Introduction

These courses will teach you how to write clear, effective electronic support messages in response to customer inquiries, in chats, and in other media you use to communicate in writing to customers. When you finish the courses, you will feel you can write electronic support messages tomorrow morning confident that they will be understood, will take care of the customer's problem, and will generate goodwill toward you and your company.

A Word about Online Courses

Taking a course without going to a classroom may be a bit different from what you are used to. To complete the course, you will go through each web-based lesson, after which you will complete an assignment via e-mail which will be commented on and promptly returned by your instructor. You will also, at the end of each lesson, be able to comment on any aspect of the lesson or ask questions if you are having any difficulties or just seek clarification.

Note that since this is a competency-based course (it is not considered complete until you reach a certain level of ability), the completion time may vary depending on your individual strengths. The primary advantage to taking this type of course online is that you can pace yourself according to your own abilities and need not worry about competing with other students.

Course 1: Basic Writing skills

The first course focuses on the writing skills you need to write all forms of electronic support: e-mails, chats, log histories, forums, and so on. In it, you will learn how to

• Write in blocks
• Write enough, but not too much
• Mark the blocks clearly
• Use words the reader understands
• Write clear sentences
• Write concisely
• Use aids to understanding
• Edit and proofread
• Use the commonly confused words correctly
• Avoid the most common business writing errors

Course 2: Writing Customer-Support Messages

The second course teaches how to present customer-support messages so they are clear, complete, and easily understood. In it, you will learn how to

• Interpret the customer's message
• Decide the next step
• Write the subject line
• Write the greeting
• Acknowledge the customer's feelings
• Assure the customer you're working for him or her
• State the problem
• Explain the next step or status
• Escalate when necessary
• Request further information
• Describe possible causes or problems
• Explain remedies or actions
• Explain customer actions
• Write the next step or options
• Write a cordial closing
• Follow up
• Write clear chat messages

E-mail, Email, E-Mail, and EMail

New words such as "email" are spelled in different ways because some educated people have different ways of spelling them. Many currently use "e-mail" and "on-line" while others use "email." The important thing is to be consistent—spell them the same way throughout any single document.

We have chosen to use "e-mail" and "online" in this course. We prefer it because it reflects that "e-mail" is a hyphenated construction of "electronic mail." You and your technical support center may use "email" or "on-line." That is fine. Just be consistent.

 

Lesson Menu

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