User Support
When things go wrong, IT support professionals get the call. Here are the resources to help them improve their troubleshooting skills, their people skills, and their technical knowledge.
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Is your service bench static safe?
Lax precautions against electrostatic discharge can reduce the effectiveness of your support team. Here's a checklist to help you set up an ESD-safe workshop.
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System Mechanic results mixed: Boosts Internet speed
We're always looking for ways to increase our computer's performance, and here's a look at one product that might help.
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Mastering the seven phases of a service call
Fixing the problem is only one part of the support visit. Jeff Dray outlines the seven phases of a service call. Following the same method for each ticket will help you tackle each task efficiently.
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What Windows 7 means for support professionals
Does Windows 7 totally flip support upside down? Not entirely, according to IT pro Rick Vanover, who presents these Windows 7 support decision points for organizations considering an upgrade.
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Road warriors need mobile backups
Frequent travel is no excuse for risking data loss. Here is how your users can keep their files safe when they are away from the office.
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Providing home user support
Although there are a lot of similarities, supporting those in an office environment is vastly different than supporting home users. Here are some things to consider when providing support for home users.
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Beware of carefully engineered, manipulative customer service surveys
Have you ever thought that you have been manipulated into answering survey questions to reflect a predetermined outcome? Be careful how your help desk surveys are worded.
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Microsoft's new antivirus is fair game for home businesses
Many free security utilities are restricted to personal or non-commercial use. Microsoft bucks that trend by giving license to home-based enterprises.
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Remote access sites: Blessing or curse? Take the poll
We all hear them advertized, and millions of people use them. Are remote access sites a blessing or a curse to user support professionals?
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How do you keep in touch with colleagues when you work from home?
Jeff Dray addresses the challenges of returning to work after a long absence. How do you get back in the swing of things?
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Be stingy with Administrator privileges in Windows 7
If you've been too liberal in giving admin rights to XP users, the improved User Access Controls in Windows 7 should help break the habit.
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The biggest challenge in a one-person IT shop
What do you consider the biggest challenge in a small - or even one-person - IT shop, and how do you handle it?
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Users in the wild: Some new species
Jeff Dray loves to dissect the quirks and foibles of the customers he runs into during his support rounds. Here are a few "types" to add to the mix.
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Items to address with a PC tune-up
How often do you perform periodic maintenance on the PCs you support? My guess is that most answers will fall between one year and never. Nonetheless, what maintenance steps do you perform? Here's my list.
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Will Linux ever be a popular desktop system? Take the poll
Linux versus Windows has been the subject of debate for quite some time, but will it ever achieve the status of a popular desktop product that we'll have to support? Share your opinion and take the poll.
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Clear usage policies protect everyone
Many organizations employ computer usage guidelines, but it is easy to develop a gap between policy and reality. Support pros are likely to discover user transgressions in the course of their work. Do your techs know the role they should play in enforcing policy?
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Do people present the biggest user support challenge?
In a recent blog, I took a poll asking for votes on the biggest user support challenge. The winner was, "People: Users are too demanding, hard to work with, etc." What's the best way to deal with that challenge?
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Extended warranties and paying for peace of mind
Extended warranties are often characterized as a form of insurance. Most consumer advocates consider them a bad investment. Does paying for an extended warranty ever make sense, or are they false comfort?
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Is it okay to earn a bit extra in your spare time?
What are the ethics of taking on private work? Do you stay faithful to one employer or do you feel it's okay to freelance?
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Chrome continues to make the news
Dreams of ultra-portable PCs accessing Web applications delivered over the 'net via Chrome are dancing in some people's heads like sugarplums.
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When searching for that elusive solution, don't overlook anything
When you're troubleshooting a problem, and the answer remains elusive, don't overlook anything as the culprit, even the most unlikely - or lame - possibility.
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Documentation: The scourge of my life!
Sometimes the last thing we think of when we learn a new routine is the documentation process, but we know it is a vital, if dull, part of life.
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An IT life after fifty: Coping with the employment challenge
The aging worker is up against challenges that we don't consider. Not only are they competing in a market that they don't completely understand, they are often in a position that they never thought they would find themselves in.
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Smartphones: Do you use one or support them? Take the poll and share your experience
With the recent popularity of Smartphones, they're bound to make their way into user support functions, either by having to support them or actually using them. Take the poll and share your experiences.
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Customer service means being timely
Paperwork stinks. Bookkeeping stinks. Nobody gets into a business because either of those tasks are fun. They have to be done, though, and in a prompt manner. Procrastinating makes you look unprofessional, and does a disservice to your customers.
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Client management tips for freelance support pros
If you are new to running your own business, structuring your client relationships can be tricky. Here is how to set the right tone.
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What info should help desk call tickets contain?
Jeff Dray's gripe with help desk call logging systems is that you often get a lot of unnecessary information with them, but the vital stuff is left out. What would you make the required fields if you were to design a job ticket?
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Hijacked Address Book: How did it happen and what to do?
Most of us have seen those spoof e-mails, when a personal e-mail address has been commandeered for the purpose of sending spam, but in this case, to everyone in your address book.
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Are you training your users on security issues? Take the poll.
Current technologies require users to think about security in ways they have not had to before. Research shows that a lack of security training for non-IT personnel causes the most serious problems. Is your support staff contributing to the education of your users?
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Make your messages accessible on any device: Use plain-text e-mail
William Jones believes that rich HTML email has seen its day. As people read email in more places and on more devices, content--and not presentation--is paramount.