Tech Support Howto

• Get the person's name and adopter number if possible.
• Get a call-back number.
• Troubleshoot
• Fix the problem?
• Record everything in RT

That is the gist.

Tech support requires 2 things, an interest in solving puzzles, and the ability to talk to all kinds of people. A sense of humor is a big plus. Not taking yourself too seriously is another. If you want to show off how much you know, this is not the place for you.

Here are some pointers:

• Ask answerable questions. (Has it ever worked. What were you trying to do when this happened. Read off the error message)
• Check the physical, i.e. cables, power switches.
• Remember that the client may be totally unfamiliar with the lingo you are using, and may misread error messages, or misunderstand what you are saying and still be a normally intelligent person, and even if not, deserves patience.
• Remember that the client may not always tell the truth out of embarrassment or to avoid refusal of service.
• Lead the conversation so that you get the information you need.
• 5 minutes in the office may be worth an hour on the phone.
• Tech support boundaries are a guideline. We are not in the business of figuring out how we can avoid helping people, but there are situations where continuing support will open a can of worms we cannot handle. An example of this is trying to support windows programs in wine. Keep expectations clear.
• You don't know everything and neither do I, so a necessary tech support skill is finding the information. Google is your friend.