Getting Effective Technical Support

One of the biggest frustrations when using computer equipment happens when things go wrong. Manuals rarely exist any more, and those that you can get are often mere recitations of the user interface or written in incomprehensible language. Phone technical support is usually an intensely maddening experience with long hold times and non expert technicians who go through canned laundry lists of "solutions" from a database rather than really understanding your issues. And at the end of an inconclusive call, technicians often claim that another product is at fault, recommending you call the other company instead.

As technology prices have plummeted, perhaps it should come as no surprise that the expensive human support systems have been cut way back. But you can take a few measures to help the technical support process along:

• Don't call in a panic or in a rushthe process requires your time, patience, and good humor.

• Before you call, make sure you know what steps led to the problem. The more you can narrow down the circumstances of the problem, the faster the support technician can get to the likely causeand the greater chance of avoiding wild goose chases caused because you happen to mention something vague or irrelevant that the technician got stuck on.

• Also before you call, make sure you've done some basic troubleshooting that will help eliminate wild goose chases. Disconnect any newly installed equipment (new hardware might be the source of the problem, due to a conflict), and for the same reasons un install any software that was installed right before the problem occurred. Check your antivirus and antispy ware software logs or status displays to make sure they are not blocking your software or Web pages because they are detecting a possible risk.

• Never reformat your hard drive, even if told to do so by a technician. The "reformat your drive" advice is a last resort by desperate technicians who don't know what the real problem is. Reformatting the drive wipes out everything on your computerusually including the problem. But by then you've lost all your data unless you have been rigorous about backing up. Reformatting is almost always the wrong solution.

• If the technician blames other software or hardware, ask for specific reasons why he believes that to be the case. If the technician can't give you a good answerone you'll need when you call the other company and ask for its helpthen he's probably clue less as to the cause and is just trying to get rid of you.

• If you sense that the technician doesn't know how to help you, ask for a supervisor or another technician. Don't waste your time with someone who can't help.

• Keep logs of your calls, including the names of the people you spoke with. Difficult problems often take several calls as you try different possible fixes, and it's almost guaranteed that who ever answers your call the next time won't be the person who helped you the first time. A sign of good technical support is when the original technician gives you a way to contact him directly for follow-up. If he doesn't provide his contact information, ask if there's a way to follow up with him directly if the suggested fix doesn't work.

More and more companies rely on e-mail technical support, which can be very frustrating because of the delayed responses and because there's no way to have a real conversation that results in a quick resolution. And chances are good that you're getting canned responses, not real support. If after a couple rounds of e-mails you don't have a resolution, ask for someone you can call directly. If you don't receive that level of service and you're having problems with a new product, consider returning it and trying another company's product. (When customers accept bad service, they only get more of it.)

The Price of Tech Support

Because of the cost of delivering effective technical support, many companies now charge for the service. The problem is, you don't know if the support is worth the money until after you have spent your money. And at $25 or more per incident, or several dollars a minute, the costs scan really add up.

Worse, most companies do not provide a satisfaction guarantee on their support, meaning even if they can't solve your problem, you still pay. Charging for tech supports protects the company against truly clueless users, but it harms those who have a legitimate problem.

My advice: Avoid paid support unless the fees are waived if your problem is not resolved. If you must pay for support, try a local computer repair shop where you can establish a real relationship.

Some companies use electronic chat systems, which give you the immediacy of a phone call and the ability to have more of a conversation, so you and the support technician can have a real dialog to get closer to a useful response. These can work well once you get the hang of the slight pauses as you wait for the other person to finish typing. But note that some chat systems don't work well on the Macintosh or on browsers other than Internet Explorer, so be sure there is an alternative contact method if you're not using Windows.

Because technical support is often mediocre or just plain inferior, you should get your own technical support network. It's a clich´e, but it's true: a smart kid often can figure out problems quickly and take care of them for you. (If you call this kid repeatedly, be sure to pay her or otherwise reward the person for her time and effort.) You might have a geek or two in the family or among your friends. Ask for their help, but again be sure to compensate them some how for their time and expertisea nice dinner, perhaps?if your requests become frequent.

Additionally, look for a neighborhood computer repair shop. They're increasingly common, but usually in parts of town where the rents are cheap. Check the phone book or search for "computer repair" and the name of your town in an online search engine such as Google. You can also try the Geek Squad national service, but its folks come and go more often than the local shop's staffers, so you don't get the same personal service and long-term relationship. A computer repair shop is much like an auto mechanicsomeone you need to trust and one who knows your needs and issues.

CD Resource: A link to the Geek Squad.