If you deal with technology at all, chances are you've had to deal with a technical support specialist at some point, and chances are it's been frustrating.  Here are some tips to help you get the quickest and most thorough responses from your company's technical support specialist.

Before you call Technical Support:

• Reboot your computer.  This is the first thing your IT guy will ask you to do.  It will resolve the majority of errors.  Don't waste your tech's time and your own credibility by making him wait on the phone while you reboot your pc.

• Run your antivirus and antispyware scans.  If you aren't running any antivirus and antispyware programs, you need to install them and run the scans.  There are excellent freeware programs available, so cost is not an issue.  Try AVG Free for your antivirus and Ad-aware for your antispyware.  Support specialists themselves use these programs, they're very good.

• Is the error repeatable?  Repeat the steps you took prior to getting the error to see if you receive the same error.  If you received an error once and never again, there's no point in calling support.

• Document the steps that preceeded getting the error message.  For example, "On Login page, entered user name, pressed tab, and received error message".  If the error happens at seemingly random occasions in different programs, write that down for your tech also.

• Write down the exact error message or take a screen shot of the error.  A screen shot is a copy of the image on your screen.  To take a screen shot, click the Alt key and the Prnt Scrn key on your keyboard.  Go to a blank word processing document such a Word, and click paste.

Most techs do best with email or IM communication, but if you need to call your tech, keep these tips in mind:

• Don't vent to your support rep.  If you need to vent, go puch a pillow.  Technical support is not a complaint department.  Keep in mind that you are talking to a human being who is more likely to respond quickly to a rational explanation of the actual problem than an emotional rant about lost work, personal accusations about his professional competence, or the fact that your ex-husband is negligent in paying his child support.  Your IT guy wants to resolve your situation and get it off his very long task list. 

• If you are calling a large national corporation with a stable of tier one support specialists (hint: they answer the phone using a script) and you aren't getting anywhere, thank the specialist politely and then call back.  Chances are you got a newbie and you'll get someone with some experience the second time your call.