
s received by help desks often called?
hits
inputs
reasonable or due to them are called _____.
value
perceptions
tes to identify users and track their preferences?
cookies
usernames

nvironment where people have access to their information and computing

ess points, such as airports, hotel rooms,
and libraries?
self-service
computing

ubiquitous computing
ed support are referred to as support _____.
conduits
access methods

that customers choose to do business with another company?

ed what as the most important quality for a support person?

ability to empathize
communication skills

omer understands what you have just said, how should you proceed?

s not waiting for your turn to talk explain?

imaging
emotional filters

stomer perception when people are communicating over the telephone?

nonverbal communication
prompt answering of the phone

aging in social conversation and wants to get to the point immediately?

complainers
know-it-alls
te survey, what percentage of its membership indicated that customers
ephone?
71%
83%
te survey, what percentage of its membership indicated that customers use
80%
90%
Answering Call Identification
Automatic Call Distributor

a local phone company that identifies the telephone number of the person
computer telephony integration
skills-based routing
a long distance phone company that identifies the telephone number of the
computer telephony integration
skills-based routing

products, some companies establish a(n) _____ policy, with an established

s.
workaround
ad hoc
stomer asks to speak to an analyst who is unavailable?

cold transfer
warm transfer
appropriate if there is a backlog of incoming calls in the queue?
cold transfer
warm transfer
appropriate if the analysts quickly realizes that the customer has dialed the
cold transfer
warm transfer
ling a customer and asking for feedback on a problem that the help desk
monitoring survey
call survey
mers for feedback about all calls they made to the help desk during a certain
monitoring survey
performance survey

ology used to enable self-service for customers?

up window with a definition or instructions?

screen pop
IM tab

te study, what percentage of help desks provide their customers with the
equests?
42%
63%

ll for entry-level analysts and involves a structure of questions and possible

alyst to a solution?
decision trees
QBE
ng a help desks knowledge management system?
a technical writer
a resolution writer

ovides an assessment of the current environment, a description of items

nvironment, and recommendations?
feasibility report
status report

They are difficult to use.

All of the above.