Hey all, I wanted to let you know that on the backend we are working to provide better tools for you, one of them being search capabilities of our content. There is a new Autodesk Search Beta going on which you can participate in, the search link is here. Note this is focused on AEC Products and for English content only for this Beta.
Pretty simple on the front end, but even there note you have some options...
As you type in keywords it will suggest common topics. Furthermore, search results go way beyond just our Knowledgebase, you get discussion groups, blogs, documentation, YouTube, etc. In general we are providing search through Autodesk content options, however the blog search does index external blogs as well. Per the Worldwide Marketing team:
Continue reading "Beefing up the backend - new search Beta for Autodesk AEC content" »
So I believe most of you are on Subscription, yes? Another of the benefits (besides being able to download your software electronically and work with us here in Product Support) is the release of Extension content. What do we have currently for 2010?
There is also content for prior versions, check it out. Users in France even have a roundabout creation tool! For a more detailed description of these Extensions I'll send you over to my good friend Jack and his post on FromTheGroundUp.
Jason will be posting soon on some best practices when creating a Service Request. Without stealing his thunder, I wanted to talk about an specific application that I have been using for a while in responding to cases.
All of us on the Civil Team have worked in private consulting. We know that time is money and understand the importance of getting an issue resolved as quickly as possible. But on complicated issues, no matter how detailed my email response may be, there is always a chance that the customer may not understand all of it, or may be getting stuck on a specific step. This is what I love about Jing. It allows me to create a short video that shows the customer exactly what I am trying to explain.
So what is Jing? It is a small, free application that allows you to record up to 5 minutes of video and upload it to your free account on Screencast.com. A URL copied to your clipboard will link to the video for anyone that you send it to. It also works the same way for screenshots. Oh yeah, and did I mention that it is FREE?
Time after time, customers have given me extremely positive feedback on the use of this tool. And if it continues to helps customers resolve the issue faster, then I will continue to use it.
But what about on the other side? How could a customer use this tool when creating a Service Request, and what benefit would it have for them? Simply put, the better you can explain the issue to me when submitting a Service Request, the faster I can help you resolve it. Unfortunately, when a case comes in with a vague description of the problem, it often means I will need to respond with additional questions before I can start troubleshooting.
Recently, I have had a handful of customers start to send in videos showing the steps leading up to the problem, and then exactly what is happening, including any error messages. This is great because immediately I can see the same issue they are seeing, including things that may have been left out if just describing the problem. Not only that, but making a quick video is often much easier than typing out the problem and the steps leading up to it. While creating videos certainly isn’t required, and may be an overkill on simpler cases, you may want to look into using it as alternative when submitting a complex Service Request.
Our goal is always to get the problem resolved as quickly as possible. So, as Jerry Maguire said, “Help me help you.”
* Autodesk is in no way affiliated with Jing or Screencast.com
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