Help Your IT Department: Help Yourself
Business Technology | November 16, 2011
Without a doubt, there will be a time when you’ll need help from your IT service provider. Bear in mind that they are in charge of aiding a large number of people with a wide variety of challenging problems. In order to receive the best possible response to your request, be sure you include as much important information when you first ask for help. You can’t assume they’ll understand your problem if you don’t give them all the details. By following these few steps, you can be assured that the whole experience goes smoothly and efficiently.
Write an Informative Email Subject Line
IT technicians receive frequent requests on a variety of issues – some are extremely urgent such as “I have a virus that destroying my documents”; while others are can withstand a 1-2 hour response delay, for example: “My monitor has a pinkish tinge.” It helps the technician if you add a subject line containing the basics of the issue, which helps them determine the priority level. A good example of a subject line is “Installed __ got error __”, which helps them to know immediately what your problem is with the computer. A vague subject line without a meaningful description of the problem won’t help them solve your issue.
Details, Details, Details
It is important that you include a detailed description including as much information as possible. Please include your OS, any steps you took, and any error messages. Error messages might not mean anything to you, but to an expert they are a source of useful information.
Be Frank
Your IT provider is likely to be busy most of the time, so while details are important, when communicating your issue be sure to keep unnecessary information to a minimum. Simply record the essential information and send the message along. Too much needless detail can delay how quickly the issue is resolved and add to your frustrations.
In the end, you are all busy people and your IT services provider wants to help you quickly and efficiently. Help them do so by following the tips above!
Without a doubt, there will be a time when you’ll need help from your IT service provider. Bear in mind that they are in charge of aiding a large number of people with a wide variety of challenging problems. In order to receive the best possible response to your request, be sure you include as much important information when you first ask for help. You can’t assume they’ll understand your problem if you don’t give them all the details. By following these few steps, you can be assured that the whole experience goes smoothly and efficiently.
Write an Informative Email Subject Line
IT technicians receive frequent requests on a variety of issues – some are extremely urgent such as “I have a virus that destroying my documents”; while others are can withstand a 1-2 hour response delay, for example: “My monitor has a pinkish tinge.” It helps the technician if you add a subject line containing the basics of the issue, which helps them determine the priority level. A good example of a subject line is “Installed __ got error __”, which helps them to know immediately what your problem is with the computer. A vague subject line without a meaningful description of the problem won’t help them solve your issue.
Details, Details, Details
It is important that you include a detailed description including as much information as possible. Please include your OS, any steps you took, and any error messages. Error messages might not mean anything to you, but to an expert they are a source of useful information.
Be Frank
Your IT provider is likely to be busy most of the time, so while details are important, when communicating your issue be sure to keep unnecessary information to a minimum. Simply record the essential information and send the message along. Too much needless detail can delay how quickly the issue is resolved and add to your frustrations.
In the end, you are all busy people and your IT services provider wants to help you quickly and efficiently. Help them do so by following the tips above!