Communication Skills

Effective communication is a cornerstone of delivering excellent customer service, especially in help desk teams. Strong communication skills can significantly enhance customer satisfaction and provide a better user experience. The ability to clearly convey technical information, actively listen, demonstrate patience, and show empathy are all essential. Additionally, managing written communications effectively and using templates can help streamline the process and ensure consistency.

A comprehensive document on communication skills for interacting with people is the Guidelines for Behavioral Performance of Reference and Information Service Providers 2023. The following topics are discussed:

  • Inclusion to improve interactions
  • Approachability to start communication
  • Engagement skills during interactions
  • Searching for information
  • Evaluation of help given
  • Closure for follow up needs

For a shortened summary of these guidelines, see Data Help Desk Pro Tips from a Pro, DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15284134.

Communicating with Users

  1. Clear and Concise Explanation
    • Experts should explain concepts clearly to users. When providing answers, especially via platforms like Twitter, keeping them brief is recommended. The help desk often aims to provide a lead or guidance rather than a complete, exhaustive answer.
  2. Sharing Expertise
    • Volunteers and experts should share their science expertise in addition to their informatics knowledge. Finding commonalities with researchers helps in establishing trust and starting conversations.
  3. Respectful and Approachable Demeanor
    • Experts should avoid talking down to researchers. Instead, they should explain their understanding of why sound data management practices are important in a way that is relatable. Volunteers should be approachable and show genuine interest in the questions asked.
  4. Active Listening and Clarification
    • Volunteers should practice active listening and ask clarifying questions to determine the true question being asked by the user.
  5. Helpful and Supportive
    • The primary goal is to help users with their data-related questions. Even if a definitive answer isn’t immediately available, providing a lead or directing the user to appropriate resources or experts is valuable.
  6. Follow-Up and Resource Provision
    • Volunteers should follow up with users, ensuring they leave with the necessary contact information for further assistance or have their questions addressed later. Providing relevant resources, such as one-pagers or links to online documentation, is an important aspect of the interaction.
  7. Crowdsourcing and Collaboration
    • Recognizing that a single volunteer or expert may not have all the answers, utilizing backchannel communication among experts (e.g., via a Slack channel) to crowdsource responses is a valuable communication strategy.
  8. Managing Expectations
    • Since the help desk often provides an initial lead rather than a complete solution, it’s important to manage user expectations and indicate if further investigation or consultation might be needed.
  9. Patience and Understanding
    • Many researchers, particularly early career professionals and students, may have little to no formal training in research data management. Communicating with patience and understanding is crucial to effectively assist them.
  10. Clear Communication about Limitations
    • If a question cannot be answered immediately or requires more specialized knowledge, volunteers should clearly communicate this to the user and explain the next steps, such as recording the question for follow-up by an expert.

Important Skills

  1. Clarity in Communication: Help desk professionals must simplify complex technical information for customers who may not be tech-savvy. Avoid jargon and make instructions clear.
  2. Active Listening: Listening is vital to understanding the customer’s problem. Repeating the issue back to the customer ensures accuracy and shows they are being heard.
  3. Patience: Customers may be frustrated when seeking help, so staying calm and patient can defuse tension and lead to a more productive resolution.
  4. Empathy: Understanding and acknowledging the customer’s feelings builds trust and creates a positive experience. It’s important to put yourself in the customer’s shoes.
  5. Friendly and Professional Tone: A positive, approachable communication style helps customers feel comfortable and valued.
  6. LEARN Technique for Active Listening:
    • Listen with an open mind.
    • Explore the speaker’s thoughts and feelings.
    • Acknowledge what is being said.
    • Respond empathetically.
    • Note key takeaways to ensure clarity and next steps.

Do’s and Don’ts of Help Desk Communication

  • ALWAYS
    • Ask relevant questions to clarify what the user needs
    • Offer assistance to answer their question which includes pointing them to another person or source of information
    • It’s OK to say “I don’t know the answer” and point the user towards another staff member, data expert, resource web page, slack channel, etc.
    • Be polite
    • Aim to be concise and to the point
    • Show empathy towards the user
  • DON’T
    • Make the user feel stupid, unwelcome, or incompetent
    • Use overly technical language
    • Sound annoyed or frustrated

Communication references