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ForumsA lot of technicians have expressed their concerns about whether they should use Google while working on a clients computer. The client called a technician because we are supposed to know something they dont know such how to fix their computer problem. Of course, its almost impossible for a computer technician to know what every single error code means and how to fix it which leads us to our problem; should we use Google in front of a customer?
“In the same way a lawyer occasionally needs to refer to his wall of law books, us computer technicians need to refer to Google to translate some of the lesser known error codes” (You can change this one to mechanics and cars, doctors and medical books etc..)
“I haven’t seen this particular problem before in my X years of doing this job. However, chances are the company that made this hardware/software has seen it before and have created a fix for it. By looking it up, it will save me a lot of time and in turn, save you money.”
“You could have searched for what I just searched for. However, there are a lot of answers on the internet that will come up but don’t apply to this particular situation. As a technician, I know how to sort through this and find the correct information for this particular problem”
“I work with so many models of [insert hardware here], I just want to make sure I don’t get them mixed up”
Of course, if the client called you to their location to install a hard drive and you searched for “How to install a hard drive”. You cannot blame them for being upset. They called you because you are supposed to know how to do the job at hand.
If you can, try and collect error messages and brand names while on the phone with the client so you can Google the error messages before you arrive onsite. Of course, I know this isn’t always possible because what the client says on the phone is often very different to what the problem actually is.
There also comes a point where you shouldn’t take the job in the first place if you don’t know how to do it. I wouldn’t want a plumber in my house that doesn’t know how to replace a pipe. Sometimes you need to swallow your pride and tell the customer you don’t know how to do it. A few times eachyear I am personally asked to perform a specialist job that I have no idea how to do. I usually just say something like “Im sorry, I don’t think I can help you as my business doesn’t specialise in that area.”
So should we use Google in front of a customer? Yes, but only for the more obscure errors.
For me it depends. Mostly I don’t give a damn. I often see them watch as I process the information and weed out the red herrings until I find a good hit with relevant information. Most of my clients are not capable of that, not because they are stupid, but because they just don’t have the knowledge or experience.
Often the information and fix involves editing the registry or changing something that my clients are not comfortable with anyhow and rightly so.
In this day and age I don’t think it is reasonable for anyone to be expected to have intimate knowledge of all aspects or computers, networks, etc. We all develop specialties due to demands, interests and profitability but most of us have a good general overview and enough pieces of the puzzle to follow the clues.
Hell, even my GP and my lawyer aren’t afraid to say, “Gee Jim, I don’t know, I’m going to have to check into that for you,” so why should I be.
I google all the time in front of customers. Not for stupid things but to determine error codes, reference or if I’m unsure just to find people experiencing the same symptoms.
If the customer was able to do this effectively they would have. They hired me because this is what I do.
Majestic
I think it’s okay. The difference between a laymen and a tech isn’t necessarily knowledge they already have but how to find the proper answers and how to convert those into actions. A lot of people just don’t know how to use Google properly with boolean parameters to weed out what they need or they get lost in the list results and look at bogus information. A search engine *is* part of our tool kit. Some of what we do when we use Google is to know what is legit and what is garbage. To carry on the plumber anology, I could easily watch him tighten a pipe and solder the fitting and “say” I could have done that but would I have known what wrenches to use or which type of solder was appropriate? most likely not.
Then once we find the information that maybe they could have found we know how to use that information. If someone doesn’t know what the registry is what good is information on how to clean something out of it? Or worse yet what if they were to just delete chunks of it? Just because a webpage tells you something doesn’t mean it can be properly comprehended by someone without computer skill.
All that said, I also like to teach people when I help them so that they can help themselves. I will often give a little training on how to use google to get results they want and while I don’t encourage them to try to fix it themselves it’s nice if they can communicate what they think the problem is. Also for general google use it’s nice for them to know. The extra training is kind of like a freebie that makes them feel more empowered and they got a little something for free and are more apt to call me next time because they know I want to help them not just take their money.
As long as Google returns 7,000 results for a search, I am not worried about the customer thinking they can just search Google for the solution. When searching for computer problems & solutions, you must have a good working knowledge to find what you are looking for and not cause more harm than good.
About 95% of the time, I take the computer with me for a full maintenance routine which checks everything but requires about 8 hours to perform.
A typical customer isn’t going to know what to do with the google results 95% of the time anyway, and I think most realize that. If someone told me they could have done that themselves, I encourage them to do so, and I’ll ask them what happened when they bring it back the next day. Now if you are going to someone’s home and googling how to install a hard drive or RAM, then you have serious issues and perhaps should not consider yourself a computer tech.
We live in the information age. Plenty of information is freely available to anyone willing to spend some time searching for it. Now, the value is not in the information that you got, but how you use that information. It is impossible for computer technicians to know every possible error a piece of hardware or software makes, so I see no problem using google and reading the forums for those weird things the computers sometimes do.
On the other side… if you don’t know the basic stuff, that’s a different story. Take as reference the A+ certification. If you know most of the stuff needed for the certification, whether you’re certificating yourself or not, then you’re ready to go.
If used correctly google is a valuable resource for a technician. It is a tool, not a crutch and should be used in a manner that adds to your credibility and not take away from it. Spending long periods of time searching while on site will take away from your credibility. You need to become an efficient researcher and master the art of using all the tools in your kit including google. If you get a question or comment from a client then respond professionally and explain why you found it necessary to search for that bit of information that will allow you to efficiently solve their problems and keep them from returning later.
I search google in front of my clients and i constantly ask myself the same question and preety much come up with the same replies here. I have also thought about having google search on my website and the results displayed within my site giving the impression that i’m using my own database to look things up
Knowing how to find information doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to use it. I know where to find maintenance manuals for my car, but you won’t catch me out under the hood of my Nissan any time soon. The fact remains that even though the information is available, it doesn’t mean a customer knows how to apply it. Besides, a tech can discern whether or not that information comes from a reliable source or whether or not the fix can potentially harm a customer’s computer. Upgrading a BIOS is a simple fix and there are countless websites with step-by-step instructions telling users how to do it – but, if you’re not overly familiar with computers you can screw a system up by making the tiniest little mistake. In other words, leave the information gathering up to professionals that have had enough experience with hardware and software to know whether information found on Google is relevant. I’ve had numerous customers in store complaining that they tried some fix listed in a forum and it only made matters worse.
Natash hit the nail on the head. Just because someone is an excellent researcher doesn’t mean they can use that information found to actually solve a problem. There is a reason why there are professional researchers.
I may be charging to use google, but I know what questions to ask it.
ComputerHero has hit the proverbial nail smack dab on the head. Google Fu is only deadly when the right questions (and furthermore, understanding the answers given) are asked.
Adding onto that, even IF the customer asked the right question(s) and received the right answer(s), would they know how to implement those solutions? I’d bet that chances are, they wouldn’t.
I try my best to get the information upfront about the issue the customer is having. Even if they do not give me the correct information it is still worthwhile to ask as much as you can without irritating them (some very non-technical folks get irritated with multiple questions – they just want you to show up and fix it). When I get on-site I have information to work with from the call. If they gave me the wrong information about their hardware, software, error code, etc., I am able to tactfully use this to keep them from getting snippy about methods I may use to diagnose or figure out a solution to a problem. This is a strategy that has worked well for me over the years, even in my days on corporate help desks (the customer says one thing and then when I remote in to their machine I find something totally different).
The bottom line is I would prefer to look like Johnny on the spot and not have to Google refer to any resource but that is not possible. There are people out there with skills way beyond mine but they are usually in engineering. Technicians are technicians; engineers are engineers. There is a difference: engineers would cost a whole lot more and most won’t be bothered with technician type work.
@John
“Technicians are technicians; engineers are engineers. There is a difference: engineers would cost a whole lot more and most won’t be bothered with technician type work.”
It’s true that Network Engineers do cost more, however we are also struggling in this economy and do whatever work we can get these days, just like everyone else. There is also the advantage of having a NE working on your system vs a junior level PC tech since most computers are hooked into the biggest network of all, the Internet. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great PC techs out there (and some lousy NEs), but you get what I am saying in general.
I think google is a great tool and I don’t care how good of a technician you are, your not going to know everything. Why reinvent the wheel??? Either way, I don’t like to use google in front of customers. Google is a technicians tool…enough said. If possible always have a laptop and if possible a 3g card so you don’t have to feel the guilt of using their bandwidth. In the end, if I brought a book of answers is that going to be better? I learn all I can, but I’ll never know it all. With 20 plus operating systems if you know it all you must live in a cave.
Great article, I have wondered this myself. You can’t know everything and G is practically an answer machine.
You still have to know what to ask and then sort through the irrelevant results.
I do this all the time! Nobody has ever asked me why I am searching for the solution on google. There are so many different issues that we face, it would be impossible to fix everything from memory. If it was somthing that was easy for the client to fix, I recommend to them to do a search on google next time and they maybe able to fix it on their own.
By the time I get there, the customer has probably searched for the fix themselves.
May times “the fix” is far more complex than the customer can handle. Changes to the registry, file removal and re-installation and other things that the average person just does not understand.
I guess they could bring it to a shop where the tech could take it “behind the curtain” and fix it….
Why should there even be a question of stigma about using Google as an information resource? Would this question come up if the technician went to Technet or a hardware manufacturers Knowledgebase instead of Google?
Like Ray said, even know we may accumulate an amazing amount of technical knowledge and experience, the field is so vast that it is impossible and unrealistic to expect a technician to know everything about all things all the time off the top of his or her head. Even if I know the answer, I sometimes look it up anyway, just to make sure I’m not missing anything.
On the other hand, if the technician has to look up how to install a memory stick or how to boot to safe mode, perhaps the tech needs to find a different line of work before they give the rest of us a bad name.
Hey! What makes you think they didn’t already Google before they called you in?
I don’t have a problem with my clients watching anything I do. I’ll even explain what I’m doing while I’m doing it if they like. Most times, their eyes glaze over after a few minutes and they say something like “How do know all this stuff.” or “How can you remember all this detail.” before they wander off to get some coffee while their machine is being repaired.
Welcome to our world!
Surely yes, if there is not other option to fix the problem and that is usually situation with error codes. Google is not magician, there is also a knowledge needed to search with it correctly, and time is needed to get experience in that field also.
I think we are missing a very important point here: Many of our clients do not understand and frankly do not care who you are, a tech, NE, etc. they called you up because they need their issue fixed. I gave up an idea of explaining to them that I am a PC technician but don’t understand everything about MS Excel because I don’t deal with it on daily basis and am not an expert in it. Clients see you as a tech and expect you to know everything that has to do with computers.
That being said, a technician needs to keep this in mind and use any tool possible, Google, TechNet, manuals to resolve the problem in shortest way possible.
I personally use Google all the time, but often try to not use it in front of the client as in their mind that downgrades my credibility. I would rather take computer back to the shop and Google as much as I need to rather than spend their time and money searching online.
@Steve
“Many of our clients do not understand and frankly do not care who you are, a tech, NE, etc. they called you up because they need their issue fixed.”
If you are talking about individual/home users, yes, but if you are talking about businesses, that’s a different story entirely. You can’t take one of their PCs home to troubleshoot it, especially if it is say an issue with their intranet, VPN, etc.
In either case, they want the problem fixed. I’ve had to fix some issues that other PCs Techs weren’t able to. (I’m sure others on here have done that as well.) It is also not just a matter of fixing the issue, but fixing it with the best possible solution as well.
Google is great (or god if you will) however everything must be sifted through and understood, both to implement it and to weed out the crap. I have a personal story that illustrates this somewhat. About 4 years ago I found a lump on my testicle, not really on IT, but the epididimus(sp). Well I googled and googled, and everything pointed to a non-issue, and yet I still made that appointment (googling while waiting the few days) because I myself am NOT A UROLOGIST. My life isn’t going to be put in the hands of google. I’m sure doctors need to look things up, as there is no way short of photographic memory they can know everything.
Just like car repair, sure I’ll do some things, but others I may ask a friend who knows a lot more, or take it in… it’s not my specialty. Not only that, even if you do google do you have the tools/equipment to actually use that info? I don’t have a scan gauge, hydrolic lift, lathe, mill, etc to do the “good” stuff. Even if I did, I don’t have the experience to operate that equipment, or even know the terms or operations to radius something.
Google has always been the #1 tool for me over the past 10 years. I even carry a laptop with WiMax (only available in Portland, OR and Atlanta, GA so far) so I can Google when the client’s computer cannot connect to the Internet.
For a while I encouraged my clients to learn how to use Google to fix their simple problems. I quickly found out that they usually don’t want to figure out the problem themselves, that’s why they call me – to do it for them.
I agree with Muncher (Post 3)
What makes me different from the cowboys is I know what I don’t know but most importantly I know where to find it.
It’s like the customer who moans because you only 3 buttons to fix his PC and you want payment.
It’s not about only pressing 3 buttons its about knowing what 3 buttons to press.
I use google in front of my customers some of the say i could have done that, I bite my tongue but inside I’m shouting why didn’t you and how come you called me.
I’ll some them the number of hits it brings, and advise them while they could have done a google search as a technician I know which one of the 300,000 hits is the right one to read and solve their issue, this usually make them shut up.
I have google for answer in front of customers. if Looked up there maker if laptop or PC for answers, Good example is H.P. you can always find a driver or error fix. I have explained to the customers that there so many variants of PC in same line up. you don’t always get the same parts. if you need drivers for a model. then thats were you would get it. Also i looked for errors on google for Computer problems and found soultions. As long you explain to the customer as to why you are googling an answer then. I don’t see it being a problem.
One thing too that should be mentioned here, and maybe it was and I just missed it, but sometimes Google (or more correctly, the info Google finds) is wrong, outdated, partially correct, only applicable in a certain way, etc. I think Nathan H kind of hit on it with knowing which link to click, but to expand on his comments, I’d like to add that it goes further than that, it goes down to knowing how to disseminate the information and compile it into a usable solution based on experience and data gathered.
Often times you don’t just go to one page and get the answer, but rather several pages and then compile it in your head, which order to do things in, which things to do and NOT to do, etc.
Let’s face it, if it was just that easy as using Google, then why call us? The fact is that it isn’t that easy and if someone wants to question me why I am using Google, it’s like any other tool. I think the key is to NOT have to search online for the basic knowledge.
Sure, you will always encounter error codes that you will never have seen before but I definitely will not use google in front of a customer. In most cases, the customer, will not know anything beyond the very basics of what a computer is and therefore will not be able to perceive that there are thousands of error codes, each with their own seaprate problems. So, instead of trying to explain to the customer why you are using Google, I will not use it. Period.
Most people don’t know how to use the advanced search features of Google to narrow down a couple million results to something more manageable (i.e. using quotes to search “exact phrases” and using “-” to take out specific words).
I don’t have a problem using any online tools in front of a client. Google is just one of the ones I use as well as a couple of really good tech websites.
That last line of Votre’s (#21) got a big smile LOL
I could care less about googling in front of a customer. If I’m there to fix their computer, I’m using ALL avenues to get the job done. MOST of the time, I bring their computers home to fix them anyways. But on the rare occasion that it’s something I can fix without having to bring the computer home, and I need google to help me diagnose the problem, I’M USING IT.
I google all the time “IF” I need to. Have never had a customer question me about it and actually try to make it a teaching session. Usually after a couple clicks of what I am looking for they are lost and say glad I called.
I don’t have problem googling obscure stuff. I do, however, have a problem with customers watching over my shoulder. WTH? It’s not like I’m a tire place slashing your tires.