"Tech Support Woes"
By John Anderson

Nearly one out of every five computer users encounters software problems serious enough to contact technical support.

If your software doesn’t work, your first thought is probably to call the tech support number for the software company. It’s also usually the last thing that you end up doing. Why? Because you’ve probably have the hassles before. If you do call, you are faced with not only long wait times but also cheery pre-recorded messages about how wonderful their software, product or service is. (If it’s so wonderful, why are you on the phone?) You will also run into automated menu-driven call handlers that are difficult to navigate and most often don’t supply you with the answers you need. And if you finally do actually talk to a real person, it becomes almost immediately apparent that they are not familiar with the product and can only offer vague advice or blame the problem on something unrelated to their product.

It is often much easier to turn to tech-savvy friends or online message boards or pay independent computer service firms to get results.

Why is It Like This?

Software is riddled with errors because of its growing complexity and the rate of new development. Each year, new ideas and innovations are developed and put on the market so quickly that there isn’t time for them to be adequately tested and perfected. This leads to cutting corners to cut costs at the expense of quality.

Some software companies will release software that is hastily-written and poorly-tested, relying on purchasers to find and report the problems that need to be fixed. Those customers who call in are unwittingly helping developers to identify problems that are then posted to the Internet as downloadable fixes.

But at the same time, many companies are slashing tech support staffs. Many jobs have gone to overseas phone support operations, but many companies also channel more of their customers to online help menus. Those menus, computer users complain, often aren’t very useful. Most people find that web solutions are hard to find or navigate or sometimes don’t work at all.

E-mail requests don’t fare much better. Replies often take more than two days or don’t help, if they come at all.

Software tech support ranks slightly worse than the customer support offered by cell phone carriers and just a little better than that provided by cable TV companies.

Top 10 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Call to Tech Support

But what do you do if you don’t have a tech-savvy friend and don’t want to tackle the problem yourself? (And why should you have to?) Sometimes, just knowing what to expect makes the task less intimidating. Here are 10 tips to help make the process a little less frustrating.

1. Search the Web for reports of similar problems. You may find that your symptom is related to a different issue and there might be a fix that you can do yourself. This will save you the time of an unneeded telephone call.

2. If you’ve decided that a call is required, make sure you use the correct support number listed. If you call a different department, you will increase the time it will take to reach the person you need.

3. Don’t delay making the call. Even though there is a one-year warranty on most new hardware, many times free telephone support may be limited.

4. When you call, be prepared to spend some time on the phone. Depending on when you call, there may be a wait of 30 minutes or more. Even after a tech support person gets on the line, you may still need to spend a half-hour or more discussing the problem with them.

5. Be as specific as possible as to the nature of the problem. For example, if you are calling about an error message, record the exact text of the message and read it back to the support person. If possible, have your computer trigger the problem. Also, if there is anything even a bit unusual about your setup (e.g., if your computer is on a network), make sure you mention this as well.

6. Follow each step the tech support person asks you to do, even if you have already tried it. This is done so that the support person can better understand the problem and eliminate possible problems.

7. Ask the person for their direct extension. If you find this person to be especially helpful, it may pay to get them again if you need to call back regarding the same issue.

8. If the final result of your conversation is not what you had hoped for, it might be necessary to call the next day and try again. You will most likely speak with a different person that might be better suited to handling the problem.

9. When you first call on an issue, you are often assigned a case number. Make sure you get this case number and write it down. Refer to it if you call again on the same matter. Write down the time and date of the call as well. You may not need any of this information, but if anything goes wrong the information may be critical in getting the support office to take responsibility for what happened. If a repair problem takes weeks to resolve, your notes may also help to establish the length of the delay, thus supporting your growing frustration.

10. Finally, if they say that you have to send your computer or component in for repair, pause for a moment and consider if this is what you really want to do. You may be without your computer for a week or more.

And finally, cooperation also helps to establish a positive relationship with the support person. You want the tech support person to be your ally, not your adversary. Whatever you do, don’t get hostile. Remain patient and polite.

There are smart, friendly, helpful tech support people out there. Hopefully, you will never need them, but if you do, I hope these tips will help you find them.

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Publications : Bar Bulletin: December, 2003