Chapter Summary

• To resolve a service call, you must gather information, determine a solution, find and attempt solutions or escalate the call, test any solutions that you implement, and inform the end user of your findings.

• To solve a problem, first get answers to the questions who, what, where, why, and how. The answers often point to a solution quickly.

• To find a solution, search these resources in the following order: online Help And Support files, company documentation, manufacturers’ websites, technical sites, and newsgroups. Apply possible answers in the same order.

• Before attempting any solution, back up the user’s data, create a system restore point, and document previous settings and configurations if it is within your job role.

• Always document the service call fully, including the user’s name, the computer ID, the problem, the attempted solution, the result, and how long it took to resolve the call.

• To lower costs, create informed end users, and reduce how often you have to speak with the same end users, inform them briefly of the problem, the solution, and how to avoid the problem in the future.

• To reduce the likelihood that a computer will develop future problems, inform the user about how to perform routine maintenance tasks such as using Disk Defragmenter and Disk Cleanup.