3 tips when asking for IT help

We've all been there. Technology breaks. Sometimes the world's greatest troubleshooting tip, turn it off and on again, works and sometimes it doesn't. We all have to ask for help sometimes. Here are few tips that can help move things along when you're asking for help with computer stuff.

Be Specific

I spend a good amount of time answering technology questions. When you first ask your question, you really can't be too specific. Being specific helps move things along. The more specific you are with your question, the closer we can get to a specific answer rather than more questions.

"I have a question, give me a call."

This email is not helpful. It's an extreme example but there are many variations. What information is most helpful?

• What type of device are you on? Is it a computer running Windows or a Mac running macOS? Maybe you're on your smartphone or tablet? Is it an Android or iOS device?
• How do you know there's a problem? This one tends to throw people a bit but it's usually my first counter-question. When someone says, "it's not working" ... that actually doesn't convey any information. There are tons of reasons something isn't working. We don't want to start at the beginning ... "well, is it turned on?" In your first contact, tell the other person how you know it's not working ... is there an error message, what specifically are you doing when the trouble starts, is it constant or sporadic, is it specific to one device or all devices, one location or all locations, are other people seeing the same issue, etc. You already have a list of clues that led you to reach out for help, share your clues with the other person.
• Grab a screenshot. A picture is worth a 1000 words. It can take a lot of time and be difficult to describe many issues. You can use the Snipping Tool on Windows, it's free and included with Windows. On a Mac, simply press Command-Shift-4 at the same time. If you're looking for more features, there are tons of great screenshot apps. I like Skitch which was acquired by Evernote in late 2011.

Be patient

It sucks when stuff breaks. And stuff usually breaks when we're busy and already short on time. The first thing most IT people are going to do is ask a bunch of questions. If you're specific you might avoid some of these questions. (Unless you're talking to a cable company.) IT people are conditioned to jump to conclusions as they often deal with consistent patterns. You might have to explain your issue in more detail or frame it in several different ways and in context. It's also easy for things to be lost in translation. The best IT folks will work hard to find a common language and not ram a bunch of 'tech talk' into the conversation. But it's all relative of course. Some people know what a browser is, some people don't. Sometimes "open Chrome" works, sometimes it's "click on the beachball looking icon".

Good communication takes time.

Be patient with yourself and be patient with the person working to help you out. That doesn't mean you should follow someone into the abyss though. If you disagree with the direction you're being led, politely end the conversation and look for help elsewhere.

Be proactive

Here's a little secret. The best and brightest technology consultants are Googling the shit out of stuff. Technology is fluid. The answer from 6 months ago may be different from the answer today. The first thing I do with many questions I get is Google them. When IT isn't your full time gig, it can be hard to frame the question correctly and you definitely want to use a gentle touch if you're not sure exactly what you're doing. Pranksters have tricked people into trouble. Using the correct terminology can take practice. An overwhelming number of people are much more tech savvy than they realize. If you're specific with your question, Google might reward you with a quick answer. Worst case scenario you'll understand the situation more clearly.

For better or worse, just about everyone is a 'computer' person now. If you don't feel comfortable with technology, but use it everyday, it's worth investing the time to improve. You might surprise yourself. My education is in economics in finance, then I started Googling :)

#technology #tips #communication