Week 6: Troubleshooting

You’ve already learned about the hardware,
operating systems, and software layers of the computer
architecture model. Now it’s time to learn about the most
important layer, the user layer. Troubleshooting problems and
solid communication with users, may be one of the most challenging parts
of your job as an IT support specialist. But by the end of this module,
you’ll know the best way to handle them. Fixing problems and creating positive
interactions with people, are two fundamental skills that can be applied to
almost any situation in the IT world and beyond. Knowing how to analyze an issue,
identifying the causes and effects, and use the information to
find potential solutions, are skills that everyone from IT
support specialist to doctors can use. Hi, I’m Marti Clark, and I’m a manager
with Google’s internal IT Support Program. Even though I grew up around technology
and worked at my university’s help desk, going into tech wasn’t something that was
encouraged by my teachers, or my family. Now as a manager, I try to encourage all
techs I work with to follow their passion. It’s this passion to help others grow and
my love for technology that led me here. Helping people with technology is both
rewarding, and challenging endeavor. I encourage my team to take advantage of
their work with users to spin up ideas, solutions, and
opportunities for improvement. The technical aspects of problem
solving are super useful. But don’t forget the real reason
most technology exists is to improve people’s lives. Whether it’s the routing algorithm that
form the backbone of the internet, or the software tools that let
people create amazing art. The ways that people interact with
technology are central to IT. As an IT support specialist, you’re
uniquely positioned to combine technology and people know-how to make
those interactions better, and make a difference in
people’s day-to-day lives.

Tutorial on “Ask Questions!” in IT

Asking questions is one of the most important skills for an IT support specialist. By asking the right questions, you can quickly identify the root cause of a problem and resolve it efficiently.

Here are some tips for asking effective questions:

• Start with open-ended questions. This will allow the user to provide more detail about the problem. For example, instead of asking “Is your computer not working?”, you could ask “What is happening when you try to use your computer?”
• Ask specific questions to follow up on the user’s response. This will help you to narrow down the possible causes of the problem. For example, if the user says that their computer is not turning on, you could ask “Have you tried plugging it in?” or “Have you tried pressing the power button?”
• Be patient and listen carefully to the user’s response. It is important to understand the user’s perspective and what they are experiencing.
• Avoid making assumptions. Don’t assume that you know what the problem is before you have all of the facts.

Here are some examples of effective troubleshooting questions:

• Can you tell me more about what is happening?
• When did you first notice the problem?
• Have you tried restarting your computer?
• Have you made any changes to your computer recently?
• What other programs or devices are you using?
• Can you provide me with any error messages?

By asking effective questions, you can quickly and efficiently troubleshoot problems and provide the best possible support to your users.

Here are some additional tips for asking questions in IT:

• Be empathetic. Remember that the user is probably frustrated and stressed. Try to be understanding and supportive.
• Be respectful. Avoid making the user feel stupid or incompetent.
• Be professional. Use clear and concise language.
• Be patient. It may take some time for the user to explain the problem clearly.

By following these tips, you can develop the skills necessary to ask effective questions and provide excellent IT support.

How would you respond
if I asked you, do you know how long it’ll
take me to get to the bank? You’d probably ask, where
are you, where’s the bank? Are you walking,
driving, biking? But if you just
guessed the details of my situation to direct
me to the bank, your response would be a
day late and $1 short. It seems such a
natural thing to ask questions and gather
information to solve a problem. But it’s usually
one of those most overlooked steps and
troubleshooting. Troubleshooting
is the ability to diagnose and resolve a problem. One of the most difficult
skills to acquire in an IT role isn’t technical knowledge, but
effective troubleshooting. Rather that’s helping someone
face-to-face or remotely. It’s not specific to
the IT world either. We use troubleshooting
skills everyday. My car is broken, the light bulb went
out. I feel sick. Imagine if you went to
your doctor and said, I feel sick and without
any other information, he gives you a prescription
for allergy medicine, time to find a new doctor. Well, this might
seem far-fetched. This can happen pretty
often in the IT world. We’re so in the habit of fixing
things that sometimes we try to fix something without
diagnosing it first. We’re going to give
you the tools you need to develop good
troubleshooting habits. No matter how big or
small the problem is, the first thing to do
in troubleshooting is, ask questions. There are a lot of factors
that can cause a problem. You want to make sure you gather all your data before you
start to tinker with it. Over the next several videos, we’re going to
demonstrate real-world in-person and remote
troubleshooting scenarios. For the in-person scenarios, you’ll meet Gail and Marty. And yes, we have another
Marty joining us. But he spelled his
name with a y and I still mine with an i,
confusing. I know. Please keep in mind these
are not professional actors. We want to give you the
opportunity to see how these different scenarios would play out in real-world settings. Let’s look at a
quick scenario of a not so awesome troubleshooting interaction and an awesome one. My computer’s broken. This looks bad. I think you’re going to need
a new computer. It’s going to be
about a 1,000 bucks. My computer’s broken. Can you tell me a little bit
more about how it’s broken? Does it turn on at all? Has there been any damage to
it lately that you know of? Well, when I hit
the power button, I hear a Ding, but nothing
comes up on screen. Oh, okay. Can I take a look? Sure. Let me just see
what’s going on here. You know what, the
brightness was turned down. These brightness buttons are
a little bit fiddly and it’s easy to hit them by
accident. There you are. Great. Thank you. You’re welcome. If we didn’t ask
follow-up questions, we wouldn’t have
realized the issue is something as small
as screen being dim, but it’s important that
you’re able to gather enough information to start
troubleshooting an issue, whether it’s big or small. With a little digging, we’re able to understand the situation and effectively
troubleshoot the issue. What’s also really
important to call out from the scenario is the tact and make the user
feel silly for not realizing the screens
brightness was down. Can you think about a
time someone made you feel silly or even dumb? It’s a pretty terrible feeling. Don’t be that person that
does it to someone else. Remember, IT support is about working in the
service of others. Always try to create a positive
experience for the user, will deep dive into
customer service later on. In the meantime,
I’ll see you back in the next video on
isolating the problem.

Tutorial on “Isolating the Problem” in IT

Isolating the problem is an effective troubleshooting method that shrinks the scope of the potential issue. By asking the right questions and ruling out possible causes, you can quickly identify the root cause of the problem.

Here are some tips for isolating the problem in IT:

1. Ask the user specific questions about the problem. What are they seeing? What have they tried? What other devices are they using?
2. Try to reproduce the problem on your own. This will help you to identify the specific steps that are causing the problem.
3. Try to isolate the problem to a specific area of the system. For example, is the problem with the hardware, software, or network?
4. Use tools and resources to help you troubleshoot. For example, you can use system logs, diagnostic tools, and online resources.

Here is an example of how to isolate the problem in IT:

• User: I can’t print to the printer.
• IT support specialist: What printer are you trying to print to?
• User: The printer in the break room.
• IT support specialist: Have you tried printing to other printers?
• User: Yes, I tried printing to my printer at my desk and that didn’t work either.
• IT support specialist: Okay, so it looks like the problem is with the printer itself.

In this example, the IT support specialist isolates the problem to the printer by asking the user specific questions and trying to reproduce the problem on their own.

Here are some additional tips for isolating the problem in IT:

• Be patient and persistent. It may take some time to isolate the problem, especially if it is complex.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are stuck, ask a colleague or supervisor for assistance.
• Document your troubleshooting steps. This will help you to track your progress and identify any patterns.

By following these tips, you can effectively isolate problems in IT and quickly identify the root cause.

Now that we have the
ask-questions approach nailed down let’s cover another effective
troubleshooting method , isolating the problem. The goal of this method is to shrink the scope of
the potential issue. Let’s start with a simple game. I have a number I’m thinking
of that’s less than 100. Can you figure out what it is? You have five questions
you can ask me. As you might have guessed, just guessing a number
isn’t the way to go. Is it 5? No. Is it 7? No. Your odds of figuring it
out this way are super low. Instead, you should be shrinking the scope of where
the number could be. You could ask, is
it greater than 50? No. We know the
number is 50 or less. We’ve just isolated
our problem and cut down half of the answers
we started with. To narrow the scope
further you could ask, is it greater than 25? Yes. Is it greater than 38? Yes. Is it lower than 45? Yes. Is the number 42? Yes, the number is 42. Nice work. The power of
isolating a problem can quickly and effectively help you figure out where
the issue lies. The isolate-the-problem
method is meant to shrink the scope of your problem so that you know you’re
looking in the right area. After you continually isolate the problem you’ll eventually
end up at the root cause. Root cause is the
main factor that’s causing a range of issues. Finding the root cause is a critical concept in IT
support because it means that you’re able to prevent
an issue from happening again and again to
multiple users. Sometimes the root
cause can be difficult to find and extremely obscure. Don’t give up if it isn’t
immediately obvious. Discovering root cause may be tedious but it’s well
worth the effort. Now let’s take a look
at a not-so-good and a good example of
isolating the problem. Hi, Marty. I can’t get my
email to work on my laptop. Hi, Gail. I’d be happy
to help with that. Somebody came in the other
day with the same problem. Let’s uninstall and
re-install the application. It still doesn’t work. Hey Marty, I can’t get my
email to work on my laptop. Oh, hey, Gail. Sure. I’d
love to take a look at that. Have you tried checking your mail on your phone or
tablet or something like that? No, it doesn’t look like
that’s working either. Let me try. Wow, I
can’t get in either. Let me look into this for a sec. It appears that the
email server is down. The notice says
that it’s going to be down for about another hour. How about we wait an hour, try again, and if you’re still having problem we
can dig deeper? Okay. Thanks, Marty. Your welcome, Gail. As you can see it’s
vital to use the isolating the problem method to decrease the scope of the issue. If you can rule out a
problem area to look at you can troubleshoot
more efficiently.

Tutorial on “Follow the Cookie Crumbs” in IT

What is it?

The “Follow the Cookie Crumbs” troubleshooting method involves going back to when the problem first started and working forward from there. This can be done by asking the user questions about when the problem started and what they have done since then. You can also look at system logs and error messages to get more information about the problem.

Why is it effective?

By following the cookie crumbs, you can often identify the root cause of the problem and resolve it more quickly. This is because the root cause of the problem is often the first thing that changed before the problem started.

How to do it:

1. Ask the user specific questions about when the problem started and what they have done since then. For example, you could ask:
   • When did you first notice the problem?
   • What were you doing when the problem started?
   • Have you made any changes to your computer or network since then?
2. Look at system logs and error messages. System logs can provide information about what happened on your computer or network before and after the problem started. Error messages can provide specific information about the problem itself.
3. Start from the very first error and work your way forward. This will help you to identify the sequence of events that led to the problem.
4. Don’t be afraid to backtrack if you need to. Sometimes, you may need to go back and review your previous findings in order to get a better understanding of the problem.

Example:

A user is experiencing problems with their email. They tell you that the problem started yesterday, after they installed a new antivirus program. You look at the system logs and see that there was an error message related to the antivirus program after it was installed. You also see that the user’s email was not working properly after the error message occurred.

Based on this information, you can conclude that the new antivirus program is likely the cause of the problem. You can then work with the user to uninstall the antivirus program or troubleshoot the issue further.

Tips:

• Be patient and persistent. It may take some time to follow the cookie crumbs and identify the root cause of the problem.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you are stuck, ask a colleague or supervisor for assistance.
• Document your troubleshooting steps. This will help you to track your progress and identify any patterns.

By following these tips, you can effectively use the follow the cookie crumbs method to troubleshoot problems and resolve them quickly.

Another effect of
troubleshooting method is called Follow the cookie crumbs. What purpose does this serve besides making me want
to devour a cookie? Well, this method
requires you to go back when the problem
first started, and work forward from there. You’d be surprised
how much information you can learn from asking, when did this problem start? Can you help me with my phone, my fun cat app stopped working. Sure. Now, what do you
mean by stopped working? Well, when I tap on the app, it starts to load,
and then it crashes. Well, take a look here. Okay, Let’s try
re-install the app, and see if that helps. It’s still crashes. I need my fun cat app. Can you help me with my phone? My fun cat app stopped working. Sure. I’d be happy to. Can you tell me a
little bit more about how it stopped working? Well, when I tap on the app, it starts, and it just crashes. That’s not good.
When did it start? Have you changed anything
since that time? Well, it worked last night, and I was playing around with it until it started to
update and this morning, it just didn’t work. It might have something
to do with the update. Let me take a look into it. Okay. Looks like there
was a bug in the update. We can roll back to
an earlier version, and see if that helps. [inaudible] I missed you. The user can give you information about
what they remember, but the systems
you work with can also offer insightful
information. Remember that logs are
like your systems diary. They keep information
about dates, and events that
happened on the system. You can dig through logs at the exact time that
a failure happens, and you may find
some defining events that could have
caused your issue. Error messages are super
helpful indicators that can point you in
the right direction. Lots of times a single air will be lost in a sea of errors. It’s best to start from
the very first air, which may be causing
a cascade of errors. By fixing the root error, you’ll correct all the
other ones in the process. Some errors don’t
require extra digging, like a four or four
not found error. You might see on websites
that have been moved or deleted or permission denied error when accessing
a protected file. Let’s take a look at this log. I see an error message
here at the bottom. Do you think it
makes sense to try, and figure out this error
message, and resolve it? You might find
yourself spending all day trying to fix
these little holes. Let’s backtrack up the log
of it instead. Oh look. We can see where an
error first occurred. Let’s try to fix this. Now our system isn’t
yelling at us anymore.

Tutorial on “Start with the Quickest Step First” in IT

When troubleshooting a problem, it is important to try the quickest remediation steps first. This will help you to isolate the root cause of the problem more quickly and efficiently.

Why is it important?

By starting with the quickest step first, you can save yourself and your users a lot of time and frustration. This is because you will be able to rule out potential causes of the problem more quickly and move on to more complex troubleshooting steps if necessary.

How to do it:

1. Identify the quickest remediation steps that you can take. This may include restarting the computer, clearing the cache, or disabling unnecessary programs.
2. Try the quickest remediation steps first. If they do not resolve the problem, then you can try more complex troubleshooting steps.
3. Continue trying remediation steps until you resolve the problem.

Example:

A user is having trouble printing to a printer. You could try the following remediation steps in order of quickest to slowest:

1. Restart the printer.
2. Clear the printer’s queue.
3. Disable and then re-enable the printer.
4. Uninstall and then reinstall the printer driver.
5. Check the printer’s cables and connections.

If restarting the printer resolves the problem, then you know that the issue was likely caused by a temporary glitch. If clearing the printer’s queue resolves the problem, then you know that there was a problem with the print job itself. And so on.

By starting with the quickest remediation steps first, you can quickly identify the root cause of the problem and resolve it as quickly as possible.

Tips:

• Be aware of the potential side effects of each remediation step. For example, restarting the computer may lose unsaved work.
• If you are not sure which remediation step to try first, ask a colleague or supervisor for assistance.
• Document your troubleshooting steps so that you can track your progress and identify any patterns.

We’ve asked some great questions to understand our problem. We’ve isolated our problem to an effective area and looked
at our cookie crumbs. Now it’s time to start
fixing the issue. In the IT world, as in life, problems, don’t always have
one right answer. When you troubleshoot an issue, you’re essentially trying to isolate it to the root cause. To help you isolate an issue, you need to try some
remediation steps. If they don’t work, then
you can rule those out as the cause. What’s next? Here’s where the start with the quickest step first
method comes into play. We want to get to a
root cause effectively. But sometimes there
are multiple options we can use to isolate something. How do we know which
option to try first? It’s pretty simple. Try
whatever is fastest first. I’m having a really weird
issue with my software. When I start it. It doesn’t do anything and I
just installed it. Interesting. You
know it might’ve gotten corrupted
during installation. Let’s re-install it again. It still does the same thing. I’m having a really weird
issue with my software. When I start it it
doesn’t do anything. I just installed it. Do you have to remember
if you restarted the computer when
you installed it. It works now. It’s possible that
in this scenario, a software reinstall
could fix the issue. It’s also possible that a
restart was the solution. Since you can test a restart
faster than a reinstall, you should test
the restart first. You want to be able to
troubleshoot and resolve issues effectively
and efficiently. Remember to start with
the quickest step first, your time and your users
time are important.

Tutorial on “Troubleshooting Pitfalls to Avoid” in IT

Here are some common troubleshooting pitfalls that IT support specialists should avoid:

Going into autopilot:

This is when you start to fix problems without thinking carefully about the issue. This can lead to mistakes and missed opportunities to identify the root cause of the problem.

To avoid going into autopilot, take the time to ask questions and gather information about the problem. What are the symptoms? When did the problem start? What have you tried so far?

Once you have a good understanding of the problem, you can start to troubleshoot it methodically. Don’t just try the same solutions that you’ve used in the past. Think about the problem from different angles and try to come up with new solutions.

Not finding the root cause:

It’s easy to get distracted by small problems, but it’s important to remember that there is often a larger issue causing them. Spend time investigating the problem to identify the root cause, rather than trying to fix the symptoms.

To identify the root cause of a problem, you may need to use a variety of tools and techniques, such as system logs, error messages, and diagnostic tools. You may also need to talk to the user to get more information about their experience.

Once you have identified the root cause of the problem, you can develop a solution that addresses the underlying issue.

Wipping the system and starting from scratch:

This is like using a hammer when a scalpel is needed. It may be a quick fix, but it doesn’t address the root cause of the problem and doesn’t help you learn from your experience.

Instead, you should test out possible issues and solutions incrementally until you identify the root cause of the problem. This may take some time, but it will save you time and effort in the long run.

By following these tips, you can avoid common troubleshooting pitfalls and become a more effective IT support specialist.

Here are some additional tips for avoiding troubleshooting pitfalls:

• Be patient: It may take some time to identify the root cause of a problem. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find a solution right away.
• Be thorough: Don’t overlook any potential causes of the problem. Think about the problem from different angles and try to come up with new solutions.
• Be organized: Keep track of your troubleshooting steps and findings. This will help you to troubleshoot the problem more effectively and to learn from your experience.
• Be willing to ask for help: If you’re stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a colleague or supervisor.

By following these tips, you can become a more effective IT support specialist and troubleshoot problems more methodically.

You’ve gained a lot of great foundational
troubleshooting skills. But there are some common
pitfalls that you should try to avoid in order to be at the top of your
troubleshooting game. As an IT support specialist, you’ll sometimes
encounter the same issue over and over again. Before the next issue comes in, you may find yourself using your muscle memory
to fix the issue. Pitfall number 1,
going into autopilot. Makes sure you don’t
default to autopilot mode. Moving through issues
out of habit without careful thought more
often than not, they’re small variables that change the problem
you’re seeing entirely. Ask questions and gather data so you can fully
understand an issue. This takes less
time than having to redo some sloppy work you
did in autopilot mode. Pitfall number 2, not finding the root cause. It’s very easy to
get distracted by small problems that
pop up but it’s super important to remember
there’s probably a very big problem causing
all these small problems. Spend a little extra
time investigating the issue instead of trying
to fix all the small holes. If you’re trying
to do a quick fix, it’s tempting to wipe the
system and start from scratch. This approach is
like using a hammer when a surgical scalpel might
be more appropriate tool. Let’s say user isn’t able to access a particular website, re-inventing the system
isn’t a great solve. It doesn’t get to
the root cause and it doesn’t help
further your knowledge investigating the
problem but testing out possible issues and
solutions incrementally and identifying the
root cause can end up saving a lot of
time and effort in the end and it feels really empowering as an IT
support specialist. With that, you’ll be able to
go out in the real world and use your new skills to methodically
troubleshoot an issue.

[MUSIC]
So there are three key attributes that we review when taking a look at potential
people for the IT support space. First and foremost passion the IT
space is always changing and in order to stay on top of it and
continue learning, you’re going to need to be
passionate about the space. The next is going to be problem solving. You will not have all the answers to all
the questions that people ask you and that’s okay. What you need to have is a strategy and
the tools and resources to find that answer
to help support some of these new challenges that come
up as technology develops. The third is communication. You’re working with a wide
range of individuals and those soft skills when communicating
with people and supporting them and making sure you understand
what their needs are is very, very important to be
successful in this role and make sure that you are providing
them with a positive experience.

Intro to Soft Skills in IT

Soft skills are the personal attributes that allow you to interact effectively and harmoniously with others. They are essential for success in any field, but they are especially important in IT, where you often need to work closely with people from different backgrounds and with different levels of technical expertise.

Some of the most important soft skills for IT professionals include:

• Communication: The ability to clearly and concisely convey information, both verbally and in writing.
• Collaboration: The ability to work effectively with others to achieve common goals.
• Problem-solving: The ability to identify and solve problems in a timely and efficient manner.
• Teamwork: The ability to work effectively as part of a team, sharing ideas and responsibilities.
• Customer service: The ability to provide excellent customer service to both internal and external customers.

In addition to these general soft skills, there are also some specific soft skills that are important for IT professionals. For example, it is important to be able to:

• Explain complex technical concepts in a way that non-technical people can understand.
• Be patient and understanding when working with users who are frustrated with technical problems.
• Be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Be able to adapt to change and learn new things quickly.

Soft skills are just as important as technical skills for success in IT. By developing your soft skills, you can improve your communication, collaboration, problem-solving, teamwork, and customer service skills. This will make you a more valuable asset to your team and help you advance your career.

Here are some tips for developing your soft skills in IT:

• Be a good listener. When you are interacting with users or colleagues, take the time to really listen to what they have to say. This shows that you are interested in their needs and that you value their input.
• Be clear and concise in your communication. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand. Use simple language and explain complex concepts in a way that is easy to follow.
• Be patient and understanding. Users may not always understand technical problems or how to fix them. Be patient and understanding, and take the time to explain things in a way that they can understand.
• Be willing to help others. If you see someone who is struggling, offer your help. This shows that you are a team player and that you are willing to go the extra mile.
• Be open to feedback. Be willing to accept feedback from your manager, colleagues, and users. This will help you identify areas where you can improve your soft skills.

By following these tips, you can develop your soft skills and become a more successful IT professional.

Customer service is a
critical skill in IT support. I can’t emphasize that enough. The techniques we’ll discuss in these videos won’t only
help you with your users, they help you work
better with your peers, your managers, and maybe even your own
personal relationships. Keep in mind, these techniques don’t work in all situations. The reality is that no matter how great your customer service, some situations don’t
have a good resolution, plus everyone is different. You need to tweak your style
when working with users. But the techniques we’ll
cover are intended to make your IT interactions
more successful. In IT support, you work with users to fix technology and improve
how people use it. To accomplish this,
you need to develop a trust between
you and the user. Lots of employers believe that good customer service also
builds brand loyalty, which is a key to success. These lessons are meant to give you the foundational skills and techniques of how to
deliver great customer service. Customer service practices can differ from company to company. We’ll cover the key concepts of customer service in
any IT support role. It’s important to talk
with your employer to understand the company’s
customer service approach. This will also give
you an idea of how much freedom or restrictions you might have in the role. Spoiler alert. Great customer service
requires exhibiting empathy, being conscious of your tone, acknowledging the person
you’re talking to, and developing trust
with the user. If you remember nothing
else from this lesson, remember those four things. The most important of
all of these is empathy. What’s the difference between
sympathy and empathy? People will say things like sympathy is saying you’re sorry. Empathy is feeling sorry. That doesn’t really explain it. So let’s use an example
to drive this home. If someone fell
into a dark, damp, dirty hole and you leaned over with a sad
expression and said, that must be a really
tough situation. Then you are
expressing sympathy. You’re sharing their feelings, but you aren’t experiencing
those feelings. If you crawl down
into that dark, damp, dirty hole with the
person who fell and said, this is a really
tough situation, then you’re expressing empathy. You’re able to see
something from someone else’s perspective and
understand their feelings. The word choice between
the two situation is very similar. But the action you take by looking at it
from their perspective, is what empathy is all about. Some days it’s
hard to empathize. I know from experience. Maybe you’ve had
an argument with a loved one before work. Then by the end of the day, you find yourself getting
annoyed or upset with users. That’s the moment when empathy becomes the most important. Because anyone can showcase
empathy when it’s easy. But someone who persistently displays empathy will stand out as a kinder human and a more professional and
effective employee. Once you have empathy down, you should think of your tone. Tone is historically thought of as how you speak out loud. In this technological age, when many of our
interactions over texts and IT support is
increasingly done remotely, tone isn’t just
about how you come off during an in
person conversation. It’s expanded into
how you write, punctuate, and even spell. If your tone is short or blunt, then the user will feel
brush off and devalued. But if your tone is
friendly and curious, the user’s much
more likely to have a positive experience
working with you. Be careful not to go overboard with the friendliness though, it could be disingenuous. Communicating a good tone
is delicate balance. How you ask a
question and how you respond to user’s
question matters. Let’s say you tell
a user in an email, turn your computer
off and on again, and it will start working. They’ll probably never respond and your company may have lost a customer because the tone is just too short and
pretty unfriendly. Well, it gets to the point. It doesn’t leave the door
open to conversation. What if instead you wrote, please try turning your
computer off and back on again. This should update the change we made and fix the problem. If that doesn’t work,
just let me know. It’s a little wordier, but it has a better tone
of asking versus telling. Inviting them back
to connect with you in case the issue
isn’t resolved, leaves the lines of
communication open. Tone can be especially
difficult when you’re supporting someone in a
different region or country. Make sure to familiarize
yourself with the local style whether that’s more
conversational or direct, and adjust your style
depending on the audience. In this day and age
of text and email, it’s easy to ignore
what someone says. If a comment seems like a dig or it’s just too much
information provided, we tend to shy away
from responding. It’s also really common
to forget to tell the user what you’re doing
while you’re troubleshooting. That might leave the user
waiting in an awkward silence. Whenever possible,
acknowledge the user. This reduces the tension that
might build and helps you understand how you’re
working toward a solution. Let’s say you’re chatting
back and forth with the user. You’re asking a lot
of questions to better troubleshoot the issue. The user is answering them, but also makes
comments like geez, I already answered
this in my last email. Or I just want to know
what’s causing my problem. You choose to ignore this and continue on with your
troubleshooting. You think you’re
close to solving the problem and
these side comments are just a distraction. But then the user stops
fully engaging with you and only gives you half
answers to your questions. Now you’re not able to
solve the issue at all. The user’s unhappy,
you’re unhappy, and the company’s unhappy. It’s a bad situation. Instead of ignoring the
user in that situation, you could have said, I’m sorry for asking
these questions. Sometimes repeating them will help new information and pop up. Or you could have said sorry
for the repeat questions, I don’t want to give
you a superficial cause when we could fix the root issue and you won’t have to chat
with us again. This helps them to understand your method and become
part of the solution. It’s important to acknowledge your own actions
if you think they might otherwise
confuse the user, let’s say user contacts
you to fix something. After collecting
some information, you go radio silent. What’s user to do? Would they ask if
you’re still there? Will they wait awkwardly until
you came back on the line, how long would they
wait before ending the call or saying something? How would they feel about
their interaction with you? Pretty awkward. But what if he said, I need to do some
research on this issue. Would you mind waiting
about five minutes or less while I do that? They’d probably say sure, and keep themselves
occupied while they wait. They’d also feel
more confident in your ability to
resolve the issue. This leads to the
most important thing to remember when working with people and that’s
developing trust. This is easy to do if
you have repeat users, they see you every workday. One bad day isn’t going to stop them from trusting that you
know what you’re doing. But in a transactional
user base for the user only contacts the
company once or twice. How you interact with each user, each time, is going to
break or build that trust. Why is trust so important? Without it, the user could
be difficult to work with and could even ignore
your advice completely. Empathy and acknowledgment are big part of building trust. Without these, you’ll find it difficult to connect with user. By seeing things from
the user’s perspective, you’re more likely to find the solution that will
help them specifically. This lets them know
that you care and they’ll be more likely to be
engaged in the interaction. It’s also important to follow through on your
commitments and promises. If you tell someone
you’re going to follow up in one hour, then be sure to make it happen. If you don’t, acknowledge
the oversight and apologize, be sure that any claims
you make can be backed up. Don’t make something up to a user because you think it
will help in the moment. Be honest with the user, even if you think they
won’t be happy about it and never be afraid to admit
when you’re wrong. This might be the hardest
thing to do with the user, but you’ll find that
your interactions are more successful this way. Being specific and empathetic with your apologies will
give it more meaning. Remember, no one wakes up
in the morning thinking, I’m going to be a jerk today. Well, you shouldn’t
sacrifice your self respect. Do your best to give the user the benefit of the doubt
whenever possible.

Anatomy of an Interaction in IT

An IT support interaction can be broken down into the following stages:

1. Greeting and introduction: This is where you start the interaction off on a positive note by introducing yourself and welcoming the user.
2. Clarification of the problem: It’s important to understand the user’s issue clearly before you start troubleshooting. Ask clarifying questions to get a better understanding of the problem and the steps the user has already taken to try to resolve it.
3. Troubleshooting: Once you have a good understanding of the problem, you can start troubleshooting. This may involve running tests, gathering information, and trying different solutions.
4. Resolution: If you are able to resolve the user’s issue, be sure to explain the solution to them and provide any necessary next steps.
5. Conclusion: End the interaction on a positive note by thanking the user for their patience and letting them know that you are there to help if they have any further problems.

Here are some tips for each stage of the interaction:

Greeting and introduction:

• Be professional and courteous.
• Use the user’s name, if you know it.
• Let the user know that you are there to help.

Clarification of the problem:

• Ask open-ended questions to get a good understanding of the user’s issue.
• Avoid asking leading questions, as this can bias the user’s response.
• Be patient and listen carefully to the user’s explanation.

Troubleshooting:

• Explain what you are doing as you troubleshoot.
• Be transparent about your progress and any potential solutions.
• Be respectful of the user’s time.

Resolution:

• Explain the solution to the user in a clear and concise way.
• Provide any necessary next steps.
• Ask the user if they have any questions.

Conclusion:

• Thank the user for their patience and let them know that you are there to help if they have any further problems.

By following these tips, you can deliver great customer service and help users resolve their IT issues quickly and efficiently.

Now that we’ve covered the main customer
service techniques, we’re going to dive into
some of the nitty-gritty by looking at the anatomy
of an interaction. These apply to any
channel of IT support, email, phone, chat, or
in-person interactions. From the first moment you
interact with someone, it’s important to think
about how you say, “Hello.” Do you make sure to
tell them your name? Do you incorporate information you know about them
in your greeting? Do you ensure a positive tone? Are your spelling your
grammar on point? These are all ways to create a really good start
to the interaction. Some of these things are
hard to achieve though. I’m a horrible speller, especially when I’m in a hurry. But knowing some of
these trouble spots ahead of time will let you find ways to address
them before the interaction. For me, I know that
when I’m in a hurry, I need to recheck my spelling
before hitting “Send”. Have you ever heard the phrase ‘first impressions
last a lifetime’? Well, that might be a
bit of an exaggeration. It touches on some truth. How you first interact
with someone will influence how the rest of
the interaction plays out. I’m not saying you have
to be over the top, gushy and nice, that might have the
opposite effect. Just be professional,
acknowledge the user, and show them some respect. Taking the time to get
the interaction off to a good start will make everything that
comes after easier. Let’s check out two scenarios
to see how this plays out. Hi, Gail. How are you doing? Not great. It’s been a bad day trying to
get my phone fixed. What’s wrong with your phone? Hi, Gail. How are you today? Not great. It’s been a bad day trying to
get my phone fixed. Sorry to hear that. Let’s see what we can
do to turn that around. Just by acknowledging
their feelings and demonstrate your
desire to help them, you started to build a
relationship with the user. Of course, you have to keep up the good work throughout
the interaction, but laying the groundwork
is an important first step. I remember that
while you might have 100 issues in the ticket queue
that need your attention, this is the only one that
matters to the user. Show them it’s
your priority too. The next critical step in an interaction is how you respond to the
user’s questions. If they’re taking the time to explain to you what happened, but you brush off their concerns by acting uninteresting, things are going
to go south fast. Remember to integrate
the information you’ve been given into
your conversation. This will show you’re
actively listening and can help them feel more connected
to the interaction. Let’s look at an example. Which one of these greetings do you think is the most effective? Greeting 1, “Hi, Rhori. How are you today? What can I help you with?” Or greeting number
2, “Hi, Rhori. I hope you’re having
a good day despite your computer
randomly turning off. Let’s see what we can
do to fix your issue.” It’s important to be
transparent with the user. If they start asking
you a bunch of questions while you’re
still troubleshooting, you can do two things. First option, you can ignore them because they’re
just talking out loud. Second option, you can pause
and say something like, “I’d be happy to answer
all of your questions, but I want to look
up this one first. I’ve written them
all down though, so I won’t forget them.” If you say that make sure to
write the questions down. To really build a rapport, try to remember a personal fact they’ve mentioned and
bring it up later. Maybe they mentioned
they love cats, later while you’re waiting
for something to load, ask them if they have any cats or what their cat’s name is. This shouldn’t be forced. If you’re not the type to
engage in small talk, skip it. Now, you’re getting to the point where you’re ready
to troubleshoot, just make sure you clarify the person’s issue before
you start to troubleshoot. If you don’t, you might find yourself going down
a rabbit hole. Imagine that a user tells you their computer
can’t get online. You look at the IP address,
DNS configuration, and you start
pinging things with no luck, everything seems fine. Then 20 minutes later, you find out their
machine is online, they just can’t access
a particular page. Had you clarified
this at the start, you would have saved yourself
and the user 20 minutes. It seems simple to clarify
the problem space, but it’s often overlooked. Take this example. Thank you for calling. This
is Leon. How can I help you? Hi, Leon. My computer
isn’t working. That doesn’t sound fun. What do you mean by the
computer isn’t working? It won’t connect
to the internet. Do you have the corporate
password for the wifi? No, why do I need that? In order to connect to
the wifi in the building, you need to use the
corporate password. Well, I’m not in the
building. I’m at a cafe. That’s odd. Your
computer seems to be different than
what we normally use. Can I get your name so I can
look up your configuration? Ling Chan. Do you work at this company? No, my friend gave
me the number. Problem-solving is a
super important aspect of an IT support interaction. Being an IT support specialist means that you could be
asked about anything. Even though you
aren’t expected to know the answer off
the top of your head, you should know where to
start looking to find it. People are coming to
you because they have a problem they can’t
fix themselves. Sometimes they feel self-conscious
about asking for help. Be aware of how you
probe for information. Pummeling the user
with question after question will probably create
frustration on both sides. Make sure to set contexts and explain why you’re
asking the question. Saying something simple like, “In order for me to figure
out what’s really going on, I need to ask you
some question,” can make all the difference. When you’re in person, things are a lot
easier because you can see each other and read
each other’s expressions. But you might find
yourself too comfortable. Imagine you’re asking for
help with your phone. You wouldn’t want the
person helping you to just take it out of your
hands without asking. Make sure you tell the user what you’re doing
before you do it. If you’re supporting a user remotely and need them
to run some commands, don’t forget to tell them why you need them to
execute the commands. There’s no need to go
into a ton of detail. Without some context, you could strain the
trust you’ve built. Make sure that when you’re
asking these questions or asking the user
to run a command, you’re really listening
to the response, those little nuggets of information may help
solve the issue. The last five minutes of
the interaction will set the tone for how the user feels walking away from
the interaction. Make sure to end on
a positive note. You might have
solved their issue, but if they don’t feel it was resolved or they’re
unsure of the next steps, then they’re going to walk away feeling like it was
a poor solution. How do you make a good
final impression? Simple, reiterate
the resolution, state the next steps, then ask the user if
they have any questions.

How to Deal with Difficult Situations in IT Part I

Difficult situations are a common occurrence in IT support. Users can be frustrated, angry, or even hostile when they are experiencing problems with their computers or networks. As an IT support specialist, it is important to be able to handle these situations effectively.

Here are a few tips for dealing with difficult situations in IT:

1. Stay calm. It is important to stay calm and collected, even when the user is upset. If you start to get upset yourself, it will only make the situation worse.
2. Listen to the user. Take the time to listen to the user’s concerns and understand their problem. This will help you to identify the root cause of the problem and develop a solution.
3. Be empathetic. Try to see things from the user’s perspective and understand why they are upset. This will help you to build rapport with the user and de-escalate the situation.
4. Apologize. Even if you are not at fault, it is always a good idea to apologize to the user for the inconvenience. This shows that you are understanding and that you are committed to helping them resolve their problem.
5. Offer solutions. Once you have identified the root cause of the problem, offer the user solutions. Be clear and concise in your explanations, and be prepared to answer any questions that the user may have.
6. Follow up. Once you have resolved the user’s problem, follow up with them to make sure that everything is working properly. This shows that you are committed to their satisfaction and that you are available to help them if they have any further problems.

Here are some additional tips for dealing with difficult situations in IT:

• Use active listening skills. This means paying attention to what the user is saying, both verbally and nonverbally. It also means asking clarifying questions and summarizing what you have heard to make sure that you understand the user’s concerns.
• Be assertive. This means being able to stand up for yourself and your professional opinions. It also means being able to set boundaries and say no to unreasonable demands.
• Don’t take things personally. It is important to remember that the user’s anger or frustration is not directed at you personally. It is important to stay objective and focused on resolving the problem.
• Take breaks. If you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, it is important to take a break. This will help you to clear your head and come back to the situation with a fresh perspective.

Dealing with difficult situations in IT can be challenging, but it is an important skill for any IT support specialist to have. By following the tips above, you can learn to handle these situations effectively and provide the best possible support to your users.

If you’ve ever worked
in customer service, then you’ve dealt with
difficult situations. The way you handle them
in the food industry and tech roles are
pretty similar. But before we dive into that, we’re going to take a step back and talk about the science behind what’s happening
in these situations. Let’s say someone’s
yelling at you, rather it’s about a overcook
steak or broken computer, your reaction to either
will probably be similar. Your palms might be sweating, your hands might shake, or your mouth goes dry, tunnel vision might kick in. These are all normal
physiological reactions that happen in response
to a perceived threat. This is part of our
biological makeup dating back to the time when people hunted for their food. When you’re being chased
by a cougar you needed your senses to be at high alert in order to keep yourself alive. Even though someone
yelling at you isn’t the same as the
cougar attacking you, it can feel similar
in the moment. Your brain is releasing
a mix of chemicals and hormones to heighten your
senses and keep you alert. Unfortunately, a side effect is that you may have trouble focusing on specific
tasks. Not ideal. It’s in times like
these that you might go on autopilot where your body has a physical
reaction and it’s hard to focus. It’s super important to
recognize these moments and put a plan in place to reboot
yourself out of the situation. Sometimes I feel this
way when I’m teaching a class and someone
is ignoring me. They just don’t pay attention. I used to call them out on it, the fight response, but this never ended well. Sometimes they had a
good reason for being on their phone and calling them out never made them listen more. Now when I feel myself
in that situation, I noticed that my
pulse increases. When I realize it’s happening, I make sure to look around
and focus on people who are more engaged in the lesson and make eye contact with them. Soon I feel my pulse slow down. Some of your experiences in IT support might trigger
similar reactions. Once you’ve identified this reboot action,
write it down. Remember, your brain isn’t always working well in
the heat of the moment, so it helps to have something
to remind you what to do. It could be anything from
squeezing a stress ball to looking away to
taking a deep breath. The first couple of times, it may not work,
so give it time. When you have a
difficult situation, take a moment to think
about what went wrong. How are you feeling? What was your reaction? Why did you raise your voice? After a while, it
becomes second nature to catch yourself in
de-escalate situation. To really hold
yourself accountable, tell a co worker what
you’re trying to do. Give them a recap
of the interaction and ask them for their
feedback on the interaction. You might get some great tips. But here’s the bad news. Things aren’t over once you
get yourself back on track. That’s when the
hard work starts. Every situation is
different and you’ll learn the best strategies from
experience and peer feedback. To get you started, I’ll run through some
tried and true techniques. Keep in mind that it’s fine if you don’t get these
right the first time. It takes practice, reflection, and feedback to really
nail it, so don’t give up. The hardest and arguably the best technique
is to identify where the interaction
went wrong in the moment and redirect
the conversation. This is really tough because it means
remaining calm enough to objectively look
at the interaction and understand what could
have caused it to escalate. At first, try this once
the interaction is over. You started your chat
with the user and it’s really pleasant and
problem-solving is happening, then suddenly the
tone turns dark. What caused it? Where
is the misstep? Looking back, you might notice that the user didn’t
understand the question about what happens
when he tries to sync his phone and the tech
just kept repeating it. The user gets annoyed and then starts typing in all caps, a clear sign they’re irritated. In this case, the
cause seems obvious. If the user didn’t
understand the question, then they probably
got frustrated when the same question was
asked over and over. If the IT support specialist
had noticed this, they could have
reframe the question and broken it down further.

Another cause of frustration in user
support interactions is when people talk over each other. This usually happens over the phone. Since there’s sometimes delay,
but it can happen in person to. Typically it leads to
people talking louder and sometimes ends up feeling like
you’re yelling at each other. You’ve probably been in a situation
like this with your friends or family. Everyone wants to talk and
the person with the loudest voice wins. How can I help you today? My laptop isn’t working. I need a new one,
I have meetings I need to go to. I can certainly look into this and
see what we can do to fix it. But I want to set context that our policy
is to only replace laptops if all other options have been exhausted. >> I don’t need you to go
snooping around my computer. Just give me a new one. Gale, I’d love to do that for you, but. >> That’s ridiculous, I’m a director. I should get a new one. I don’t have time for this. >> I completely understand
the urgency of the situation. Why don’t you let me take a look. >> That’s why I came. You need to fix it. >> It’s important to try and
identify why this is happening. So you can course correct. In this case, you can simply stop talking
to calm things down, then pause for about five or 10 seconds to make sure
they’re done talking and start again. This might take a few tries before
the user realizes what they’re doing and gives you time to talk. Use that time to calm down and
really listen to what the user is saying. Ask yourself,
why are they talking over me? What am I missing then
in those 5-10 seconds, collect yourself and
think about what you want to say. >> How can I help you today? >> My laptop isn’t working. I need a new one,
I have meetings I need to go to. >> I can certainly look into this and
see what we can do to fix it. But I want to set context that our
policy is to only replace laptops. If all other options have been exhausted. >> I don’t need you to go
snooping around my computer. Just give me a new one. >> Gale, I’d love to do that for
you, but I. >> That’s ridiculous. I’m a director,
I should be able to get a new laptop. I have no time for this. >> I completely understand. Can you let me have five minutes
to do a quick triage and then we can discuss next steps? >> If the user is crossing the line and making you feel uncomfortable ignoring
it can feel like the easiest solution. It isn’t, remember that if you do
the next person they interact with will be treated the same way and
that’s not okay. It’s also easy to say that the person
being attacked needs to stand up for themselves, but in situations
like this one that’s really hard, ideally by standards would call
out this behavior in a calm way. It’s also important that you escalate
these issues to the appropriate channel. Whether that’s your manager,
the human resources department, whomever. Disclaimer, I love being in the IT
support field and I don’t want to dwell on the negative, but I do want to
prepare you for what you might encounter. So let me throw another
tough scenario at you. You might find that a user
skims over what you wrote or doesn’t listen to the full instructions
you present before taking action. When this happens, be patient. You’ve likely been on the other end of
this before when you ignored instructions? Why were you overwhelmed with information? Were you in a hurry? Maybe you need reading glasses. Whatever the case might be, the best
tactic is to break these steps down into smaller, more digestible pieces for
the user. If you sent them an article that
they didn’t finish reading, ask where specifically in
the documentation they’re having issues. So that you don’t have to bore them
with the parts they already know. Sometimes you come across someone
wanting to bend a policy or push back on an established process. Take this as a sign to look
deeper into the situation. Is it really a company policy or
just a common way of doing things? If it is a policy,
is there documentation of it? You can reference that to the user. If not offer to follow up
to get a definitive answer. You might be surprised what you find. The takeaway here is that it’s important
to try to see things from other people’s point of view. In that moment when you’re
feeling riled up and frustrated, take a minute to see the situation
from the other person’s perspective. If you were them,
how would you be feeling? What would make you feel better? If you can train yourself to see
things from another’s perspective, you’re on your way to
turning things around.

Ticketing Systems and Documenting Your Work in IT

Ticketing systems and documentation are two essential tools for IT professionals. Ticketing systems help to track and manage user issues, while documentation provides a record of the work that has been done.

Ticketing Systems

A ticketing system is a software application that helps IT professionals to track and manage user issues. Tickets can be created for any type of issue, such as a hardware failure, a software problem, or a security breach.

Ticketing systems typically have a number of features that make them useful for IT professionals, including:

• Ticket tracking: Ticketing systems allow IT professionals to track the status of tickets and to see how long it is taking to resolve them.
• Communication with users: Ticketing systems provide a way for IT professionals to communicate with users about their issues.
• Task management: Ticketing systems can be used to manage tasks related to resolving user issues.
• Reporting: Ticketing systems can generate reports on user issues, such as the most common types of issues or the average time it takes to resolve issues.

Documenting Your Work

Documenting your work is important for a number of reasons. First, it can help you to remember what you did and to avoid having to repeat yourself. Second, it can help other IT professionals to understand your work and to build on it. Third, it can provide a record of your work for auditing purposes.

There are a number of different ways to document your work. One way is to use a ticketing system. When you resolve a user issue, you can update the ticket with the steps you took and the solution you arrived at. This can be helpful for both the user and for yourself, as it can help you to audit your steps and to keep the user in the loop.

Another way to document your work is to write down procedures and policies. This can help to create a documentation trail and to make it easier for others to follow your work. You can keep your documentation in a document, web page, or online file storage. Just make sure that it is accessible to everyone else in your company.

Using Ticketing Systems and Documentation Together

Ticketing systems and documentation can be used together to create a complete record of your work. When you resolve a user issue, you can update the ticket with the steps you took and the solution you arrived at. You can also include links to any relevant documentation, such as procedures or policies.

This will help to ensure that your work is well-documented and that others can easily understand what you did. It will also make it easier for you to audit your work in the future.

Tips for Documenting Your Work

Here are a few tips for documenting your work:

• Be concise and to the point. Your documentation should be easy to read and understand.
• Use clear and simple language. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand.
• Be specific. When documenting your steps, be as specific as possible. This will help others to follow your work more easily.
• Include screenshots or other visuals. Screenshots can be helpful for documenting complex steps or for providing visual examples of your work.
• Update your documentation regularly. Your documentation should reflect the current state of your systems and procedures.

By following these tips, you can create clear and concise documentation that will be helpful for you and for others.

Have you ever worked hard on
something that had a lot of steps and took a long time only to have to
do it again three months later and completely forgotten everything you did? Well that happens all
the time in the IT world. That’s why it’s important to
document the work you do. Documentation might seem like a time
suck but it’s a total timesaver. The first it’s your ticketing or
bug system, tickets are common way
of documenting an issue. Bugs are issues with the system that
weren’t caused by an external source. Imagine if every every time something
broke you received an email, that be hard to keep track of and
not scalable at all. The IT industry utilizes systems
just to keep track of this for you. Some examples are Bugzilla,
JIRA and Redmine. These are all in one solutions
that help you track user issues, communicate with your users and
provide updates. A great way to use the system for documentation is to update
the ticket with what the issue is. The steps and procedures you’re trying to
resolve and the solution you arrived at. This is important for two reasons. The first is that it keeps
the user in the loop. The second is that it helps you audit your
steps in case you need to go back and see what you did. You can also write down procedures and
policies to create a documentation trail. You have a lot of options of
where you want to write and store your documentation. You can keep your policies and
procedures in a document, web page through online file storage or
lots of other mediums. Just make sure it’s accessible to
everyone else in your company. If you have a monthly reoccurring tasks
like updating old software machines, make sure to write down all the steps and
then refer back to them when it’s needed. Documentation isn’t a set it and
forget it situation. Systems and
processes are constantly changing, and so should your documentation. It’s important to update documentation so that you aren’t reading
something that’s old. One last thing I want to call
out about writing documentation is that you don’t need to get
creative with your writing. You aren’t writing a short story,
you’re writing a technical document. You want to be as concise as possible so
that when someone reads your document, they can easily figure
out what they need to do.

Process Documentation in IT

Process documentation is the process of creating and maintaining written descriptions of how IT processes are performed. Process documentation can be used to train new employees, troubleshoot problems, and improve efficiency.

There are a number of different types of process documentation, including:

• Procedures: Procedures are step-by-step instructions on how to perform a specific task.
• Policies: Policies are broader guidelines that define how IT processes should be performed.
• SOPs: Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are a combination of procedures and policies that provide a detailed overview of how a specific IT process is performed.

Process documentation should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. It should also be up-to-date and reflect the current state of the IT environment.

Benefits of Process Documentation

There are a number of benefits to having good process documentation in IT. Some of the key benefits include:

• Improved efficiency: Process documentation can help to improve efficiency by providing employees with clear instructions on how to perform tasks. This can help to reduce errors and save time.
• Reduced training time: New employees can be trained more quickly and efficiently if they have access to good process documentation.
• Improved troubleshooting: Process documentation can be used to troubleshoot problems by providing a step-by-step guide on how to identify and resolve the issue.
• Improved compliance: Process documentation can help organizations to comply with regulations by providing a record of how IT processes are performed.

How to Create Process Documentation

There are a number of steps involved in creating process documentation. The following are some general tips:

1. Identify the process to be documented. What IT process do you want to document?
2. Gather information about the process. Who performs the process? What steps are involved? What tools and resources are needed?
3. Write a clear and concise description of the process. The description should include all of the important information about the process, such as the steps involved, the tools and resources needed, and any special considerations.
4. Review and update the documentation regularly. As the IT environment changes, the process documentation should be updated to reflect the changes.

Tips for Writing Good Process Documentation

Here are some tips for writing good process documentation:

• Use clear and concise language. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand.
• Be specific. When describing the steps involved in the process, be as specific as possible. This will help others to follow the process more easily.
• Use screenshots or other visuals. Screenshots can be helpful for documenting complex steps or for providing visual examples of the process.
• Organize the documentation logically. The documentation should be easy to read and understand.
• Review and update the documentation regularly. As the process changes, the documentation should be updated to reflect the changes.

By following these tips, you can create process documentation that is clear, concise, and easy to follow.

Let’s take a look at examples of good and not-so-good
documentation. Here’s the deal; you encounter a strange issue
when helping a user out. This issue happens so often that you and your
colleagues have encountered it. No documentation is the
worst documentation. Imagine if it took you
hours to figure out an issue to a problem and
you didn’t write it down. Your colleague encounters
the same issue and takes hours
to figure it out, then he also doesn’t
write it down. This can go on and on. It only takes a little
bit of effort to create documentation and it can save
you so much of your time, your company’s time,
and your users time. This isn’t the best
example of documentation. The problem that IT support
specialist stated isn’t specific and it leaves you with more questions
than answers, and while it tells you
what we’ll fix an issue, it doesn’t tell you how. Documentation should be
straight and clear cut. Your reader shouldn’t have any questions when following
the instructions you listed. Now, this is a good
example of documentation. It starts off with a very
specific and clear problem. It gives you background
information on what the issue is. It even gives you the exact instructions
on how to fix the issue, including which settings
to navigate to and where. Remember, always write documentation that makes it easy for your reader to follow.

Documenting in Ticketing Systems in IT

Ticketing systems are a valuable tool for IT professionals, as they can help to track and manage user issues. However, ticketing systems can also be used to document the work that IT professionals do.

Here are some tips for documenting in ticketing systems:

• Be clear and concise. When documenting your work, be as clear and concise as possible. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that your audience may not understand.
• Be specific. When documenting the steps you took to resolve an issue, be as specific as possible. This will help others to follow your work more easily.
• Include screenshots or other visuals. Screenshots or other visuals can be helpful for documenting complex steps or for providing visual examples of your work.
• Organize your documentation logically. The documentation should be easy to read and understand.
• Update your documentation regularly. As you learn new things or as the IT environment changes, your documentation should be updated to reflect the changes.

Here is an example of good documentation in a ticketing system:

Ticket: User cannot log into their account. Steps taken:

1. Checked the user’s password to make sure it was correct.
2. Tried logging in as the user to see if the issue was with the user’s account or with the system.
3. Checked the system logs to see if there were any errors related to the user’s account.
4. Recreated the user’s account.
5. The user was able to log in successfully.

This documentation is clear, concise, and specific. It also includes screenshots of the system logs, which can be helpful for troubleshooting the issue in the future.

By following these tips, you can create documentation in ticketing systems that is clear, concise, and helpful for others.

Now that we’ve talked a little
bit about documenting processes, let’s talk about how you write
documentation in ticketing or bug systems. You don’t have to leave a full
example of process documentation for every ticket you handle. If you encounter the same issue,
just write the documentation once, then refer back to it. One of the more important aspects of
writing documentation in a ticket or bug, is that you leave an audit trail
to see what worked and what didn’t. Let’s take a look at some examples
of awesome documentation and not so awesome documentation in ticketing and
bug systems. This isn’t helpful at all since we
don’t know what the issue was or what the IT support
specialist did to fix it. If someone stumbled upon this
ticket with the same issue, it would be pretty useless. This is an example of
a great ticket documentation. The tech described what the issue is,
what caused the issue, and the specific steps they
took to resolve it.

Hi, there. My name
is Rob Clifton, and I’m a Program
Manager at Google. My career in IT started
about 17 years ago. At the time IT knowledge
was mainly self-taught. I took certificate course
as much like this one, and learned as much as I
could along the way while I continued to go to
college part-time to get an associate’s degree. Finding that first
job wasn’t easy. I had to convince someone
to take a chance on me, even though I had no degree and no advanced education in IT. I applied for a lot of jobs, got a few interviews, received a lot of rejections, and eventually landed
my first job fixing computers at a big box retailer. Over the next few years, I jumped around to
different jobs, getting more experienced
while I continued to go to school and finish my degree. I eventually landed at Google as a support tech in our
Ann Arbor office. Twelve years later, I now lead the hiring efforts for our
junior IT support roles. I’ve interviewed
hundreds of candidates, and I help train our
interviewers and how to find the best talent
in the industry. Today, I’m excited
to share what I’ve learned to help you prepare
for your next interview. Going into an
interview is a moment that lots of people dread. We’re all afraid that we
could say something wrong, that were not ready
for that next step, or just that will be rejected. These are all normal feelings, but it helps to look at the
interview as an opportunity. It’s an opportunity for you to hone your interpersonal skills, learn more about the company, and make sure that the job
is a good fit for you. It’s an opportunity to advance your career and gain
more work experience. Doing these lessons
will give you some tips that will help you prepare
for the interview. We want you to walk
into your interviews feeling confident and excited. We’ll show you what a
technical interview on the subject at hand
may look like.

To land an interview for a job you want,
make sure your resume and online professional presence are in order. This will help you stand out from
the other applicants when you apply. Your resume is your first
introduction to a new company. Make sure your resume is easy to read and
clearly shows the recruiter or hiring manager that you’re a strong
fit for the job you’re applying for. Avoid using lots of filler
text in your resume. If you’re new to the industry, you may
not have a lot to put on your resume, but that’s okay. You don’t need to list out every piece
of software you’ve used or networking protocol you’ve ever learned about,
stick to your relevant qualifications. Use a standard resume template and be consistent with your formatting and
structure. Proofread your resume and
have someone else review it too. You don’t want grammar and spelling errors to be your first
impression with a potential employer. There’s a lot more to say about resumes, so I’ve included more material
in the supplemental reading. You should also make sure you have
an up to date online presence. Your profile should look professional and
have the most current resume, a photo and updated contact info. Don’t forget to do this, employers
are using sites like LinkedIn more and more to reach out to candidates. Now, when you find a job
that you want to apply for, you want to learn as much
as you can about the role. First place to find this information
is in the job description. The description will usually include
the roles responsibilities and requirements and
some information about the company. Take some time to understand those details
and make sure it’s a good fit for you. Feel free to ask your recruiter any
additional questions you have about the role or the company. Knowing these expectations and
requirements, will also help you prepare for
the interview. For any IT role, make sure that you
know the fundamentals of IT really well, and spend extra time reviewing any
specific areas that are called out in the job description. This program will get you started
with some of those fundamentals like, networking and operating systems, but you’ll still need to do
some research on your own. On top of the specific job requirements, you should also take time to research
the company that you’re applying to. Learn about the main characteristics of
the company, what their primary products or services are, who their customers
are and where they’re located. Look for things that are new, interesting
and exciting about the company’s future. Try to learn about some of the challenges
the company might be facing. If the company has a code of conduct or
mission statement online, make sure to read it, as it will
illustrate what the company prioritizes. Knowing the company’s values will help you
decide whether it’s a company you want to work for. Some of these facts may come up
during your interview, either as part of a scenario or in a question by
itself, so you want to be prepared. Lastly, once you have an interview
scheduled, make sure you know where to go when you need to be there and what the
appropriate attire is for the interview. This particular tip was
especially important for me when I first interviewed with Google. At the time, Google was in a temporary
space above a restaurant Inn Arbor, a town I was not very familiar with. There was no sign or address, so when
I got there I had no idea where to go. Thankfully, I arrived
with some time to spare. So when I got to the right block for the
address, I went around to the back alley, found the address on the fire escape and
climbed into the second floor. The door was open and the woman behind it
was a little surprised to see me entering. Everyone had a bit of a laugh when I told
him I couldn’t find the front entrance and I didn’t want to be late for my interview. To this day, my manager still
talks about my entrance and says it showed him I was resourceful and
determined. Who knows? Maybe that’s why they
decided to give me the job