We all have had to face a tech problem in the past that required us to seek tech support. The pain can range all over the place. It could be a problem with your printer, computer, or, who knows, maybe even your cell phone. When it’s time to try and find tech support to get the help you want, here are a few tips on when submitting requests for tech support or even just doing a quick web search for it.
Be More Specific
This is the main one. If someone came to me and said, “my computer isn’t working, how do I fix it?” I could not help them. This request is too generic. It has no detail whatsoever. I can already start asking questions like, what is it showing you? When did this happen? What were you doing at the time? These are just a couple of things I might ask the person asking for my tech support.
You got actually to tell me what’s not working. After I get the answers to these questions, I would still have to ask more such as, what OS does it run? How long have you had it? What OEM made the computer? Of course, if you are using something other than a computer to get tech support, adjust the questions you will need to answer in your request to suit that piece of technology.
Another good thing to include here would be the specs of the computer. Tech support will want to know what the computer’s CPU is and how much RAM you have. These are all important in case maybe someone else has had the same issue with that same RAM company or something like that. If someone had the same problem, it would be much quicker for tech support to troubleshoot it.
Include Model Numbers In Your Tech Support Request
This can help tech support a lot if they can get the model number of the computer, printer, etc., you are trying to get tech support. If you include this, they may not even need to ask for the computer’s specifications. They can research your model number and find all that and more about the computer. This is also super helpful when searching Google or other search engines for tech support. You can get help or advice from people who know your technology and may have encountered this issue and learned how to troubleshoot it.
Don’t Be Afraid to Write a Little
If you post your request on a Q&A site or support forum, for example, don’t be afraid to write a good paragraph or two on what exactly is up with this particular piece of technology you need support for. If the site has some good people, they will read it and be able to provide much better support because they know at least what is happening.
Include Screenshots or Video
If it is possible, try including screenshots or pictures with your requests. If the error has a sequence, maybe try getting a video on YouTube so people can see what is happening. A visual can help people know, so they don’t have to make their vision. If you have to, don’t be afraid to use a camera and take a screen picture if you can’t get a screenshot. The quality won’t be as good if you go down this path, but at least you have a visual for those trying to aid you with tech support.
