User Support
Although computers are supposed to be easier to use than they were, the demand for support is growing because there are more and more non-technical people using complex software. Many software companies charge for technical support.
The Help Desk
The help desk/user support centre could be contacted by telephone, fax or e-mail. Questions asked by users could be stored in a knowledge base and this can provide valuable information, which could influence future versions of the software or the content of training programmes. Help desks enable people to get help from a human being, with whom they can establish a rapport. Unfortunately, people are often frustrated and angry with their problem by the time they contact the help desk and, therefore, people working there need good inter-personal skills and they must also understand the needs of users with low technical expertise.
The help desk will usually log information, such as the user's name, telephone number, postcode, version of the software, and so on. They may ask for a registration number or for some other evidence that the software is not an illegal copy.
Help Desk Software
McAfee's HelpDesk Suite can benefit a help desk. It comes with an Expert System database of answers to 25,000 hardware and software questions. The HelpDesk Suite can tell the helper what questions to ask in order to diagnose the problem. The helper can also gain control of the computer of the caller and a "whiteboard" can be used to notify all users of network errors, planned maintenance etc.
Helpdesk software and Resources: http://www.helpdesks.com/
Call Centres
It is often cheaper to have a call centre than to run a company help desk. An increasing number of people work in call centres and the TUC have run a campaign calling for better working conditions for workers who answer the phone all day long.
Bulletin Boards
BBSs are online services accessed with a modem and a Terminal program. Users can download files, have discussions with other users, for example in forums dedicated to providing help. BBSs have become less popular because of the alternatives on the Internet.
Manuals/User Booklets/Newsletters and other articles
These days, software generally comes without printed manuals, mainly to cut costs. Often a full manual is supplied in electronic format on CD. Few people read the manual in its entirety. An introductory tutorial is usually better as an introduction and then the manual can be used as a reference.
Without even bothering to look at the manuals, many people go out and buy "Dummies" or "Que" books instead.
A software support department within an organisation might produce a newsletter telling people how and when to contact the support staff and it might attempt to answer some frequently asked questions.
Computer magazines and other publications are an opportunity for readers to find out about latest releases and they may also contain tutorials and tips to enable people to get the most out of a particular software product.
Online Help
The Internet is an excellent place to look for software support.
All the software manufacturers will have their own web sites with a support area. The best ones contain lots of articles notifying users about bugs and suggesting workarounds, they may have an online knowledge-base, similar to that which might be used by technical support staff. They could also have an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions list).
There are also unofficial web sites and often these are better than the official ones.
Usenet has many newsgroups dedicated to software products