If you haven’t had a direct experience with technical support services yourself, then you’re at least no doubt familiar with the tech support experience of someone you know. In these digital days, it’s as inevitable as jury duty.
If the desktop computer doesn’t give you reason to call, then your mobile phone or wireless router will. Usually this entails time spent waiting for a support team member to become available, time spent explaining the problem to the team member, and time spent solving the problem. All the while real work and home related problems that need the dysfunctional device to be solved wait.
In order to quicken the process and improve the quality of support you receive, it’s wise to consider the following:
10. Unplug, re-plug, restart, reboot, and research if possible
Before calling tech support, make sure you’ve already ruled out the obvious problems like a cord being unplugged or recently installed updates needing a restart to take effect. It’s also smart to try and fix the problem yourself via advice mined from Google searching your problem. This saves time when on the phone with support.
9. Commit the Details to Memory
It isn’t enough to simply tell the support team member that “now and again an error code window pops up”. All you’re going to get in return is pressure to provide more details. Know these details. Startup malfunctions are very different from ones that are spawned by program use or some other activity.
8. Don’t Hold Them Accountable Because They Aren’t
When you’re speaking with tech support you aren’t talking to the designers and developers of your device or operating system. These individuals are not responsible, in any way, for the way in which software and hardware works. It doesn’t help to berate them for application attributes and other elements completely out of their control.
7. Provide Step-by-Step Descriptions
Since tech support workers can’t get an actual eye on what you’re doing the best they can do is simulate it on their own computer. But sometimes, they need more than that and must visualize the problem themselves. They can only achieve this if you can provide detailed descriptions of display activity and progress.
6. Be Patient
At first, every tech support team member is going to sound uncertain and unsure as they formulate possible problems and solutions in their heads. They will figure it out though, so long as you give them the space and the stress-free atmosphere to do it in.
5. Follow Directions
You call these people for the sole reason to get their help. Don’t shrug off anything they say, as everything they say matters. If you need them to slow down their talking, ask politely for them to do so.
4. Stay Focused
Now is not the time to get caught up on your favorite reality TV show or fold laundry. You need to be ready to do what needs to be done at any given moment, and more importantly you should extend the same kind of respect that’s being extended to you.
3. Mention Everything
The fact that your boss had new software downloaded onto all work computers over the weekend might be key to the problem, or even if you bought yourself a new keyboard. Disclose everything you can.
2. Be Honest
That includes accessing adult websites. Such websites are notoriously malware-spreading and are often the source of basic computer problems. No matter what the activity has been, remember you’re anonymous.
1. Be Polite
Just because you’re anonymous doesn’t mean you can be rude. Showing respect to another human being when you don’t have to is a sign to that person that you’re genuinely good and worth helping. It always pays to show respect.
Tech support workers help dozens upon dozens of individuals with electronic gripes everyday. Calling prepared makes you the exception, and increases your chances of getting good support and getting back to serious work as soon as possible.