My IT career started as the lead operator for an IBM1130 in the days of punched cards. A quaint historical fact of that era is that customers were required to keep copies of IBM’s manuals on hand so that when a technician came to deal with an issue they had all the references they need.
Fast forward to 2008 when most hardware and software barely comes with a manual and users are confronted with a befuddling array of errors, messages and helpful surveys. Recently my wife’s computer was doing quite badly and I hired a tech support person from a local VAR to come in and fix
it. I did this for several reasons: 1. As an entrepreneur I have to be very careful as to how I allocate my time so I thought it would be better to pay someone to do what they’re good it so I could do what I’m good at, 2. I don’t want to be ‘blamed’ for any subsequent issues with her computer and 3. I felt I didn’t have the particular expertise to solve the problems.
The technician showed up more or less on time and sat down at the machine. About 5 minutes later I happened to be passing by and watched him work. When an error popped up he simply cut and past the error as a phrase into Google! An hour later he was gone and I had a bill for $125.
I was having some issues with my ATT 8525 “Smart” phone. Sure enough I Googgled the problem (address parameters for my ISP) and sure enough there were several postings offering help and information. I’ve tried this for several errors and problems since and have been very pleased with this very cost effective self-help resource.
While self-help is critical, It is also useful to keep all of your manuals and CDs in one spot
. Another tip is to put them all in a large envelope. On the Outside of the envelope put key information such as the serial number, tech support number, etc.