How to Talk to Tech Support

If you are into as many gadgets as I am, then you are going to encounter some sort of technology that you won't be familiar with. In many cases, you will experience what I call "tech-frustration", which is that terrible feeling that one gets when one is trying to make a new gadget do exactly what it should, and the gadget fails to cooperate.

You may notice that the gadget invariably has some number for "Tech Support", and many of us hesitate to call it. It is simply because that most companies outsource their calls to some other country, and we may end up talking to some operator who doesn't speak English as their first language.

Then we have to explain our problem to someone we don't even know, and trust that he or she has the answers. Here are some ways to talk to tech support:

1) Speak to the right person.

Chances are, that tech support line will be automated at first, and none of the seemingly convenient choices will match the particular problem that you have. Sometimes they do, but it is necessary to listen to all the menu options, just so you hit the right button. If in doubt, just "stay on the line and wait for an operator to assist you".

2) Explain the problem in detail, but not too much detail.

This is where you need to describe your problem so as not to confuse anyone on the other end. Work from general to specific, but don't start out too general. Don't say: "Hello, I can't get my wireless printer to work". That tells the operator nothing. Instead, explain: "Yes, I am trying to set up my wireless printer to sync with my computer, but my computer doesn't seem to recognize it." In other words, if there is a step-by-step procedure to make the tech work, explain what exact step it fails.

3) Listen to the operator's questions.

The operator may ask you questions that are completely obvious like "is the item in question plugged in". Yes, those are irritating, but try to imagine it from the other end. Chances are, there are hundreds of problems that call in everyday, and they have some big book at their desk that troubleshoots these problems. Your questions may be at the bottom of the list.

In some cases, you might suspect the root cause of the problems. In the above example, you might already have another wireless printer synced with the computer, and it is messing with it. It might be worth mentioning this earlier, but wait for the proper time. Chances are, the tech support has seen your problem before, and they just need to go through the proper routine.

4) Be willing to follow some instructions.

Yes, it sometimes you have to do some things that don't seem to work, such as turning on and off the access point could actually fix the computer. However, you might want to do that. In some cases, you might be able to let them take over your computer. There are ways that operators can control them virtually, so they can see what you are seeing. I've had this done before, and the cursor will move as if your mouse is controlled by a ghost.

5) Be patient.

This is one rule that trumps all of the other rules. It takes several tries to get some good things right, but tech support calls that I have taken usually end with my product working. In my last time, I spent two hours on the phone, but I had a printer that can print at the end of it. I had to connect my phone charger. Fortunately, I didn't have to speak to the operator's supervisor, and they were quite helpful.

If the tech support does a good job, don't forget to ask to speak to the operator's supervisor. You might as well give a compliment where it is deserved.