Software support Archives

by Mark RugenAugust 6, 2019 windows, Wide Format Printing0 comments

Awesome Technical Support – 5 Things You Need to Do to Get It

Everyone will at some point need technical support. In this blog, we will show you 5 things you MUST do if you want awesome technical support!

Prepare for the Call

Technical Support Needed Now Okay, somethings gone wrong and maybe you’ve tried to find out what and fix it on your own, but you’ve reached an end and you’re not happy because you’ve got customers waiting for you to finish their jobs!

Sound familiar?

You may not like calling technical support because you feel like they just don’t help fast enough. Well, maybe it’s not just them. Perhaps you don’t gather enough information to give them some starting point to track down what’s going on.

Technical support is all about communication. To get it fast and right, you’ll need to prepare for the call.

1: Who Are You?

Don’t get offended. This could take a few minutes.

First, remember that the person you are calling has probably never met you. You’ll need to start the conversation by telling them who you are. Not just your name and contact info, but also your user number, identification number, serial number, account number or whatever system they use so they can “lookup” your account. Give them a few moments to find you and read about you or setup where they will be taking notes. Most technical support departments require a log of the call, so you can be sure they are logging your information if nothing else.

Think about making a new friend. If you start the conversation with an attitude, the person on the other side will remember that the next time you call, but if you start in a calm manner, they will remember that as well. In fact, keep in mind that the other side of this important call is a human being!

Ask them how they are doing, what the weather is like, try to make a friend and they will be even more helpful now and the next time you call. I’ve talked to some technical support people in some companies and there are people who call in that are always angry. The tech folks will toss that person around to avoid talking to them. Is that the kind of help you want?

2: Gather Your Info and Calmly Describe the Issue

After identifying yourself, now you can start with some information for the tech person. This is critical, BEFORE you call, make sure you can answer some questions:

What version of the software or what exact model of printer do you have?
Has anything changed since the last time you use the software or device?
If software, what version of Windows are you using?
Do you have antivirus software installed and if so what is it?
Has the issue occurred only once, randomly or every time you do something?
CALMLY, describe IN DETAIL, what happened.

Notice that we don’t go into detail on what happened until last! Also, I’ve found when I need support, sometimes going through this process helps me find the answer myself.

3: Expect a Few Questions and Experiments

Now, once you have clearly communicated the issue, the tech will likely want to verify a few things, and perhaps suggest trying a few solutions. be calm, it’s possible none of them will work. remember, this tech is trying to visualize what’s happening and how to fix it without being right in front of your computer.

As you try different possible solutions, be sure to describe what’s happening while you try them. Speak slowly and clearly and be very observant about what happens.

Some support systems might want to log into your computer using remote access software like TeamViewer. This can help the tech actually see the error and many times they can fix it faster, BUT if that’s the case, ask them to speak while they are doing it and take notes because the issue can return and the next time perhaps you can fix it yourself.

4: Expect a Followup if It’s A Real Bug

Okay, you’ve done what you can and the tech is still not able to fix the issue. It could be a real bug or issue and the tech will have to investigate further and followup with you. Look, this is normal and you shouldn’t get angry. They can’t do anything about it.

If this is the situation, once you hang up, try some things yourself, keep beating the issue until you fix it or just wait on the tech to call back. DO follow up with the tech if you don’t hear from them within 24 hours.

Go back and review all the questions that you used to prepare for the call, one by one eliminate them as the source of the issue.

5: When All Else Fails

When all else fails, you may have to restore your system to a previous date using a backup or some other means. If that’s the case, be sure to write down critical info, like model numbers, passwords, driver info, anything that will help get it back to a previous working condition.

What’s the big lesson here?

Getting awesome technical support is about communication, staying calm, gathering information and treating the tech support person like a human and a friend, because if they solve your issue, believe me, you’ll think of them as a friend!

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MUTOH is known for its awesome customer service and technical support. We train all our resellers BEFORE we allow them to sell our products. In addition, we have a staff of experts in media, inks, printers, software and more. One thing you can count on at MUTOH is a great support experince. www.mutoh.com