How To Work With a Support Engineer

Posted by jplesset on January 11, 2014 under Working with Support | Be the First to Comment

You have a problem with your computer.  You need Tech Support.  Here’s how to get the best results from your Support Engineer:

1.  If you see an error message, write it down.  The very last thing a Support Engineer wants to hear is, “I got an error message.  It’s gone now.”

Yes, the error message didn’t mean anything to you, but it might mean something to your Support Engineer.

2.  Note what you were doing when you got the error.  Errors and crashes don’t just happen; they typically come from a specific set of actions, and if you don’t know what those actions are, it will take longer to fix your problem.

3.  If you’re running Windows, the error message is likely recorded in the “Event Manager”.  Your Support Engineer will help you pull it out.  It will help to know exactly what day and time the problem occurred.

4.  When your Engineer asks you a question, it’s not to tell you that you’ve done something wrong, or you are stupid. The question is asked to gather information that will help him or her to resolve your issue.  The Engineer can’t see through your eyes or read your mind.

5.  The most difficult challenge for you is to remain calm. You’ve probably got people making demands — maybe even screaming at you to get the problem resolved NOW. Your Technical Support Engineer is doing and will do everything possible to help you, so you (and others) can get back to work ASAP. It may take only a few minutes, but it may take days (or weeks) to resolve the problem. It’s everyone’s  goal.

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