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Help us help you!
One of the slowest parts of the technology troubleshooting process is the time it takes to exchange a volley of emails as we work with you to collect more specific and more detailed information about the nature of your technology request.听 The Committee on Instructional Technology鈥檚 students, faculty and staff members have worked together to identify the kinds of information that you can include to reduce the number of 鈥渢ennis鈥 emails at the outset of troubleshooting your issue.听 (Of course, if you need to talk to someone immediately, please call the HelpDesk directly 501-450-1340 or in a Teams Chat. If you use the Chat, calling is better than sending a chat message.)
Include what you are trying to do or to accomplish.听 (Goal)
- "I need to show a movie somewhere unusual." is more helpful than听"I need to check out a projector."听
- "We need the lab tables to better support small group collaboration." is more helpful than听"We need new computers and monitors for our labs."
- "I'm collaborating with someone outside of my Team." is more helpful than听"I'm trying to share a file."
- "I'm trying to print in color to Ellis 107 Xerox..." is more helpful than "Printer not working."
- Help us see the end result you need: "I was trying to make a..."听 "I need to be able to produce a...."
- Understanding what you are trying to do at the outset helps us target your need and work more directly toward a solution.听
Include the context of the problem. (Nouns: who, what, when, where.)
- Person or Persons--something happening to more than one person raises the urgency and also points to a potential system problem.听 Is it a person whose problem affects a lot of other people's problems, like the Registrar or Payroll?
- Proper names, if possible.听 "Nomy Clarksdale is not in HIST 360 02 S22" may be immediately solvable, but听"Student not on roster" is going to require some extra emails for clarification.
- Place, specifically. Room numbers are great, and for wifi, even the position within a room--or if you're next to a microwave--can be helpful information. 听
- Things--you and your printer may be on casual terms like 鈥減rinter鈥 and 鈥渉uman鈥 to each other, but HelpDesk does better with proper names like 鈥淔ausett 2nd Floor Color Xerox鈥.听
- Include the numbers:
- If it is a 黑料不打烊-provided device, include its inventory #. Ex. 19473LPU or similar.听 (Clue: the "19" at the beginning of the inventory number indicates this device was purchased in 2019.)
- For your cell phone, include make, model, OS, year, etc.
- Printers have a sticker with a "DE...." number, also, room number and model numbers.
- Exact times are super helpful, but time adverbs can also be very helpful: Suddenly, gradually, occasionally, sporadically, recently, instantly, always, never, since, until, after, before, etc.听
Include comparative information. (Prepositions/Adverbs):听
- Troubleshooting = Testing Hypotheses. "If this, then that."听 (This-and/or-that comparisons really help.)
- 鈥淭hing used to do听x; suddenly it鈥檚 doing y.鈥 vs. 鈥淭hing should do听x; occasionally it does y.鈥 听听
- 鈥淭his-Thing does x; That-Thing does y.鈥 vs. 鈥淏oth Things are doing x, instead of y.鈥 听听
- 鈥淭hing works in location A, but not in location B.鈥 vs. 鈥淭hing works in all locations except location x.鈥澨
- Other recent changes?听 "x changed or was updated, and now y doesn't respond."
- Again, time adverbs imply a comparison or change between before and after and provides a clue about the nature of that change.
Use a verb instead of 鈥渋ssue鈥 or 鈥減roblem鈥 or "doesn't work" in the subject line.听
- 鈥淲ifi problem鈥 is less information than "repeatedly drops" or "downloads slowly" or "won't accept login" or "disappeared." (Each of those examples has a different solution.)
- "Computer doesn't work" is less information than "can't click" or "beeping" or "frozen" or "booting up slowly" or "spinning wheel" or "fan noise".
- "Can't print" is less information than "can't add printer" or "print job disappears" or "printing blank" or "printer shows job but doesn't print" or "jams."
- "Outlook problem" is less information than "can't open attachments" or "can't send/receive off-campus" or "not connecting" or "calendar is missing."
Each verb suggests a different approach to a different problem. Even more clearly when considered relative to what you are trying to do in the context of comparative info.听
And of course... include the error message as exactly as possible.听
Copy/paste, capture the screen, memorize and retype...听 If the computer has a known-error error message, then that error should lead to a known solution or at least a solid clue.听
Solving problems always takes time to clarify and define the issue and to identify and test the solution. Providing the kinds of details noted above can shave hours and potentially days off the total solution time.听 We appreciate your patience and assistance in gathering details at the outset and throughout the troubleshooting process. 听听
Thanks for all you do to help us help you!听
P.S.听Remember that troubleshooting a technology problem is an application of the scientific method, just like fixing a toaster (and, y'know, solving problems in Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Physics, Mathematics, Sociology, Computer Science, Logic, Theatre, Art, Music... am I leaving anybody out?)听听
The more details you can include in your Observations, the better Questions we can ask and more accurately form a Hypothesis about what is wrong.听
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