5 Communication Tips for Fast and Effective IT Support

In our fast-moving digital age, IT support teams provide an invaluable service, ensuring businesses have access to stable and secure technology that supports vital business processes and delivers excellent customer outcomes. The proactive nature of today’s IT support services means much of the work is undertaken in the background, with remote network monitoring systems that enable seamless remote troubleshooting.

While the humble IT support helpdesk may not represent the mainstay of modern IT support anymore, it nevertheless continues to play a vital supporting role, ensuring that businesses have somewhere to turn when IT faults disrupt operational continuity.

 

Computing Dynamics – Peerless IT support and Managed Services for Northamptonshire Businesses

Computing Dynamics has been providing IT support and managed IT services to businesses across Northampton and Northamptonshire since 1994. We’re committed to service excellence in every relationship we develop, and strive to deliver tailored solutions that deliver long-term strategic value to our clients.

While 99% of our work involves proactive management, our IT helpdesk remains an indispensable component of our support offering, providing the assistance our clients need to tackle any issue, whenever they need it.

From our many years of experience, we understand how frustrating it can be when IT issues impact your ability to operate. When an issue arises, you want the quickest resolution, in the quickest possible time, with the problem rectified at the root cause to prevent reoccurrence. While it’s always the IT support provider’s to coordinate the fix, and reinstate the vital functionality businesses need to operate, there are a few communication practices businesses can follow to ensure the fastest possible resolution. By following this brief guide, you’ll ensure your IT support team has the info they need to get to work and get you back up and running. Here are 5 tips for fast and effective IT support.

 

Stay Composed

Losing access to the systems you need to run your business can be an alarming, frustrating and stressful experience. Whether it’s the HR software you need to manage payroll, the accounting software you use to manage invoices, your email service or your website, you need your vital system operational again, and fast!  Losing mission-critical IT functionality, even for an hour or two, can have significant cost implications.

Despite the stress and worry that can accompany IT disruption, it’s important to remain composed and try your best to give an accurate account of the situation when reaching out to your IT support team. Bear in mind that the person on the other end of the phone is there to get to the bottom of the situation, so by staying calm and providing accurate information when requested, you’ll help to facilitate a fast, permanent fix, allowing you to get on with your day.

 

Explain the Circumstances Surrounding the Issue

Before you pick up the phone to your IT support team, take a few moments to consider the events that led up to the fault, or any abnormalities you witnessed. Were you confronted with an error message, and what did it say? Did you spot any irregular notifications that might indicate the presence of malware? Did your PC make an unexpected attempt to reboot? Notify your support team of anything that appeared or appears irregular or untoward.

Then, think about the events that led up to the issue, any action you’ve taken since first noticing the fault, and the characteristics of the device experiencing the problem. Make a rough note of the time at which the fault first appeared, if you’ve tried to apply a fix yourself, explain what you did and at what time, and let the support agent know whether the fault is constant or intermittent.

It’s highly likely that the support operative will make a proactive request for some of this information, so by having the key details at the ready, you’ll assist a fast resolution by helping IT support pinpoint the issue.

 

Describe the Issue as Clearly as You Can

When describing the problem to the helpdesk operative, try to use plain, objective and precise language as far as possible. This is particularly important if your IT support provider outsources their helpdesk function to a third party, which are often located overseas. If this is the case, they will likely be unfamiliar with your IT setup, and may have difficulty comprehending informal language and regional colloquialisms, so try to keep your language as simple and straightforward as you can.

In a similar vein, avoid straying onto unrelated topics that may distract from the issue at hand, and try to minimise background distractions. If you’re asked to provide information, try to be as brief and specific with your answers as possible.

If your IT support team make use of an online chat interface, employ a similarly direct and uncomplicated approach, avoiding the use of emoji, abbreviated forms and ‘text speak.’

 

Take Screenshots to Aid Comprehension

By using screenshots, you can convey complex information that’s hard to express in writing or speech.

If you’re using a Windows machine, a screenshot capturing the whole screen can be taken using the print screen (PrtScn) button, which is typically found in the top right portion of the keyboard. To paste this screenshot into an email or chat interface, simply press the paste shortcut – ctrl + v. If you want to save your screenshot as a file for future use, press the windows key and the print screen button at the same time. Your screenshot can then be retrieved from your pictures folder.

If you use a MacOS device, the process is a little different. To capture your full screen, simultaneously press shift+cmd+3. To capture a specific portion of your screen, press shift+cmd+4, and pull your cursor across the area you wish to snapshot. MacOS saves screenshot files automatically, straight to your desktop. You can also paste them directly as before, only this time using the cmd+v keyboard shortcut.

Make a Note of Your Ticket Number

IT support helpdesks invariably use a ticket management system to handle inbound support engagements. Making note of your ‘ticket’ or ‘reference’ number is always helpful, as it allows helpdesk personnel to quickly pull up your case should you need to check back in to see the status of a support request.

By providing your ticket number when asked for it, the helpdesk agent is provided with the full details of your support engagement, which means you don’t have to revisit the issue and explain the problem from the beginning. The result is a faster, more seamless support experience and possibly a faster resolution.

 

Final Words

When an IT glitch strikes that affects your ability to operate, your business needs a swift solution, delivered by a skilled IT support team. By paying attention to the details, communicating clearly, and staying composed, you give your IT support team the best chance of arriving at a speedy and lasting fix.

 

Unlock the potential of your IT, with Computing Dynamics 

We’re holistic specialist providers of managed IT support in the UK that help businesses to upgrade, maintain and secure all aspects of their IT, so that they can grow their business with confidence. If you’d like some friendly, expertise-driven guidance for your business on its technology journey, get in touch today!