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Congratulations! You are about to start your first professional job as a tech support specialist for a large company. You have learned a lot about computer and employability skills, and how to conduct yourself in a professional setting. Now it is time to put that knowledge to use on your first day of your tech support position.
ObjectivesRespond to tech support scenarios using employment readiness skills.
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Your TaskThis is your first day on the job as a tech support specialist for a large, multi-national company. Your job is to provide online and/or live support (via phone call or online chat) to members of the company who are experiencing technical issues with their laptops.
For this project, you will need to describe how you would handle the following two scenarios. Detailed instructions will follow the overview.
The Phone CallJoe, a project manager, calls your extension because his computer just crashed. He lets you know that his computer will not connect to the internet, that he has lost multiple files, and he needs to get things back up and running in the next hour due to an important meeting he is scheduled to host. He is irritated because he is working on an older laptop and is getting a new one next week. He says that he knew this would happen and wishes that this laptop worked for just one more week.
He is agitated and in a panic. He is afraid that he has lost all his important documents and is blaming the company’s technology. As you ask him questions to find out more about the problem, you make the rookie mistake of asking, “Have you tried restarting your computer?” Joe explodes in a rage and screams that he already told you that he did and that you are not listening to him.
You are now in a situation where you not only need to determine the cause of the problem and fix it, but you also need to calm this individual down so that you can get clearer and more accurate information.
What do you do?
The Online ChatJane, an employee at your company, has just opened an online chat with you. Jane states that although she has access to the internet, she cannot access either her email or her calendar. Jane just started her job in marketing today, and she is very flustered and does not know what to do.
Jane’s manager just gave her a project to research competitive ads to help inform a new campaign. She had taken a lot of notes in a Word document, and now she cannot find that document either. She was supposed to have the project sent over to her manager by the end of the day.
Jane is very nervous that she is going to get into trouble with her manager on her first day of work. She is sharing all of this with you in the online chat box.
What do you do?
RubricBefore you begin your project, read through the rubric. This is how your project will be graded. As you complete your project, refer to the rubric for guidance. Once your project is completed, see how you would score your project based on the work that you completed.
After you write your individual responses to the scenarios, work with a partner to model tech support interactions. Evaluate your responses to the scenarios based on the interactions.
What to Turn InYou can create your responses to the scenarios in one of two ways—as either a PowerPoint or a Word document. 
PowerPointOn the first slide, state your name and summarize the first scenario in terms of what you believe the problem to be and how the other person is feeling. Do not just restate what is written above, but interpret it based on your understanding of the situation.
On the second slide, describe in detail what your response will be to help the project manager in the first scenario.
On the third slide, list which employability skills you used to resolve the project manager’s problem. Explain why you believe these employability skills are important to achieving a successful resolution.
On the fourth slide, provide at least two reasons why you believe this particular situation would be difficult to resolve.
Use slides five through eight to repeat the first four steps, but for the second scenario.
On the ninth slide, state your partner’s name and present your partner’s feedback.
Word Document with the Following SectionsYour name
Summary of the Scenarios: Summarize the scenario as you interpret what you believe the problem to be and how the other person is feeling. Do not just restate what is written above, but interpret it based on your understanding of the situation.
Responses to Resolve the Situations: Describe in detail what your response will be to help the project manager.
Employability Skills Used to Resolve the Situations: List which employability skills you used to resolve the project manager’s problem. Explain why you believe these employability skills are important to achieving a successful resolution.
Why This Situation Is Difficult to Resolve: Provide at least two reasons why you believe this situation would be difficult to resolve.