this post was submitted on 23 Jul 2024
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I do tech support on the phone.
When I can't take remote control, the person on the other side is not following instructions, and they just keep repeating "no, not working!" while trying multiple things one after another, that I can't see.
Like, I can understand not being good with technology, I'll be patient. But if I tell them to try loading the site in a private/incognito window and they're telling me "but I tried in Firefox and it's not working", it's not what I'm asking them to do. And if they're like "wait, I'll try again in Chrome" then repeat "nope, not working!", it's still not what I'm asking them to try!
On a related note, error messages. When I ask you what it says, tell me what it says, not what you think it means. If it meant what you thought it meant, you wouldn't be asking me for help.
I got a ticket for a remote site that said "there's an error message and the computer doesn't start" . there was no clarification what the error message actually said.
I spent about 20 minutes driving out there, turn the computer on:
"System battery voltage low. Press F2 to continue"
I did not have a battery with me. If they just said what the error was, I would have brought a battery with me. Now they have to wait for another tech to be scheduled to drive out to this location which could be a week later.
When I used to do phone support I stopped telling them the entire picture and started saying things like look in the left hand side of your screen what do you see there...they say blah blah blah and I go click on blah blah blah then I move on to the next step what do you see on your screen now. Seemed to get me to my goal quicker then OK I'll have you open a chrome window and do xyz because they won't do that.
I always wanted to ask someone in tech support: is there a useful shorthand to indicate "I have a decent understanding of how to operate my computer, and I'm calling you because I don't have the security clearance to fix this myself"?
I have no problem following the specific instructions I'm being given, but we could speed this along if you know you can just tell me to "open command prompt" instead of explaining the steps of how to do so.
It's been over 20 years since I did phones, but I don't imagine it has changed that much. The "techie" callers fall into two categories: Those who actually know what they're doing and those who think they know what they're doing. The latter group are the worst of all callers. I'd rather be on the phone to an 80-year-old who has trouble finding the start menu than with a caller who thinks they know more than they actually do.
If you honestly do know what you are talking about, the way to get this to tech support is to tell them what prompted you to call. An actual competent caller will open the call with something like:
"Hi, this is Cile. I'm calling from ______. My UserID/AccountNo etc is _______. I'm having a problem with ___________. The error message is [EXACT MESSAGE]. I have done a, b, c, but that resolved it."
For your example where it's an access matter, adapt the above accordingly. Something like "I need to do ________, but I lack the access to [steps you would take if you did have access]".
Finally:
Unless you are experiencing something super weird, the tech support people have probably seen this problem before and know how to solve it. Follow their instructions even if it's something you wouldn't have done. Even if their way seems less efficient. There will be a reason why they're doing it that way, and it won't always be apparent to you.
If they waste my time ignoring my instructions, I return the favour with a lengthy response on every infraction with "the need to follow a structured troubleshooting methodology in order to be able to resolve the root cause at hand, including strict adherence to each individual step in the provided action plan, such that we can progress toward blah blah blah..."
After a few tries they usually get the message that it'll be faster to just follow the instructions ๐