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How to survive talking to the tech guy

By Ragan Robinson | Hickory Daily Record

Published: April 30, 2009

Hickory - The Saturday Night Live character Nick Burns, Your Company's Computer Guy, with his irritating eye rolling and incomprehensible explanations, gave the IT guy a bad name.

"We're not like that," says Jeff Brittain, who works in Hickory's Information Technology department.

And they're not necessarily nerds, either, regardless of what his daughter wrote on the white board in his office ("Megan Brittain is not related to the geek behind the computer").

To prove it, Brittain was cool enough to help us understand how to best work with your IT guy — or gal.

1. Be prepared and specific. If there's an error code, know what it is. Know what software and operating system you're using. If you can print out what showed up on the screen, do so. Also think about what's new. Did you install something new? Add a printer? Even if it seems non-related, that could be part of your problem.

2. Stay calm. Sometimes you can fix the problem yourself if you simply read the screen. Often, the problem goes away if you restart the computer. Yelling at your computer technician — even if you're on deadline or in the middle of the boss' pet project — is never going to get it done quicker.

3. If you can show, don't just tell. If you're lucky enough to have your very own, in-house Nick Burns and you can get him to your desk, it makes more sense to demonstrate the problem instead of trying to explain it. Even if you have to fill out a request for help beforehand, ask to show him or her what the problem is.

4. Know the basic vocabulary. Re-boot means to restart the computer. When they ask how much RAM you have, they're not talking about the hard drive. In Windows, right click on My Computer for that information.

5. Get a number. If you're at home and calling the toll-free number for tech support, make sure to write down the ticket number or work order number and keep it. If you have to call back, chances are you'll get a different person. With the number, that person can see what's already been done and won't have to start over.

Need some advice on how to survive your next sticky situation? E-mail buzz@hickoryrecord.com or call 322-4510, x5403 to make sure we add you to the list.