How do you get what you want from Tech Support?

The answer to this question can vary based on which company you are contacting and what service or product you need support with. However, I'm going to concentrate on some of the basics that you should always follow as a customer calling tech support or customer service from any company. 

These are things that will make your tech support or customer service call experience better for you and for the person on the other line. Granted, some people can have you yell and scream at them and be fine with it and still help you as best as possible; but the natural human instinct is to treat people how they treat you. 

First, when you call, make sure you gather all the information possible. If you have a computer, make sure you have the information that will identify that computer. (Service code, serial number, ect) This goes for most technological hardware. If you have a problem with an account somewhere, make sure you have your account name or number ready and information that can identify YOU as someone who should have access to make changes to the hardware or account. 

After you have that information, call the company and do the thing you don't want to; follow the computer prompts. If the system is designed and working correctly this is the FASTEST way to get you to someone who can help you. (Computer companies might have their tech support split up based on what model of computer you have, for instance, so "Tech Support" isn't a good response without the computer system knowing WHAT computer you have, or else you're going to be transferred around to different people.) In some companies, the same person can handle multiple types of computer systems, but sometimes the tech support representative is only allowed to handle a specific model of computer. Or if you don't mind being transferred then do what you can to get a person as quickly as possible, but don't get frustrated if you're not transferred to the right person. 

Now, are you calling the right company? Do you have a problem with something that didn't come with your computer? Or was it a "Retail" piece of software? Is this something you bought extra to go with your technology? You might find out that the company you're calling can't help you with that. Why not? Because they're not allowed to, and because they don't have the training in order to provide you with the best service possible. And if something's really broken with it, there's nothing they can do about it.

So, now that you have the tech or customer service rep on the phone, they need to gather some information from you. This is to help them make sure they're able to bring up the right computer information and they know who they're talking to. Sometimes, it’s even so that they can get in touch with you if the call is disconnect for some reason. 

Calmly explain your problem, with as much detail as possible. If it’s a technical problem and you have an error message, give the tech the exact error message that you had. (Be ready to give everything, including the 'bunch of numbers' to the tech; it’s the best chance you have of getting the issue resolved.) Being as detailed as possible is the best way to get your problem fixed. Not to mention, it makes the job easier for the person on the other end of the line. 

Remember, the person on the other side of the phone might not even work directly for the company. Chances are they don't and they're just doing what they're told to do by far too many people. Some companies teach their people to get you off the phone as quickly as possible. Others tell their techs/reps to do what it takes to fix the problem the customer has. 

So what do you do if you get someone who can't seem to help you? Calmly ask for a supervisor; ask more than once. Don't demand it, but ask. Generally, the conversation that goes on between the supervisor and the person you're talking to will either go along the lines of, "This is the problem this person has; I'm not able to do anything but maybe you can." (In the case of a non-technical problem such as a complaint about services provided or billing.) Or, "This person is complaining about this and they probably don't have anything really wrong." (In the case where the user perceives a problem because the computer is not acting the way they think it should act.) You can figure out which conversation happens if you're constantly nice to the tech/rep. If you haven't been nice, then the supervisor will hear about your tone of voice and word choice.

If you're nice to the people you talk to, they'll be more willing to help you solve your problem and hope you will remain a customer because when you call in for help you don't increase the stress levels of the technicians on the other end of the line. Companies will "terminate their relationship" with people who are a constant nuisance. That means they'll refund your money, take their product back, and never do business with you again. Every company has a limit to how far they'll go to keep a customer, but usually you're one of thousands and they can afford to lose you if you start to cost the company too much. (In tech time or in replacement costs.) 

Remember that just like you, the people you call are just doing their job. Like most people, you'll want to respond in a more positive way to someone if they are positive towards you. Most people work better when they're not being yelled at and they enjoy their jobs a lot more when the experience is pleasant.