Better Tech Support

Make it easier for tech support to help you and you may get faster and better service.

This article is self-serving in addition to containing information you can use. One of my current jobs is tech support for the Master Series CGI programs. Instead of continuing to wish people knew some of the things that makes support easier and allows faster response to problems, I decided to write the information down.

Although this article will be slanted toward CGI tech support, it's concepts can also be applied to other types of tech support, such as hosting and ISP. Following the guidelines in this article can result in better tech support than you might otherwise have received.

There is no need to panic if something won't work the way it should.

1. Try To Find the Answer Yourself

If your vendor has a tech support area, look there first. Ours is at /support/ in the FAQ and Forum areas for both general and specific CGI support questions. The Forum may also be used for CGI questions not related to Master Series programs.

/support/faq/ is especially good if you run into problems during the installation process. (The FAQ itself can even be syndicated on your site, no charge, if you think your site visitors might benefit from it.)

If you find the answers to your questions in the support area, it probably was faster than support's answer would have been. Actually, you could expect support to send you to the website instead of re-typing information already published and readily available.

2. Respect Support's Policies and Preferences

If email support is provided, use email for requests. If support is provided by bulletin board or public forum, use that method. Support requests arriving via unconventional or unexpected channels can upset smoothly operating procedures and could cause you to be seen as someone who is disrespectful.

Tech support for the Master Series CGI programs:

Free titles -- The public forum at /support/

Commercial titles -- Email and/or the above forum. Telephone for true emergencies.

Custom programs -- Telephone and/or email.

3. Provide Sufficient Information

If your support request is by telephone, have all the information readily available that you think might be required. If by email or forum, provide it in the initial request.

If support has to ask about things that you must look up or could have provided in the first email, it can be frustrating to them and to you, not to mention the extended delay in getting your answer.

"I followed all of your instructions and it doesn't work" is familiar to tech support. Tech support then must ask questions, in detail, to try to find out exactly what's wrong.

(Please don't assume the fault is a bug in the program. While that might be the case, it probably is not. After all, the very same program may well be running on hundreds or thousands of other sites without problems.)

When you ask for support, the following information should be provided, at a minimum. Otherwise, expect support to ask you for it.

• Which program is being referred to. If the program has not been downloaded recently, also provide the version number.

• If the program is a form handler, the URL of your test form. Otherwise, the URL of the script.

• What the program does that it's not supposed to do and/or what it doesn't do that it is supposed to.

• The exact wording of any error messages encountered.

Depending on the program, other information might be appropriate -- such as directory paths for data files, the location of the server's mailer, or the presence or absence of specific Perl modules.

4. Information Not To Disclose Without Thought

CGI tech support sometimes requires visiting your server to see what's what with the installation. This requires divulging your server's FTP log-in information.

Before you provide that information, you must have a certain degree of trust that the information will not be misused. Not providing the information might prevent the problem from being solved. It must be your decision.

When sending FTP log-in information by email, remember that email is public. You may wish to send the password separate from the rest of the information.

Once tech support has inspected what needed to be seen, you can change the password to your server. Honorable support staff are not offended; in fact, they probably prefer that you do change the password so they have some protection from investigation in case something does happen to your server in the future.

5. Tech Support Versus Training

If you do not know how to install CGI programs or make forms, please do not ask tech support to teach you. Tech support is rarely an appropriate place to get training.

Many tutorials and how-to documents and ebooks are available on the Internet. Start at our support area and Library.

and continue with websites found by using your favorite Internet search engines. Also, some CGI script directory and download sites have tutorials available.

6. Overview

When you provide sufficient information and respect support's procedures and personnel, you will have opened the way to receiving better and faster tech support. Not all support centers will respond to your efforts, but you have done your part.

Will Bontrager