"Try This First" Lists

by Mary Beth Guard

Back in my old bankers association days in the mid-90s when we were trying to get bankers on the 'Net, we even fielded tech support questions. In those "bad old days" of the Internet, users on dial-up connections would sometimes get disconnected, then find themselves unable to log back in. Or they'd experience frustration from viewing an old version of a Web page. We found that many times the users could cure their own problems, if they only knew what to do. We also realized that we could cut our phone calls by at least 50% if we could successfully communicate what they should try.

We made lists of the items we most commonly got calls about. After we had identified what the common problems were, it was clear there were some easy fixes for many of them. We developed a troubleshooting guide that listed each problem, along with a "Try This First" list for each one. We furnished a copy to each new user and stressed that when they had a problem, they should look to see if it was one featured on the list and see if any of the "Try This First" steps cured it.

Do your users know how to clear their cache, delete their temp files, defrag their hard drives, check for free space on their C drive? Do they know that if they encounter problems reaching a particular site on the Internet, they should try going to other sites to see if the problem is with the site they're trying to reach, the Internet in general, or their own connection in particular? Do they realize they should check the page with a different browser if it doesn't load correctly in the one they're using?

Users who can troubleshoot for themselves free up your time and feel more empowered. Give them the informational tools they need to help themselves. You'll be glad you did.

First published on BankersOnline.com on 8/27/01