We’ve all had this experience: We log onto our computers at work and something’s not working. Maybe we aren’t receiving our e-mail messages. Maybe our Web browser has slowed to a creep. Maybe the computer crashes every 10 minutes. No matter the problem, it makes it extremely hard for you to complete your work. You now have one possibility: Call your IT department. Unfortunately, that can sometimes cause as many headaches as your current computing problem.
It’s not always easy to communicate with your IT department staff. They are experts in their field and it’s easy to feel ignorant in the face of people with such knowledge. Particularly when the solution to your problem is “Turn it off, wait a short time, and turn it back on again.” It can also seem like they are speaking a different language altogether.
In order to make this interaction simpler for you and your IT professional, you can follow these tips. They will also hasten the process of finding a solution.
No Reason to be Intimidated
Just because they are incredibly knowledgeable in the world of computers doesn’t mean you should stumble your way through your description of the issue. You might be using the correct lingo, but if you are too intimidated to describe it well, the issue won’t get fixed. You might even learn something about computers if you keep the communication going.
Screenshots
Secondly, take screenshots when possible. If you can show your IT personnel precisely what has gone wrong with your computer, they’ll be able to effortlessly tackle the problem. If you can’t do that, try to duplicate the problem in front of IT workers when they arrive at your desk. If certain actions, for instance, cause your computer to crash, perform those actions while your IT workers are present.
A Written Report
If you find that each time you do a specific thing you experience a problem, write it down. Every time the same problem occurs, take note of the programs you had open and the error message you received. IT professionals need to know the full extent of what they are dealing with to truly fix your problem.
In the end, the most important thing is that you communicate as much detail as possible. This will help your team fix the problem so you can get back to work!
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