Being Smart About Receiving Tech Help

Blast from the (near) past:
On my first blog post titled The Technology is Nice but What About the Business? I briefly discussed some of the problems which result in losing oneself in the impulsive appeal of technology, and how quickly taking in incompatible technologies can result in major issues down the line.

  These 'issues' can seem much more freak-out prone when applied to individuals who are less IT minded in general, let alone small business owners. In the article The Secret to Small Business Tech Support author Gene Marks puts in his two cents as to how to handle the IT support when problems (or disasters) strike.

Gene briefly touches on 5 main 'rules' to abide by in order maintain both the business owner (and the IT persons) tolerance for derangement. The quick recap:

Rule 1: Don't Get Angry
Rule 2: Be Nice to the Technician
Rule 3: Be Patient
Rule 4: Cede Control
Rule 5: Delegate!

As obvious as some of these 'rules' may seem, they are important considerations to take in when the times go bad. It is easy to say you will keep calm prior to the call, but after 6 minutes of being on hold and then explaining the problem multiple times can the same be said?

In essence it comes down to this, the IT technician is doing their job and just as much as you don't want to be treated poorly by a customer, the same goes to them. Be patient, open, and respectful of their time and if they don't give you the same in return, then scream at them.

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