I used to work in tech support. While I enjoyed the work I didn’t like the way the department was managed and continually had issues with this. Not only do I have a problem with authority figures but I also have a hard time dealing with extreme stupidity, especially from those earning a much higher salary.
I was going through some plugins recently and started thinking about how WordPress could be used as a system to provide technical support for end-users.
- Simple:Press Forum – Simple:Press is a WordPress plugin that adds a feature rich forum to your WordPress site. Many tech support questions could be answered via the forum. I mentioned this a year ago when I discussed plugins that would assist in building a WordPress video game site.
- 123 Flash Chat WordPress Plugin – This plugin allows you to add flash based chat to the sidebar of your WordPress site. I know that I frequently use chat when contacting technical support (when available) because I am able to resolve my problem faster. You can also get a free chat room hosting service free of charge.
- FAQ You A plugin that facilitates creating questions and answers to commonly asked questions. Well done and complete FAQ’s can lessen the user’s tech support needs.
- Click to Call – This plugin, in addition to a free Ribbit developer account, will allow customers to call you directly from your WordPress site.
- WordPress Guides – Documents, videos and other training and information materials can be added to the WordPress admin with this plugin. For a tech support site, it could assist the support reps in answering common problems or provide training materials for new reps.
- WordPress Advanced Ticket System – This plugin allows users to submit support tech support issues or report other bugs.
- Support Tickets – An alternative ticketing and help desk system for WordPress.
What do you think? Could WordPress be setup to provide an adequate technical support system? Do you know of other plugins that could be added to this list?
photo credit: Graham Ballantyne
“While I enjoyed the work I didn’t like the way the department was managed.”
I take issue with this statement. This sentence implies that our department was actually managed. ;-)
Hi Jim – oh snap! lol :-)
Great tips – thank you! While I’m not looking to build a tech support website, some of these will be super helpful with some of my other projects!! :)
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Hi Jess – Thanks. Guides is a great way to add documentation to the WordPress admin.
I agree with Jess, thanks Kim!
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..Attention Readers of all Kinds! – Multiple Articles Comin’ Atcha!! =-.
Hi Dennis – Thanks! Hope some of them are useful.
Thanks for these Kim, I appreciate.
Hi Bogdan – Thanks – I hope they are useful.
Is there nothing WordPress can’t do? :-)
These are great, Kim. I’m checking out the ticketing plugins now – a small business could probably use WP for a very effective intranet solution.
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Hey Andy – Well, it can’t make me coffee ;-)
But WordPress could probably work well as a support system for a small company.
I’ve used the Guides plugin – it’s a great way to provide documentation that the client can’t lose ;-)
“Well, it can’t make me coffee ;-) ”
(WP5 sshhhh)
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..PR Update – I Got a 2, How’d You Do? =-.
Hello there,
Thanks for using my image in your post. I’d appreciate it if you could correct the credit at the bottom of the post; my name isn’t “HowardLake”.
Thanks!
Hi Graham – I’ve corrected it. So sorry about that – I have a bit of code I use to make sure I don’t forget the credit and I changed it except for the name. Again, I really do apologize for that.
Great photo too – makes me laugh each time I look at it :-)
Hey nice list :) I wrote a wordpress support plugin myself maybe you can check it out.. http://www.cedricve.me/plugin_id/?id=3
Thank you Cedric
3 years later and all are dead or poorly rated. Any new insights? Anything that has a plugin that each clients’ site can have that their questions and answers show up in their admin and then is also resident at the main tech support site? Thanks in advance