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Good vendor technical support
services can save you big money on computer support costs.
Now, please read that last sentence again, this
time out loud.
Highlight it with a yellow marker and put a
reminder note on your computer monitor about the critical importance
of this vendor selection requirement.
And don’t forget the flip side. Lame,
misguided or difficult-to-reach vendor technical support can cost
your company dearly.
Regardless of whether your internal guru
handles most PC hardware troubleshooting, you outsource those tasks
to a local computer consultant or use some combination of the two,
your company will need vendor technical support resources. No
matter how smart you think you are, or how experienced you are at PC
hardware troubleshooting, calling on a specialist is a necessity
sometimes.
Reaching the Specialist
Case in point: In the past decade, I must have
installed more than 500 APC battery backup (UPS) devices. However,
every once in a while, I still need to place a call to APC’s
technical support group.
As a small business technology coach, I’m
more like the general practice physician -- knowing a little about a
lot of different areas.
But when I’m stumped or have a technical
question on a specific product, I want direct access to a specialist
who deals with nothing but that particular product all day. Usually,
my only regret was that I didn’t pick up the phone or visit the
equivalent online resource sooner.
Most important, gather your information about
included technical support options before you make your PC
purchase decision or, at the very latest, before you have a
dire PC-related hardware emergency that requires urgent attention.
Action Items
Are vendor technical support services
available by phone? Is there a charge or is it free?
Is there a toll-free number for technical
support services, or do you need to place a toll call? Is all
technical support handled through this single number and call
routing menus, or are there different technical support phone
numbers for different products?
What's the average hold time for technical
support?
Are there any limitations in terms of
duration of coverage and scope?
What are the hours for the technical
support group? If not 7-by-24, what happens if you're working late
or on a weekend and have a need for emergency support?
Are online tech support resources
available?
Is there a knowledge base, software
downloads area or message board?
If there's a message board, is the message
board moderated by the vendor's technical support professionals?
What's the average turnaround time on posted support requests?
Are there different levels or tiers of
expertise within technical support?
Has the vendor's technical support
department had any independent reviews by major magazines or Web
sites?
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