Now that I''m beginning work on my first shareware game I''m thinking of writing a simple database-driven customer support system that is accessed through the developer''s website. Here''s how I''d like the system to work: The customer support page opens with a simple introduction and a list of support categories. The customer is asked to pick the category that best fits his problem. Picking a category brings up a list of frequently asked questions for that category and a link to a customer support form for questions not covered by the FAQ. The customer may also fill out a form asking for clarification of answers listed in the FAQ. Answers given by the support staff are automatically stored for future reference by members of the staff and may also be added to the public FAQ, if desired. Previous answers and FAQ entries may be used by the support staff to compose replies to customer questions. A reference count is maintained for all answers. Any advice on how to improve this system? Would anybody be interested in such a system? I''ll consider releasing the code as open source, but I''m making no promises. I''ll be using PHP and PostgreSQL.

stop and think what customers want. They dont want any clever database systemn, they just want an email that answers their question. Not a generic response.
There is no substitute for personal tech support by phone or email. I reply to every tech support email i get within 24 hours and my customers are very happy.
I''d worry about finishing the game first

http://www.positech.co.uk

I agree, I hate those systems! A LOT! I went mad trying to find a legitimate email link on half.com when I had a problem with an order that didn''t fit their neat little boxes exactly. And I''ve had major annoyances with ISPs and their trouble ticket systems in the past. When you can just drop an email to support and get an answer, THAT is good support. It''s what I do too. Plus, as a bonus, it''s awfully easy to implement!

Mike Hommel
Hamumu Software
http://www.hamumu.com

Like Cliffski, I respond to all tech support emails within 24 hours. Usually within 12 hours or less.

For some of the more common questions, I have a collection of "template" responses that I just copy-and-paste.

I try not to get too comfortable with those standard responses, though. After all, if it''s a Frequently Asked Question, it''s a sign that either your documentation or your software could be improved and/or fixed. So if you get the same question a lot, you might want to see what you can do to keep the question from being asked in the first place.


DavidRM
Samu Games

I think it would be very hard to properly troubleshoot most of the real problems, you will find they will email you anyway, so bypass the frustration of confusing them further.

I guess for a FAQ its not a bad idea

You guys make a good point. People prefer a personal, human response over a generic, automated one. A parallel on these forums is people who ask questions without bothering to look up previous responses to similar questions. They want a personal response. It''s important to answer these questions, but I''d like a system that cuts down on repeated questions.

Considering your responses I think it would be best if I eliminate the need to pick a category by providing a link to the support request form right on the opening page of the support system. I could open with an introduction, a link to the support form, and a list of support categories for frequently asked questions. This would seem like less of an imposition than the strict category system while perhaps helping cut down on the number of support requests.

I can sympathise with Jamul''s experiences, but even my original system would have offered a conspicuous link to a personal support form under the proper category. I do detest systems which hide such links, and I also detest support personnel who refer you to FAQs which don''t quite apply.

I agree with DavidRM that repeated questions sometimes reveal weaknesses in your software and/or documentation, but it''s still very useful to have a FAQ where customers can get quick answers to their problems. Take a look at Dexterity''s support system. First he asks his customers to update their drivers, then he provides a link to the FAQ, then he provides a link to the Support Request Form.

What do you all think of eliminating the need to pick a category? Are there other problems with the system?

Balancing the flexibility and power of a good support system while making it easy and accessible for customers is a challenge, one I''ve been dealing with as well. I''ve had to eliminate regular email support and replace it with a simple form, partly because the support email address was getting more viruses and spam than support requests. This is still easy for customers, as the form is very simple to fill out, and presently all follow-ups are done via regular email, so the customer only has to fill out the form for the first request.

One of my projects is building a PHP/MySQL support system that integrates with our existing database. There are many advantages to this approach that I feel outweigh the disadvantages and will help us increase the quality of support. For instance, as soon as a player submits a support request, we can immediately see which games that player owns (if any), a record of the past support history including our replies, and any other customer data we choose to display (such as the person''s country). If a customer requests a refund, we can click a button to process it right away (and auto-generate a refund receipt). The same goes for processing an exchange. We can also easily track support metrics, such as which games generate the most support requests. And this can be used to improve products, documentation, and the support FAQ.

For a low volume of support, and if you''re the only one doing support, a single email address or a simple form is fine. But I think a database-driven support system has some major advantages when you start seeing a few dozen support requests a day.

Our customers didn''t seem to mind when we switched from a support email address to a simple support form. When we add a support database for the back-end, the change will be largely transparent to customers, but it will make things much easier and faster for us. Plus it will make it easier to expand our system (multiple support people, larger libraries of stock replies, etc).

Having used a variety of support ticket systems, such as for web hosts, I agree that some are hideous. But I think the particular front-end implementation is more often the problem than the fact that the back-end is database driven. Sometimes I email a company and get no response either. The support technology doesn''t determine whether or not the support will be good -- it''s the people behind it.

I want to make it easy for customers to access our support, and I also want to make it easy for us to solve their problems quickly. While not impossible to do via regular email, I find it would be a lot more difficult.

Implementing a basic database-driven support system isn''t a very difficult project. It only requires a few database tables, plus some HTML/PHP pages. Once you figure out which queries you''ll need, the rest of the work is downhill.

Steve Pavlina
Dexterity Software
www.dexterity.com
"Boredom''s Greatest Enemy"
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