“You’re very welcome.” “No, please, don’t be embarrassed, this is OUR specialty, not yours.” “No, putting your fist through the screen probably won’t help this. Let’s slow down and start at the beginning.” If we were playing the game show Jeopardy, we would win the category with the question: “What are things said to clients by a troubleshooter?” Odds are good, if you have spent any time around technology, of any kind (desktop, laptop, phone, cable modem or router, printer… etc), you have had to reach out for help to fix a problem. That is what troubleshooting is at the most basic level, PROBLEM SOLVING. If you want to be a bit more specific, you can look at Wikipedia but to summarize: troubleshooting typically applies to using logical and known solutions as well as creative possibilities to repair or fix some system in which the end product or step has been disrupted. See, problem solving.
You call for troubleshooting when your IT systems aren’t doing what you want them to do, or, said through gritted teeth - what they are supposed to do, and you CANNOT (no matter how many valiant efforts) figure out why or how to fix the problems. Think of troubleshooting as the magical people you call to receive comforting advice and guidance from kind, non-judgmental voices, (It’s OK. We’ve all had that time that when we THOUGHT everything WAS plugged in…) whose purpose is to quickly get your systems back on track and you back to work. It could be rather like, well, like Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, no one else sees her, but she works in Cinderella’s best interest and makes her look fabulous. Honestly now, don’t we all want someone behind the scenes working to help us and make us look good?
Think about times when you start receiving error messages on your computer screen, your hardware no longer recognizes its network, the company email will simply not seem to work with your corporate cell phone, your computer crashes in the middle of a crucial report, or, no matter what you try, the ONLY printer you can connect with is in the next building – not exactly convenient or great for productivity. Can’t you feel your blood pressure going up just imagining (or remembering…) these scenarios? These are the things that can lead successful, intelligent, savvy, and creative business people to the brink of frustrating breakdowns. These are the times when troubleshooters can really save the day and solve the problems that are within THEIR areas of expertise.
Take a deep breath and consider this, if you had the opportunity to secure the troubleshooting services of experts for your company BEFORE the crisis happens, wouldn’t that be a relief? Obviously, such a relationship would decrease the amount of time your staff expends on problems the experts can readily solve. At Olive Branch IT, we understand perfectly how vital your Information Technology systems are to your business’s success and productivity. Our troubleshooting services provide you and your employees with fast, friendly, (dare we say patient) advice that walks you through solutions until your systems are back up and running. We are here to make sure your IT systems are working for you, NOT giving you more work. Troubleshooting is only one facet of the comprehensive services we offer to companies that give them peace of mind and help them make sure they are getting maximum returns on their Information Technology investments. Call us to schedule a comprehensive evaluation of your current systems and we’ll make recommendations to manage, upgrade, improve, or design your networks to yield the best performance and security. After all, sometimes the most valuable troubleshooting comes BEFORE the problems actually occur!