Confessions of a Tech Support Rep

Many of us at some point have to make that dreaded call that consists of high hold times and transfer after transfer. I am here to help make sure your call is effective and quick! There are actually a few tips and hints that will put you, the consumer in full control and get to a solution right way.

I will begin with the most effective piece of advice I can offer. Be friendly! You are calling an individual who may not exactly like what they do for a living and an irate customer will initiate the same attitude in return. Do not picture a selfless robot on the other end of the line wearing a full size logo of the company they represent on their forehead. Chances are they either dislike or put up with more corrupt company policies than you will ever see. Starting off a conversation with an "I'm angry because the company you work for sucks" feel will most definitely bring out the spite of the rep on the other end. They can pull strings for the customers they like and enforce the most bogus corporate policies when they feel they are treated with disrespect. There will always be another call waiting after your call and most reps will be happy to waste your time when it comes dealing with unpleasant calls.

Before calling in make sure you are ready to explain the problem at hand. Write down any error codes, note any past behavior of the device that might reflect the current problem, and of course be ready to give contact information such as phone numbers, email, name, etc. This is usually the way a customer's account is verified and will be needed in case you are disconnected from the rep. If you are getting specific errors or problems always do a little research before calling! Google is your friend. You will be very suprised with the wealth of information found online and most of the time someone else has had the same problem as you at some point. If a tech rep is having trouble finding a solution right away or the error/problem is new to them they will more than likely be pulling up Google as well. There is nothing more satisfying than digging into a technical issue and finding that simple solution in an online forum or article. It will boost your confidence and probably save you a lot of time and money in the long run. If you run into problems applying the solution you've found then it's probably time to pick up the phone.

Always make sure you have applied any updates that apply to your system/device before calling, especially if the issue is random or intermittent. A tech rep is going to check these areas out and you will hear them smiling if you can proudly say all critical updates have been applied. Most people overlook or procrastinate when it comes to keeping a system up-to-date, but the more expensive the equipment is the more critical this becomes. Many updates have to be applied in increments (Driver version 1.0 cannot be updated to 10.0 without hitting all the versions in between) so a call into tech support might result in lengthy driver or firmware flashes followed by a reboot everytime, depending on the system of course. If you have questions or trouble applying these updates it's time to pick up the phone, tech reps see these calls as easy and proactive. Meaning they are happy to teach you how to apply and maintain updates knowing it will save them lengthy calls in the future.

If you are having trouble connecting to your internet provider it would not be a good idea to call the computer manufacturer first. It's important to call the service providor or vendor first as you might find out there are service issues in your area or a simple fix they can apply. Problems are always specific when it comes to the device at fault and it's good to use a little common sense here to be sure your anger or fear is not the determining factor of which number you dial. Many reps get numerous calls a day that have nothing to do with the line of product they support. If you cannot get your IPOD to work on your Sony laptop don't call Sony, call Apple. Simple as that. Again you are saving time for everyone, including yourself.

If you were impressed by a technical rep be sure to take time and fill out that annoying survey or send a quick email over to their manager. Doing this will not only get the tech the feedback they deserve but also get you on that tech's high priority list when it comes to following up or additional assistance. Why? Because this is how tech's are graded in their position. This is how their raises, feedback, and all advancement opportunities are reviewed. If you are providing positive feedback tech's are going to thrive on this and be more than happy to go the extra mile for you.

Phone conversations are not always the most clear form of communication and the tech is going to need your full attention and attentiveness. Try not to divert your attention from the tech's instructions to co-workers, children, or cell phone calls. It's not too big of a deal but if you need to step away from the phone politely let them know you are placing them on hold.

Lastly humor is one of the best things you could provide a human that takes phone calls for a living. If you make it your mission to get them to laugh or smile they will return the favor with a resolution that will more than likely be outside their normal bounds of support. Once again this goes hand in hand with being friendly. Finally, be honest! Tell the tech everything and anything that you might have done to bring on the problem. I have seen cases where a customer's pride cause a call to last over 4 hours and when the customer finally broke down and admitted what they had done the tech was able to fix the problem in less than a minute with no further issues. Don't let pride or your feeling of superior technical knowledge take over here! You called them for a reason, and also tech's take calls on the system you are calling in on in the tens of thousands range. If there is a quick fix to the issue they will know, try not to second guess a troubleshooting step that may seem like it has nothing to do with the issue, you will be suprised. Of course some techs are better than others but don't judge the first tech you deal with until you know for sure their action plan is not going anywhere. From here you can ask to speak to someone else or their supervisor.

Thanks for reading!