What Your IT Helpdesk Technician Wants You to Know

When you need assistance from a professional IT helpdesk technician, you want the experience to be as short and as productive as possible. If you follow these five basic tips, you'll give your IT technician a fantastic starting position to begin working on your problem.

1: The More Specific And Detailed Your Ticket, The Better

It's a great idea to summarize your problem in the subject of your email. A few words can go a long ways towards making sure your technician goes in fully prepared.

Properly diagnosing your problem takes information (the more information you provide, the better!). Screenshots of error messages, for example, are incredibly valuable. Don't worry about overloading your technician with too much information. A detailed description of the issue is a fantastic starting point.

Of course, if you've done any troubleshooting on your own, let your technician know. Even if it's a simple as a basic system restart, remember that information is key! No one likes repeating unnecessary steps.

2: IT Policies Aren't Arbitrary Rules

Ever roll your eyes at that 'script' that call center agents repeat at the start of every call? It's important to remember that IT policies aren't arbitrary rules -- they are mandated, often by law -- and help protect everyone involved.

IT policies help to guarantee the security and privacy of your information. Think of them as a shield: a mandated routine works for the betterment of everyone. Banking and healthcare industries follow very strict IT policies to ensure full compliance with industry standards.

3: Try Some Basic Troubleshooting First

You might be surprised how often a basic solution works! Feel free to turn your computer off and on again -- it works more often than you think.

You'll note that your IT technician will almost always ask you to reboot your computer to start things off. And yes, we can tell if you've done it!

If your problem is with a website, try a different web browser. Some websites (especially older ones) may have difficulty displaying on modern browsers. If you're using Google Chrome, for example, give Internet Explorer a quick test to see if that resolves your problem.

If you're having difficulty printing, see if your computer will print to a different device. Having error codes or messages appear? Screenshots, pictures, or a good ol' pen and paper are a great way to mark this important information.

We'd love to be a hero, but nothing beats empowering someone with the knowledge to fix problems on their own.

4: Please Open A Ticket

Emails are great, but opening an official ticket is highly recommended. A ticket keeps your IT technician accountable and ensures a timely response.

Opening a ticket also:

• Provides a historical record
• Works to resolve your issue if it returns (or if another user has the same problem)
• Simplifies documentation for both parties
• Helps us track trends and develop more solutions

After all, information is everything! We can only fix a problem based on the information you provide - if we don't know there is a problem, we can't fix it.

5: We Are On The Same Team

We're here to help! Remember, we are on the same team.

No one calls their IT helpdesk technician when things are working great. It's when problems come up that we get a call. Make sure to take a deep breath and remember that everyone wants the company to succeed.

Likewise, if there's a new IT security policy in place, we know it might seem tedious or unnecessary. Just try to remember that your IT helpdesk technician is not to blame for policies - we're here to help.

If you follow these five things your IT helpdesk technician wants you to know, you'll enjoy a faster, more efficient issue resolution experience. Quicker solutions with less stress are what the IT support world is all about!