Details, Details

This is an interesting article oriented mainly to corporate IT.  This item is exactly what I always say:

4. How to get a quick answer from the IT guy.

“‘X is broken’ makes it very hard for us to properly take care of your problem, because we don’t even know how to categorize and prioritize the problem,” said Ian Beyer, a network administrator at United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan.

Instead, offer some basic information right when you request help: What were you doing when “X” did something unexpected? Did it give you any error messages? If so, what were they? When did it happen and how long has it been going on? Can you make it do it again? By when do you need the help?

Would you tell your mechanic “it’s broken”?

No.  You would give as much detail on symptoms and circumstances as you could.  If he had a question, you’d be available to answer it.

It’s absolutely crazy to issue a blanket “it’s won’t work” or “I’m having problems with my computer,” then not answer any followup questions.  Not just have no idea, but ignore the questions, or disappear, and simply expect it to be fixed promptly.

<< Back to main