When “Calling Tech Support” Involves Looking in the Mirror
December 19th, 2006 (3:35pm) Judi Sohn 9 CommentsTweet This
Over the weekend, I ordered more RAM for my MacBook Pro. I’ve installed RAM in so many different machines over the years, I’ve lost count. I even did it on an original Bondi iMac which is not for the faint of heart.
This morning it took me nearly 2 hours to install that DIMM.
Over 90 minutes to get in my car and drive to a hardware store and back to get a Philips head screwdriver with a #000 tip that had a sturdy, wide grip. I just couldn’t get the tight, little screws over the RAM cover to turn with the little stainless screwdrivers many people have in their homes for changing batteries and fixing things. This was a much smaller screw than in other computers I’ve owned.
10 minutes once I got home to pop off the RAM cover, put in the new chip and restart.
The whole time I was stuck in holiday traffic when I should have been in my home office working, I kept thinking to myself that if I worked in a “real” office, I would have just had the “tech guy” take care of this for me while I got something else done. But as a web worker, that “tech guy” is me. When I can’t get my email to work, I’m the one I call. When I get a strange error message or can’t connect to a server it’s me to the rescue. It’s times like this that I’m most reminded that I work in a home, I don’t live in an office. I don’t have someone making sure that I have enough envelopes and paper, or that I have the tools and resources I need to fix and troubleshoot problems.
Many web workers these days are the build-and-fix-it-yourself types. It goes with the territory. This post isn’t for you. I’ve been surprised at how many of my work-from-home co-workers rely on calling someone like me and they have no clear idea how to get their computers out of a jam. For those folks, I’ve developed some simple “I’m not a computer technician but I play one in my home office” strategies for keeping my tech support person happy…she can get grumpy sometimes.
Don’t panic. There’s nothing worse than a blue screen of death or kernel panic 15 minutes before a deadline. Take a deep breath. Count to 5 and clear your head so you can think logically about the situation and possible solutions. Then you can attack the problem.
Keep good records. Keep a log of major new software/hardware you’ve added, along with serial numbers. If you speak to someone over the phone, note the day and time and get their name and any case numbers assigned. If you know where you’ve been, it’s easier to backtrack.
The solution is out there. What do you do after you’ve actually looked at the manual or help files and can’t figure it out? In this day and age, there’s rarely a technical problem that someone else hasn’t already experienced and is talking about. Assuming that the problem isn’t with the computer or your Internet connection itself, start by searching on the error message in Google. I can’t count how many times a co-worker (or my mother) has called and asked me, “What does error code #1566 mean?” like I’m a built-in encyclopedia and I ask if they looked it up and the thought didn’t dawn on them. The people who seem to know all the answers aren’t geniuses, they’re just looking it up for you. Don’t count out blog searches, too. Search on blogwise or technorati since they index faster than the search engines, especially if it’s for something new. Most company websites have user-to-user forums. And don’t forget to pay it forward, once you’ve figured out the problem write a follow-up on a forum or blog about it. The next person searching after you will thank you for it.
Start with what you know. You may not know what caused that crash or blue screen, but you do know what it says in the error mesage. You know the application you were running. You know what else was running in the background. It’s amazing how much information you can find when you’re starting with the sketchiest of search terms. You know “A,” you know “B.” A search for “A & B” leads you to “C.” Another search for “A, B & C” leads you to the answer.
If you can, treat problems on your own time table. You know when things aren’t running right. Don’t let it get to the point that it’s panic on a deadline. Start looking for the reason for that strange error message while it’s not really impacting your productivity. Run a drive scan, repair permissions (primarily for OS X) or defrag if you think it may help. If you’re on Windows, make absolutely sure the issue isn’t due to spyware. If the hard drive is making any kind of clicking noise, stop what you’re doing immediately and back up. That drive is about to go south. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next week. But soon. A clicking drive never ends well.
Try and isolate the issue. Is it the cable modem, the router or the VOIP adapter that’s causing the drops in your connection? Eliminate the router and VOIP adapater and see if it fixes the issue. If so, then add back the phone adapter, and so on until you’re sure exactly where the problem is coming from. Unplug peripheral devices. Start in safe mode. There are many strategies all with the same idea…get to the lowest common denomenator.
You can’t always show them what’s wrong, so tell them. Clearly. There are times when you just have to pick up the phone and call tech support. If you get the slightest hint that the person who first answers the phone won’t be able to help you, ask for level 2 support. That will often put you through to someone who has a little more knowledge. Don’t start out by telling your life story. Make sure that the person on the other end has pulled up your account record first. Then act like a doctor in one of those episodes of ER…give a short synopsis of exactly the problem you are having and the steps you have already taken to fix it yourself. Don’t elaborate or go off on a tagent unless they ask you a specific question. If you haven’t done obvious steps like restart your computer or power-cycle your modem, do it while you’re on hold because they’re going to ask.
Backup. Backup. Backup. There are at least 50 different strategies for backing up a computer. Pick a few, and do it. Have more than one plan in case restore doesn’t work as you expect when you need it. Set it to happen automatically. If you have to think about it, you’re not going to do it reliably enough to save your hide when you need it. There’s no problem too terrible if you know you can get your data back.
Learn from previous experiences. You don’t have to start a new career as a technician, but it does help to know how to install your own RAM after watching someone do it once. Know how to reinstall your operating system, know some basic troubleshooting techniques, know how to restore from backup (or system restore), etc. When you learn how to fix one problem, apply what you’ve learned to fix the next. A lot of the strategies are the same.
So now I turn it to the more experienced techies…any other tips & tricks for those new to the me-myself-and-I tech support department? What do you know now that you wish you knew then?
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
You know what I hate? When the wi fi network acts up, I repair it, and it says “if you continue having problems, contact your network administrator.” Errr, I am the friggin’ network administrator! There’s no one else to go to! And the extent of my knowledge of fixing the wi fi network is selecting “repair wireless network.”
If you reach a point of frustration, then walk away from the problem for awhile. Maybe an hour, maybe a day, or even a week. You’d be amazed at how a possible solution just ‘comes to you’ when you stop trying so intently to solve it. You’ll be driving somewhere, thinking about what to have for dinner, when suddenly it pops into your head: ‘it has to be a problem with the cable itself’ and voila, you try it and it works.
Oh, and one other thing: say the problem you’re having outloud to yourself. Its amazing how often this works. ‘The OS is not even seeing the hard drive.’ Then your brain autopilots into possible causes: 1) its not getting power 2) the cable is not seated properly 3)…. etc….You start trying to rule out these things and very often the root cause is found.
Makes you want to believe in telekenesis and astrology too ;)
Judi,
I know it’s not a complete solution when some piece of hardware carks it on the spot, or you need an urgent upgrade, but most of the pain can be avoided by ordering the stuff online – And many Mac RAM suppliers will ship it with the right screwdriver for taking the cover off for free.
There’s definitely added overhead to being a web-worker, I keep a backup power supply for my desktop PC, a homebrew NAS box with RAID 5 and a couple of 6 volt batteries for emergency power.
Top notch suggestions for keeping our SOHO office equipment going and those of us in that situation sane. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of doing backup, and then some more backup, and then some more after that. I build databases for my clients and over the years, I’ve seen my share of lost data. All I can do is say “I’m sorry”.
The best thing people can do when working solo is to build a strong network of resources. People you can call on for knowledge and information when you’re stuck. Mine ranges from my accountant, my attorney, a couple network guys that I have collaborated with over the years, and colleagues in my field of FileMaker development. As consultants and solo practitioners of our trade we need to know our limits and when to call the consultant, just like we hope our clients do.
Those small screwdrivers are an important part of your set, now. Size 0 and smaller philips-head screws are standard on electronics, and they’re not forgiving of using the wrong size driver (ever try to use a #1 driver in a #2 screw? That doesn’t work, either). I like the Wiha set, with the rotating tip that lets you press down with one finger while turning the tool. They’re not particularly expensive, and they’ll be useful forever.
To expand a bit on Neal’s suggestion, don’t forget to get the IM of your geeky friends. That’s probably one of my primary support routes – both helping and being helped.
Great little list. We have set up a business to offer exactly this type IT support – a mix of genuine knowledge and common sense. Many customers “just want it to work” and are not interested in becoming even a little bit more expert, for them the ability to rely on a 3rd party is important.
As mentioned by Neal Watzman, a reliable network includes attorney’s, accountants etc… however, none of these provide services for free and you are not likely to try and do these things yourself.
Some things are worth paying for and some are not. Depending on how self sufficient you are in the IT department, it may be worth seeking some professional advise, as long as you can find one.