John Olinda Developers using IRC for tech support is - I believe - primarily a way of feeling superior to non-users. I'm not saying it's not something you can use, but using IRC as your support channel is only a way of excluding people who don't know how to use your aging and increasingly marginal technology. I think IRC is great, but I think there are better tools for helping your customers.
Mark Dain What's the alternative? IRC doesn't need an account which can be quite appealing for drop in support
8y, 41w 3 replies
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John Olinda Email, phone, SMS. The key is that if your user is already having problems, asking them to do something new on top of that can generate frustration. I'm familiar with IRC, but when I have to do something like set up a new account to use a forum, I have the same feeling. Friction for support means people are less likely to ask and more likely to vent.
8y, 41w 2 replies
Mark Dain What if they offered a web interface for IRC? No account and no fuss to get into the chat room
8y, 41w 1 reply