Requesting Support

Helpful information when requesting support:

• • To request support, please send me an email. With the volume of requests I receive, combined with the ongoing projects I regularly work on, and other, non-IT responsibilities, unless I have something in writing in my inbox, I'll likely forget about it. Therefore:

    • If I'm walking in the halls or working with someone else, chances are that I won't remember your request. Of course, if you just have a quick question, you're welcome to ask me, but if it requires any follow-up on my part, you should still send me an email to make sure I get back to you.

    • You're welcome to stop in to my office. I always have a sign on my door indicating my availability. If my door is open, I am in my office or very close by; when I leave my office, I always close and lock my door. As with phone calls or hallway conversations, if you stop in my office to request support, please send me a follow-up email to remind me of your request.

    • Leaving me a voicemail message won't guarantee that your support request gets on my list. Voicemail messages are soon forgotten after my phone's message indicator light turns off - please use email.

  • When requesting support:

    • Please just tell me the symptoms of the trouble you're having, rather than suggesting the root of the problem or its solution. For instance, rather than saying "The Internet is down" it would be more accurate (and helpful) to say "When I start Internet Explorer it says 'The web page cannot be displayed.'" It is often the case that the solution to the problem is not what it at first appears to be. Troubleshooting is a process of elimination - jumping to conclusions or skipping parts of the process is counter-productive, and may distract from the actual solution.

    • If you encounter any error messages, please write them down verbatim. I cannot troubleshoot adequately if I don't know the details of the error - a rough summary from memory is not enough, and may actually complicate and delay the troubleshooting process.

    • Please provide as much detail about your symptoms as possible. The following list demonstrates what I'm talking about: