In order to be successful, every business depends on technology and we all know that it is inevitable that a hardware or software issue will arise from time to time. Whether it is technical in nature or a procedural type of item, you might need to reach out for assistance – after all, that’s the purpose of technical support!
When contacting your vendor(s) technical support department, it is good to know ahead of time what type of support plan you have. For example, are there different support tiers available and will you receive unlimited assistance during a specified time frame? Or, do you have to pay per inquiry (which, as you can imagine, could become quite costly)?
Also important is knowing the avenues available for submitting a question or issue to the technical support team. If there are multiple options, do you have the flexibility to submit an issue based upon your preference and what might be convenient for you at a particular time? Having multiple forms of contact such as phone, email, chat or even the ability to submit an issue via a website can be especially helpful.
Being armed with information and working hand-in-hand with your vendor will help them assist you swiftly and skillfully.
For instance, if you have an issue that might be difficult to explain in an email format, you might feel more comfortable explaining it over the phone via your vendor’s toll-free phone option. Or perhaps you have a setup question that is not urgent in nature and would rather submit an email.
As your time is extremely valuable, there are a few ways to prepare prior to seeking technical assistance so the process is as efficient and smooth as possible. A great place to start is to ensure that you are contacting the correct vendor for your issue. For example, if your internet connection is down, you will want to contact your ISP rather than your software vendor. Once you know who to contact, try to gather as much information as possible. If it’s a hardware issue, helpful information will include the model number and name as well as the brand and even serial numbers if available. If you are experiencing a software issue, it will be useful to know the program version you are operating. Knowing the details of error messages you might be receiving can also be very valuable when it comes to resolving an issue quickly and efficiently.
Regardless of how you seek assistance or what the issue might be, many support departments will open a ticket within their systems where they notate all the info you provide. Having ticket numbers available to you will also allow you to track any open items.
When troubleshooting a technical issue, it is always a good idea to start with the basics so if the support representative asks you a series of questions that don’t seem to be especially pertinent to the issue at hand, they actually may lead to clues that are instrumental in finding their solution.
If you are a multi-salon operation and can’t connect to your database, you can expect to be asked questions like, “do you have internet connectivity at your current location?” or “where is your server located?” If you can’t send a session time to your equipment through your software program, the rep might ask if you have tried restarting or if the cable on your timer manager is connected to your workstation.
Ultimately, a support department’s goal is to ensure that you are able to use their products to their fullest extent and to remedy potential issues as swiftly and skillfully as possible. Being armed with information and working hand-in-hand with your vendor will help them achieve this mission.
