Syllabus

EECT 1300 0380 - TECHNICAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

Introduction

Hello Students!

Please take time to read through this syllabus, especially the “Other Pertinent Information” page and the Assignment Schedule page. It should help you to get a good start with this course.

Please note that there seems to be a lot of holidays on Sunday this 8-week term (the day most of your assignments are due). Assignments are still due despite those holidays as you have all week to get the work
done. There is no test assigned on those holidays.

I have attached to the syllabus what is called a Rubric for your Weekly MLA Papers, Training Project, and Final Project. A rubric is used to grade the project in a step-by-step approach. You follow those steps; your grade should be a good one! Please look over those rubrics and let
me know if you have any questions.

Please note that the Training Project is not part of the Final Project. The Training Project is an individual project. The Final Project is a group project.

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS COLLEGE

COURSE SYLLABUS

Course Title:

Technical Customer Service THIS IS AN ONLINE COURSE

Course Prefix & Number: EECT 1300

Section: 0380

Semester/Yr Fall 2022 8/22 * 10/15

Semester Credit Hours: 3

Lecture Hours: 48

Lab Hrs.: 0

ONLINE

Course Description (NCTC Catalog):

The main purpose of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the IT environment and the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to work in the user support industry. Students will learn problem-solving and communication skills that are valuable when providing user support. Through hands-on exercises and case projects students will learn how to apply their knowledge and develop their ideas and skills. They will also learn how to work individually and in teams, which will prepare them for a team-oriented work environment.

Course Prerequisite(s): None

Required or Recommended Course Materials:

(1) Textbook: Beisse, A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, Sixth Edition, Course Technology, ISBN- 978-1-285-85268-3.

(2) Access to the internet and a personal computer with MS Office 2016 or higher. This class will be delivered fully online

INSTRUCTOR INFORMATION

Name of Instructor:	Judy Archer
Campus/Office Location:	Corinth Campus
Telephone Number:
E-mail Address:	jarcher@nctc.edu

SYLLABUS CHANGE DISCLAIMER

The faculty member reserves the right to make changes to this published syllabus if it is in the best interest of the educational development of this class. Any such changes will be announced as soon as possible in person and/or writing.

SUMMARY OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Course Elements	Graded Course Elements	Point Values
11	Chapter Assignments and Quizzes	350
3	Exams	300
7	Course Work Assignments	175
1	Training Presentation	150
1	Final Project	175

ATTENDANCE/LATE WORK POLICY

Work is scheduled each week. Canvas attendance is required. Late assignments are not accepted unless the student is absent due to illness or emergencies as determined by the instructor. It is the student’s responsibility to provide documentation as to the emergency for approval and judgement by the faculty member. Valid reasons for absence, however, do not relieve the student of the responsibility for making up required work. Students will not be allowed to make up an examination missed due to absence unless they have reasons acceptable to the instructor.

SEE CANVAS FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE CALENDAR, OUTLINE, DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF GRADED WORK, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIAL.

COURSE POLICIES

ACADEMIC Integrity Policy

Scholastic dishonesty shall include, but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, academic falsification, intellectual property dishonesty, academic dishonesty facilitation and collusion. Faculty members may document and bring charges against a student who is engaged in or is suspected to be engaged in academic dishonesty. See Student Handbook, “Student Rights & Responsibilities: Student Conduct ([FLB(LOCAL)]”.

Consequences for academic dishonesty may include:

Zero for the work
Academic suspension

Withdrawal Policy

A student may withdraw from a course on or after the official date of record. It is the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete a Withdrawal Request Form.

Last day to withdraw from the course with a “W” is September 23:

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:
	Identify Internal/External Customer Relationships
	Demonstrate Teamwork/Collaboration/Importance in Industry
	Apply/Display Problem Solving Skills in a Real-World Situation
	Update Customers on Work Progress to Maintain Customer Satisfaction and Public Relations
	Address Customer Questions and Complaints in a Professional and Thorough Manner
	Communicate Technical Information in a Clear, Precise, and Logical Manner
	Identify Ethical Decision Making/Importance in Industry
	Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques

CORE OBJECITVES

Topic		General Description of Subject Matter
Chapter 1 - Introduction to Computer User Support		Ways to classify end users. Common problems users encounter. Common ways to organize and provide support services
Chapter 2: Customer Service Skills for User Support Agents		The importance of communication skills and customer service relationships for support agents. Aspects of effective speaking and nonverbal communication for user support. Strategies support agents use to handle difficult clients.
Chapter 3: Writing for End Users		Types of end-user documentation. How technical writing differs from other writing. How technical documents are organized. How to plan effective user documentation.
Chapter 4: Skills for Troubleshooting Computer Problems		The troubleshooting process and the thinking skills required for successful troubleshooting. Communication skills for troubleshooting. Information resources to help solve computer problem.
Chapter 5: Common Support Problems		Several categories of common end-user computer problems. Problem-solving processes that can be applied to typical support problems.
Chapter 6: Help Desk Operation		Help desk operational procedures, The multilevel support model. The incident management process. Best practices in help desk operation.
Chapter 7: User Support Management		The mission of a support group and the features of a mission statement. Items in a typical user support budge. Staffing a help desk. Support staff training programs. Evaluation of support staff performance.
Chapter 8: Product Evaluation Strategies and Support Standards		How product and support standards emerged. Common tools and methods for evaluating and selecting computer products. Information resources and decision-making tools for evaluating and selecting computer products.
Chapter 9: End-User Needs Assessment Project		Basic strategies for performing end-user needs analysis and assessment. Tasks in managing a user needs assessment project.
Chapter 10: Installing and Managing End-User Computers		Major site preparation steps for computer installations. Pre-installation site preparation tasks. The purpose and contents of a site management notebook. Tools needed to install hardware, Steps to install and configure hardware, operating systems, networks, and application software.
Chapter 11: Technology Training for Users	Goals of training activities. Steps in the training process. How to plan a training session. How to prepare a training session.

COLLEGE POLICIES

STUDENT HANDBOOK

Students are expected to follow all rules and regulations found in the Student Handbook.

ADA STATEMENT

NCTC will adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations to afford equal educational opportunity. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office for Students with Disabilities to arrange appropriate accommodations. See the OSD Syllabus Addendum.

STUDENT SERVICES

NCTC provides a multitude of services and resources to support students. See the Student Services Syllabus Addendum for a listing of those departments and links to their sites.

QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, or COMPLAINTS

The student should contact the instructor to deal with any questions, concerns, or complaints specific to the class. If the student and faculty are not able to resolve the issue, the student may contact the chair or coordinator of the division. If the student remains unsatisfied, the student may proceed to contact the instructional dean.

Name of Chair/Coordinator:	Manuel Trevino
Office Location:	1400 North Corinth St., Suite 102, Room 110
Telephone Number:	940 498 6480
E-mail Address:	mtrevino@nctc.edu
Name of Instructional Dean:	Debbie Huffman
Office Location:	Gainesville
Telephone Number:	940 668 3357
E-mail Address:	dhuffman@nctc.edu

Other Pertinent Information – Technical Customer Service Class

This course will be augmented by using NCTC’s online course delivery system, CANVAS and WebEx, if needed. Log into CANVAS from the NCTC home page (www.nctc.edu). Then, click the onelogin option at the top of page OR go to https://nctc.onelogin.com. Participation in CANVAS is MANDATORY.
During Webex meetings, students must use be able to use video and audio options.
Students will be required to use MLA format. See instructions in the Modules section of Canvas.
Students MUST have/use Microsoft Word to complete course work. SEE link in Canvas under “Modules” – Directions for FREE Microsoft Office OR contact NCTC’s Help Desk for assistance.
If a student should experience problems accessing the course material in CANVAS, WebEx, OR sending/receiving course mail, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor immediately. Use the eLearning Help Desk if you are experiencing access problems.
Each student should have a NCTC email account. You should also have an Internet email account such as Hotmail or Gmail to aid in course communication should the CANVAS site be down.
Most Assignments are due on Sunday by 11:50 PM. No late assignments will be accepted for full credit. If approved by the instructor, you may submit late assignments as an attachment to a Canvas Email. The assignments will be graded at the end of the semester ONLY if they will make a difference to your overall grade. You will lose points for late submittal of each assignment. No late assignments will be accepted after the seventh week of this eight-week course.
Exams – there are three exams. I will drop the lowest of the three exam grades only if you take all three exams. No makeups for missed examinations will be permitted unless previously discussed with and approved by the instructor in advance.
There will be two quizzes each week. You may take the quiz as many times as you want/need.
Your Final is a group project. You will use the info provided from this course to prepare and video tape technical customer service scenes demonstrating how to (1) be a good and a poor Help Desk Specialist, OR (2) demonstrate how to effectively administer the 5 steps of Project Management as discussed in the required book for this course. More info will be provided during the semester.

Students will be required to meet with the instructor at least once via WebEx during the eight weeks to discuss this project. Date will be determined by the instructor. Failure to attend this online meeting will result in a twenty-point penalty.

Students are required to complete 75% of all assignments and exams to receive a passing grade in this course. (This means 75% of the homework, 75% of the review quizzes, etc.)
The instructor reserves the right to change course assignments, grading policies, and assignment schedules at any time.
The instructor will not drop you from this course. You must complete applicable papers and file them with the Registrar’s Office before the final drop date.
Grades will be posted in the CANVAS grade book. Keep a record of your grades. Please give the instructor at least two weeks to post your grades after the final due date of the assignment.
Filing a complaint – “If the complaint involves a problem with an instructor, the student shall discuss the matter with the instructor before requesting a conference with the department chair…. If the complaint involves a grade received, the student shall collect all tests, papers, daily assignments, class notes and other relevant material prior to the conference with the instructor.” (See Student Handbook > Discussion of Complaint). Failure to follow the procedure will result in no action taken.
If you are planning to complete a certificate, you must take the competency exam prior to graduation. Contact Manuel Trevino at mtreviono@nctc.edu within three weeks of graduation. Don’t know what this means- email me and I will explain.

The best way to contact me is through CANVAS email. Please be sure to state your questions or statements clearly. It is helpful to know what chapter, page, and section you are talking about. I will get back with you within 24 hours during the week and within 48 hours on the weekend. Provide me your phone number and I will be glad to call you.

ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE, DUE DATES AND POINT VALUE

Semester Weeks	Chapter Readings	Homework/Quizzes/Tests	Due	Point
WEEK ONE
	Overview of Course	Complete: In Canvas Under Modules - 1) Overview of Course and Syllabus, 2) Start Here!!, 3) MLA Format Instructions for Homework and Course Work Assignments, 4) Pretest and 5) Special Questions	8/28	0
	Course Work	Assignment	8/28	25
	Chapters 1 & 2	Discussion Board	8/28	15
		Assignments	8/28	25
		*Quizzes*	8/28	20
WEEK TWO Meet with Team and Instructor to Discuss Final Video Project
	Course Work	Assignment	9/4	25
	Chapters 3 & 4	Discussion Board	9/4	15
		Assignments	9/4	25
		*Quizzes*	9/4	20
WEEK THREE
	EXAM 1 (Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4)	Open All Day Sunday	9/11	100
	Course Work	Assignment	9/11	25
	Chapters 5 & 6	Discussion Board	9/11	15
		Assignments	9/11	25
		*Quizzes*	9/11	20
WEEK FOUR	Choice of Training Topic is due via email in canvas to instructor
	Course Work	Assignment	9/18	25
	Chapters 7 & 11	Discussion Board	9/18	15
		Assignments	9/18	25
		*Quizzes*	9/18	20
WEEK FIVE Draft of skit is due – see drop box in Canvas under Week 5
	EXAM 2 (Chapters 5, 6, 7, 11)	Open All Day Sunday	9/25	100
	Course Work	Assignment	9/25	25
	Chapter 8	Discussion Board	9/25	15
		Assignment	9/25	25
		Quiz	9/25	10
WEEK SIX
	Training Presentations	See Rubric for grading structure	9/30	150
	Course Work	Assignment	10/4	25
WEEK SEVEN
	Course Work	Assignment	10/9	25
	Chapters 9 & 10	Discussion Board	10/9	15
		Assignments	10/9	25
		*Quizzes*	10/9	20
WEEK EIGHT
	EXAM 3 (Chapters 8, 9, 10)	*OPEN ALL DAY THURSDAY*	10/13	100
	Final - Presentation	See Rubric for grading structure	10/13	175
	Post test and Class Survey	OPEN ALLWEEK THRU THURSDAY	10/13	0
Less 1 discussion, 1 assignment, 1 Quiz, and 1 Exam				-150
Total Possible Points				1,000

Please note: This schedule is tentative and may be subject to change.

Your grades will be posted in Canvas. It is your responsibility to verify those grades prior to the end of the semester. Grading Criteria 900 – 1000 = A 800 – 899 = B 700 – 799 = C 600 – 699 = D 0 – 599 = F

Technical Customer Service

Rubric for Final Group Presentation

Project Management

This Project should include a professional looking video of a Project Management Work Team coming together to plan/schedule work needed to complete a project (you the members of your team must be in the video). It must be a realistic scenario with a computer related problem much like the ones used in this course’s book. There is to be no profanity or stereotyping. Video must be at least ten minutes and no more than 15 minutes long.

TEAM MEMBERS: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

	Possible Points	Points Received
I. Project Definition
Project goal	10
2. Project Planning
Project tasks mentioned	10
Clear project plan	10
What tasks will be accomplished	10
What is the sequence of tasks	10
Who will perform each task?	5
How long will each task take?	10
What resources will each task require?	10
3. Project implementation
Will the cost of the project exceed its budget?	10
Will the project get completed on time?	10
4. Project monitoring
How much work has been completed?	10
What remains to be done?	10
How should staff or other resources be adjusted or reassigned?	10
What impact will change in tasks have on the completion date?	5
5. Project termination
How do we know it has been terminated?	10
6. Were all team members part of the video in some way	5
7. Was the presentation at least 10 minutes	10
8. Did all members on video dress for the part	5
9. Did it look like a real situation (actors not visibly reading script, etc.)	5
10. Was typed script turned in	10
TOTAL	175

Technical Customer Service

Rubric for Final Group Presentation

Good/Bad Customer Service

This Project should include a professional looking video of a Good Customer Service Representative (Rep.) and a Bad/Rude Customer Service Representative. It must be a realistic scenario much like the ones used in our book. There is to be no profanity or stereotyping. Video must be at least 5 minutes each in length for both the good and the bad representative and no longer than 10 minutes each.

Team Members: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

*Good Technical Customer Service Representative*	Possible Points	Points Received
Did they give a sincere greeting	5
Did they paraphrase the problem to verify understanding of the problem	10
Did they use probes to obtain more information from a user	10
Did they explain the problem resolution to verify that the problem was solved	10
Did they verify that the user was satisfied	5
Did all members on video dress for the part	5
Were all team members part of the video in some way	5
Was it a real technical problem	10
Did it look like a real situation (actors not visibly reading script, etc.)	10
Were appropriate props used	5
Courteous - Apologize/Say Thank You	5
Did the user respond in a way to confirm understanding of the problem	5
Was the presentation five minutes long	5
*Bad Technical Customer Service Representative*
Distinct Tone of voice	10
What type of greeting was used	5
Did they listen to the user	5
What other way did they show they were a bad rep. (1)	5
What other way did they show they were bad rep. (2)	5
Did all members on video dress for the part	5
Were all team members part of the video in some way	5
Was it a real technical problem	10
Did it look like a real situation (actors not visibly reading script, etc.)	5
Were appropriate props used	5
What did user do to show discontent towards the rep.	10
Was the presentation five minutes long	5
*Was Final typed script turned in*	10
*Total*	175

STUDENT NAME_______________________________ GRADE_________________

TRAINING PROJECT RUBRIC

Minimum of 7 minutes – Maximum of 10 minutes

Task	Possible Points	Actual Points	Comments
1. Did they read their audience beforehand to know if they would be interested in project?	5
2. Introduce the trainer	15
3. Introduce the topic	5
4. Establish motivation	10
5. Present the new material (what source – did they know how to use equipment) A. Concepts B. Explanations	25
6. Perform training activities A. Teach basic skills and abilities B. Build skills and develop expertise	25
7. Summarize and review the main points	5
8. Describe next steps and resources	10
9. Handouts – must be: (1) Brief summary of key points (2) informative and concise (3) Creative in design	25		(8 points maximum for #1 and #2. 9 points maximum for #3.)
10. Obtain evaluation and feedback / peer feed back	10
11. Overall presentation – polished and prepared	15
TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS	150