{{description>Additional resources not available from SFIA or SFIAplus website to help you apply the Customer service support skill effectively}}
====== SFIA Customer service support CSMG ======

This page provides deep dive guidance and additional material to help individuals and organisations use and apply this SFIA skill effectively. It supplements the SFIA reference material.

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==== SFIA skill definition ====

[[https://www.sfia-online.org/en/sfia-6/skills/client-interface/relationship-management/client-services-management|SFIA v6 definition of Customer service support]]

//The management and operation of one or more customer service or service desk functions. Acting as a point of contact to support service users and customers reporting issues, requesting information, access, or other services.// 

© Copyright SFIA Foundation

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==== Discussion points ====

    * This skill covers a wide range of levels from SFIA level 1 to level 6. 
    * The higher level skills focus on strategies, policies and standards for Customer service. 
    * At the low levels reflects administrative/procedural level skills for handling requests and calls e.g. on a support desk.This represents one of the lowest level entry points into Enterprise IT careers
    * The focus of Levels 4 and 5 shifts towards "process and resource management". 
    * The skill does not reflect a technical skill; it is customer/end-user focussed and reflects good operational and relationship management.  

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==== Associated Skills ====

If you are looking for skills relating to:

  * the process of responding to and resolving incidents; try [[SFIA Incident management]]
  * the management of stakeholder relations; try [[SFIA Relationship management]]
  * the process of resolving problems (proactively or re-actively); try [[SFIA Problem management]] 
  * the ongoing management of operational facilities to provide the agreed levels of service; try [[SFIA Service level management]]
  * overall development, delivery, support continuous improvement of IT services ; try [[SFIA IT management]]
  * the provision of technical advice and assistance to the sales force, sales agents, etc; try [[SFIA Sales support]]

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==== Useful Resources ====
  * [[https://www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/itil|ITIL]]
  * [[http://www.itsmfi.org|ITSMF International]]: Independent and internationally recognised forum for IT Service Management professionals worldwide.
  * [[http://www.opengroup.org/IT4IT/itvaluechain|IT4IT™ Reference Architecture]]: see the IT4IT Reference Architecture Detect to Correct (D2C) Value Stream
  * [[http://www.sei.cmu.edu/reports/10tr034.pdf|CMMI® for Services, CMMI-SVC, V1.3]] Improving processes for providing better services 
  * [[wp>ISO/IEC 20000-1]]
  * [[http://www.servicedeskinstitute.com/#|Service Desk Institute]] 
  * [[https://www.bookdepository.com/Service-Management-and-Marketing-Christian-Gronroos/9781118921449|Service Management and Marketing : Managing the Service Profit Logic]] - book by Christian Grönroos examines service management and management in service competition from the point of view of the service profit logic.

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==== Typically found in these Career Families / Roles ====

  * Customer Service
  * Service Operations

{{tag> service_operations}}
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==== Value Adding Work Outputs ====
By focussing on work outputs/work products we can move the focus from activity/knowledge to performance and provide a direct link to business results. See [[ 6 boxes model]].

Leading
  * stakeholder relationships and relationship management plan
  * management commitment to customer service processes, tools, continuous improvement
  * sufficient resources and capability to enact customer service
  * strategy for provision of customer service
  * organisational model for provision of customer service
Managing
  * operational plan for meeting customer service commitments
  * flexible, responsive customer service processes
  * log of issues, dependencies, conflicts and actions needed to improve customer service quality and stability
  * customer and end user relationships
  * 3rd party supplier relationships
  * capable team to deliver service support
  * software tools and performance support for customer service support
  * customer service resource and deployment plans
  * customer service performance reports (e.g. process metrics, progress, quality of deliverables, compliance to standards)
  * knowledge management
  * reviews to ensure quality of service
Doing
  * resolution of service requests
  * logs of service requests and incidents
  * informed and satisfied customers
  * allocation of unreserved calls
  * investigation and diagnosis of issues
  * education, guidance support to aid adherence and adoption of customer service processes
  * action plan to resolve issues 
  * documentation of temporary solutions
  * classification of issues
  * reports on the progress of service issues 
  * known error database