During a visit to our office, the director's friend (let's call him Tom) expressed frustration about his online store not working and Alexey was called upon to help find a suitable server. However, it was challenging to assist Tom as he wasn't knowledgeable about the topic and answered my questions with difficulty. To better understand the issue, I suggested we examine the site together. To my surprise, Tom easily opened it in a browser even though he claimed it wasn't working.

Although the site loaded quickly with all pages being available, the overall design and product photos were poor. Despite this, Tom continued to claim that the site wasn't working, much to my confusion. Eventually, Tom realized his mistake and asked me why I was so surprised. When I told him that the site was indeed working, he countered by stating that there were no orders, sales or inquiries being made.

As a technical support employee, you likely recognize the typical behavior of a sly and manipulative customer who wants to exploit your services without paying. This type of individual seeks out naive and unsuspecting individuals who will do the work for free without compensation. I recently encountered someone with similar habits who complained about their computer not working properly. After listening to their complaints, I suggested we take a look at their computer only to learn that it was located at their home, which was outside of my scope of service. While encountering these types of people is not uncommon in my line of work, it never fails to be frustrating.

As a technical support employee, dealing with users who lack technical knowledge is commonplace. When it comes to the software 1C, my most common inquiry involves the program not functioning properly. This complaint can take on various forms such as the program not starting, running but with errors, or a favorite report failing to work as expected. However, the most frustrating situation I've encountered was when a user contacted me claiming that the software wasn't working, only to find out that their computer wouldn't even turn on. It's astounding that such individuals are employed within a large IT company. Despite these challenges, I have learned to keep a calm demeanor and not be surprised by anything.

This is a common complaint that I receive, and it always makes me chuckle. Users often claim that they were doing something on their computer, but then everything "disappeared" without explanation. As a technical support employee, this is the top reason why computers fail according to some users. While this may seem like a trivial issue, it can often be resolved with simple troubleshooting or by restoring previously closed windows or tabs.

In my current position as head of the technical and client support department/process, I have had the opportunity to hire many individuals since 2009. One point that I've noticed is that qualifications tend to be consistent across the board, regardless of the technical services or software that require support.

 While some situations may only require a scripted response or knowledge base articles, others demand practical experience, directly affecting salary. This leads to the concept of "growing for yourself," which is an approach I myself utilize.

Tom's frustration about his online store not working is understandable, but it seems there might be a misunderstanding. When he says the site isn't working, he might be referring to the lack of activity such as orders, sales, or inquiries. This suggests that the issue might lie beyond just the site itself, and could involve factors such as marketing, product quality, or customer engagement.

To help Tom address this problem, it would be helpful to discuss these other aspects of running an online store. For example, you could ask him about his marketing strategies, the quality of the products he's selling, or how he engages with potential customers. By exploring these areas, you might be able to identify potential reasons why the site isn't generating the desired level of activity.

It's also worth noting that the poor design and product photos on the site could be negatively impacting customer perception and engagement. Improving the overall look and feel of the site, as well as the quality of the product images, could potentially help attract more visitors and encourage them to make purchases.

To further assist Tom in improving his online store's performance, you can suggest the following actions:

1. Marketing and Promotion: Ask Tom about his current marketing efforts. Discuss strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, email campaigns, or paid advertising. Encourage him to explore different marketing channels to reach a wider audience and generate more traffic to his site.

2. Product Quality and Selection: Inquire about the quality of the products Tom is selling. It's possible that customers are not finding them appealing or they lack competitive pricing. Help Tom evaluate his product offerings and consider making improvements or diversifying the selection to better meet customer needs.

3. Customer Engagement: Engaging with customers is crucial for building trust and encouraging return visits. Encourage Tom to implement customer support options like live chat, email or phone support, or a dedicated FAQ section. Additionally, advise him to gather customer feedback, reviews, and testimonials to showcase social proof on the website.

4. User Experience: Although Tom was able to access the site, it's important to evaluate the overall user experience. Assess the site's speed, navigation, and mobile compatibility. A poorly designed or difficult-to-navigate site can deter potential customers. Suggest enhancements such as improving site load times, organizing content more effectively, and optimizing the site for mobile devices.

5. Conversion Optimization: Review the checkout process on the site. Complicated or lengthy checkout procedures can lead to cart abandonment. Recommend simplifying the checkout process, ensuring secure payment methods, and providing clear calls-to-action to improve the conversion rate.

6. Analytics and Tracking: Advise Tom to integrate tools like Google Analytics or similar platforms to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates. This data will provide insights into how visitors are interacting with the site and help identify areas for improvement.

By addressing these areas, Tom can gain a better understanding of why his online store may not be performing as expected. Through targeted improvements and optimization, he can increase the site's visibility, attract more customers, and generate sales and inquiries.