HELP DESK
Q: I have a free email account and I see that I should really have an email account from my provider. OK, my provider is Charter communications. We have our cable and internet with them. I was looking to get an email account with them but they have a box that I need to check in order to get an account. I have to accept “cookies”. Is this harmful to my computer and I want to know if I should just go ahead and get an email account with them. What are “cookies” and what purpose do they serve?
Mary Carbajal
A: Cookies are a way to automatically identify you to the website. They can be good or bad, depending on how they are used. These cookies will be fine. They simply identify you as an account holder. Other cookies can be bad. Another example of good cookies would be on the Weather Channel site. They tell the computer where you live so you can get weather information for your area. But there are plenty of bad cookies too - if you’re in doubt, don’t do it. But in this case, it’s fine.
The time will come when your computer will force you to face the music.
I’m talking about that awful canned music you hear while on hold – waiting for help from some technician. Maybe your Internet service has decided to take an extended vacation, or it could be that your computer is as dead as a road kill frog. The reason doesn’t much matter – what does matter is that you should learn how to get the most out of your call for help.
By the way, that call to a tech for help was just made by my wife a few moments ago. That may be why all this is on my mind. She was having trouble with her Norton anti-virus program and called the customer support line. The tech almost instantly solved her problems and even made some unasked for suggestions that improved things even more. When she got off the phone she turned to me and said:
“The tech was great, isn’t it awful that I’m so amazed at having a good experience?”
Well, part of that is just being lucky – getting a super competent tech support person when you call. But part of it was in the way Mary prepared for that call. So today let me share some ways to increase your own luck when you make the call.
So we’ll hit the rewind button and start well before you pick up the phone and go to the moment that the problem began. That’s when you must be a good reporter, observing and recording the incident as clearly and specifically as possible. If there are error messages on the screen, write each word down just as it appears. If there was a sound from the computer, make a note of it. If you expect the tech to do a good job diagnosing the problem you must paint a detailed picture of what happened. No frills, plenty of facts.
Our next step is to write down a description of the problem. Work at making it concise yet detailed. When you finally do get to speak with the tech, you’ll be clear and not rely on memory.
There's more writing to be done before you pick up the phone. Write down all the details of the equipment involved. That means the name and model of the computer, the version of Windows you are running and details of any other equipment involved in the problem. Here's a tip. And take advantage of this tip right now, while everything is running correctly. Download a program called Belarc Advisor (www.belarc.com) and run it. It'll provide a complete inventory of your computer that includes the programs in it and the details of every bit of hardware. Print that out and save it for a time like this.
OK. Now we’ll make the call. And the tech just came on the line. You are well-prepared so that’ll get things off to a good start. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions. You may be asked to try various procedures. Even if you have already tried them, don’t bother explaining. Instead, be obedient and go through each step.
Even more important, be polite and friendly. Don’t let your panic and aggravation creep into your conversation.
Also take a moment to get the tech support person’s name. And find out if there is a direct call back number to reach that person.
In many cases, the tech will have an answer for your problem. You’ll be told how to fix things. But if the tech wants to end the conversation after suggesting the fix, ask that he or she stay on the line while you try it. That way if it doesn’t work you avoid the necessity of calling back. If it does work you have an opportunity to take the tech for helping.
Also find out if there is a way – if the problem crops up again five minutes after you get off the phone – you can get back in touch without starting from scratch again with a fresh tech. This won’t always be possible but it doesn’t hurt to ask.
So far, we’ve assumed that you will get a solution to your problem. But that’s not always the case. If – for any reason – the call does not go well politely ask to speak to a tech in the next level of support. Often tech support is organized in tiers. The techs that answer the call are backed up by specialists and sometimes they are the most skilled. So when the problem can’t be resolved by the first tech, ask that the call be escalated to the next level of support.
If no satisfactory help is provided make it a goal to come away from the call with some concrete plan from the tech support person on how you are to proceed – advice on how you are to eventually solve the problem.
Also keep in mind that, if all else fails, there’s no harm in trying again. Calling tech support – especially when are dealing with a large company, is like playing roulette. On your second attempt you may get a more knowledgeable support person.
May your next call to tech support be successful. Follow my tips and you’ll gain a bit of an edge.
Email Bill Husted at techbud@bellsouth.net
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