Super Simple Support Secrets

Many of us have had the unfortunate experience of calling technical support, only to end up on hold for an extended period of time to ultimately speak to someone in a foreign country who speaks poor English. The advice we’re offered from such loosely titled "technicians" is often wrong, and it’s not uncommon to be told the problem is a.) your computer or b.) Microsoft. It can often be a colossal waste of time and energy. It’s enough to make anyone not want to call technical support ever again – and the manufacturers would like nothing better.

From the manufacturer’s perspective, offering technical support is considered a "cost center," because they do not make any money from the technical support department. As such, they cut costs every way they can by under-staffing and out-sourcing. Technical support personnel working for manufacturers are not paid to help the calling customers. Their productivity is not measured by how many customers they’ve actually helped, but instead by how many phone calls they’ve dispensed within a certain period of time. Whether the customer’s problem was actually resolved is not typically part of the equation management measures.

So, before dialing, try to solve the problem yourself. If you’re unsuccessful, a couple of companies that offer computer repair services can actually help you and won’t rob you of your life savings in the process.

Free help

Many Web sites have very experienced computer users and technicians who enjoy sharing their knowledge with others. Many of them enjoy the challenge of fixing a problem and will happily send you messages with suggestions and advice on what to try. Then you respond to those messages with the results of their advice. They respond back with what to try next (if necessary) and this continues, back and forth, until your problem is resolved or they run out of ideas. Some sites charge a fee for this, but here are some excellent choices that do not charge. Protonic.com has been around for many years and is an online community dedicated to providing free technical support to any computer user in need of it. It provides such service thanks to its global volunteer workforce. Most of Protonic’s volunteers are based in the United States, England and New Zealand.

Questions about viruses, spyware, software applications, operating system problems, web-site design issues… something else? You name it! Protonic most likely has at least one, if not several, volunteer expert(s) available to answer/resolve most any computer-related question/problem you have. It's all handled through email and most replies are sent within 48 hours.

If that’s not fast enough, try TechGuy.org. Here, you can post any computer-related question in a message forum. Anyone on the site, including a visitor such as you, has the ability to read and reply. Responses are not sent via email, but are posted on this same message board. You may receive numerous suggestions from numerous people with their interpretations of how to best answer your query. Many first responses are offered within a few short minutes.

The owner, Mike Cermak, founded this site in 1996 and, for more than a decade, has continued to run and maintain the site.

Alternately, if your question is about spyware or viruses, SpywareWarrior is an excellent site that can help with the removal of the most stubborn malware as well as answer any questions you may have on the subject.

Google it!

More than likely, any problem you are experiencing today has previously been asked and answered at least a dozen times or more somewhere on the Internet.

A search engine can be a powerful tool to help you resolve your computer problems and answer your computer questions. To solve a problem, simply enter the error message you receive, word-for-word, into the search engine and sift through the results. The more precise you are with your search, the more accurate and relevant the results will be.

As a professional PC technician, I often use Google for help in researching bizarre and unusual computer problems. The trick is knowing what search terms to use. You can’t go wrong sticking with the actual error message. If the problem does not display an error message, the search may be less effective. In either case, it’s free, and with a high-speed Internet connection, takes just a few seconds.

Here’s a helpful tip: If you don’t immediately see what you are looking for, Google offers other areas of the Internet from which to search. Check out Google's newsgroups. Above the search query in Google you’ll see “Web, Images, Video, News, Maps and More.” Click “More” and select “Groups.” There is a wealth of information here concerning repairing PCs that is often overlooked by most casual PC users.

Pay someone

Not all problems can be fixed by simply visiting a Web site and asking for help. Some problems require a proper diagnostic to determine hardware failure. For example, replacing a hard disk drive is not something I would recommend as a do-it-yourself project for most computer users, especially if that computer is a laptop.

Many companies offer to fix your computer and many of the major ones can charge a lot of money. Any "technician" that says they need to format and re-install Windows to cure your problem is actually telling you they have no idea how to fix your problem. I’d recommend you get a second opinion before approving anything so drastic.

Most average computer users I’ve interviewed have had a better experience with their local computer repair shops then the major nationwide offerings. The local repair shop has a lower overhead of staying in business and the motivation to keep you as a customer. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, neighbors or co-workers if they can recommend a repair shop, but do be wary if they recommend someone that repairs computers ‘on the side’ or it’s just someone’s hobby. I tell my customers that friends with the best of intentions have almost paid for my car.

Do a Google search (or use any search engine you like) on the name of the repair company to see if there are any customer complaints or recommendations. Also, search the Better Business Bureau Web site.

RentaGeek, Rescuecom and PC PinPoint are among a new breed of computer repair of services being offered on the Internet. Providing you have a high-speed Internet connection, they can connect to your computer, see your desktop and control your keyboard and mouse to perform your repair remotely. Because there are no travel expenses involved, the repairs can typically be performed immediately and at a significantly discounted rate compared with traditional on-site support.

Hopefully, with help from the tips above, you’ll be able to conquer your computer troubles in less time for less money, but if not, I’ll leave you with this one final tip: If you must call a major manufacturer for support, GetHuman.com is an invaluable resource that explains how to bypass many of the automated (IVR) phone systems of numerous major companies to immediately be transferred to an actual person.

When things go wrong with your computer, it can be a frustrating, time-consuming experience. Remember to first identify the problem, see if you can fix it, and, if not, be sure you can articulate the problem to someone more knowledgeable than you. Often, you can connect online to a knowledgeable and experienced person who can help you quickly, just by reaching out through your high-speed connection.

by Carey Holzman, writer for Digital Landing