How to Contact Tech Support
It takes effort to receive technical help from technical people.
If you've come to this site, it's likely that you're a layman when it comes to information technology. That's okay! I'm sure have a specialty of your own: finance, marketing, management, skilled trades, medicine, chainsaw juggling, etc. However, if you have ever reached out to another specialist for help with something, you may have felt the challenge of being able to see eye-to-eye - like telling a doctor that your wrist hurts while said doctor insists you get tested to find out what the problem is.
When you have an issue with your computer, one of many things can happen depending on what the issue is, and the second your IT department is notified of your issue, it is their job to narrow down what's going on. The task seems simple on paper, but there are potentially a lot of variables to consider. Likewise, the more variables, the longer things take, and the longer you have a device with an issue.
"What can be done then?" You ask. Here are a few simple things that will help speed up the troubleshooting and resolution process.
Gather Information
If your problem involves a company device, you may already have a headstart to this step as your company should have information about your device to begin with. Collecting information about what happened is vital to reaching a conclusion quickly. Just make sure what you're collecting is relevant. Some good pieces of information include
- Serial Numbers/Tags
- Error Codes
- Related Changes & Events
- Screenshots
Provide Information
Regardless of whether you reach out to tech support over the phone, via email, or through their ticketing system, it is pretty important to explain everything in as much detail as possible. Of course, you will typically be asked questions to fill in any gaps, but there are times when they forget to ask a significant diagnostic question. We all have our moments, after all. Also, be sure to let them know if and what you've tried to resolve the issue to save them from doing redundant work and to cover your tracks in case you accidentally complicate things.
Receive Information
After your issue is resolved, try to learn what caused the issue, what actions were taken to officially resolve it, and see if there has been a recurring problem or theme. If possible, take note of past solutions attempted, and consider if you need to get something reinstalled or replaced.
Conclusion
By following the advice given above, you are going to be a superstar to those assisting you. Being easy to work with makes the experience more pleasant for everyone on both sides. The trick is to be patient with who you're working with and realize that they most likely did not cause this to happen. Even when you have an important presentation due the next day, calmly explaining the predicament you are in will let the recipient on the other end remain focused on serving you and doing what they do best. Not only that but by being prepared before contacting tech support, you are helping yourself out as well.