Category: Tech support
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KISS – Keep It Simple, Stupid
The number one biggest error many techs make when diagnosing problems for users, be it on the phone or on site, is going the complicated route. There is a reason why most ISPs have a script for their 1st tier techs to follow, to make sure that the basic errors have been corrected. While […]
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Five tips for giving better tech support
Having worked in tech support for close to five years, I find I still enjoy my work. Yes, at times, I feel like a target at a live fire exercise, but at the end of the day, I still find fulfillment in knowing that I am able to help my users. Here are five tips […]
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Don’t argue, just do it!
One of the tasks I am called upon to perform as part of my job as a desktop service tech is checking and troubleshooting VPN login. One fo the ways I do this is to log in as the user on my own machine. My employer uses RSA SecureID key fobs combined with a personal […]
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Identifying unknown devices – SIW
Part of my job is setting up new computers. Part of the routine is to make sure all hardware devices have been installed. Now, this can be easier said than done, when all the information I have to go on is that the device in question is called “USB Device”… Now, a while ago, […]
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Spelling it out – using the NATO phonetic alphabet to our advantage
When instructing a user to type something, when reading a serial key or when spelling anything via a phone line, radio connection or similar, a problem arises at times; the person on the other end either does not understand what is being said, or understands what is being said as something different to what is […]
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Why restarting your computer resolves many problems
As a Desktop Support Technician, one of my most common answer to a problem a user is having is “Reboot the computer, call me up if that doesn’t clear it for you.” The reason for this is as simple as it is self-evident. It usually does the trick. Why it works, now that’s another matter […]
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Improvise, Adapt, Overcome – Evolve
Improvise, adapt, overcome has for a long time been a mantra within armed forces around the world who, when faced with gruelling challenges and little or no epuipment, have improvised to face the challenge, adapted to the challenge and lastly overcome the challenge. The same attitude is necessary in IT support. Support departments around […]