CompTIA A_ Certification All-In-One Exam Guide, Seventh Edition - Michael Meyers [19]
If you or your company makes an appointment for you, show up. Be there. Don’t let simple problems (such as bad traffic) prevent you from showing up on time. Take some time to prepare. Figure out traffic times. Figure out if preceding appointments will cause a problem, and check for traffic. There is a popular old saying in the United States, “Five minutes early is on time, and on time is late.” Sometimes events take place that prevent you from being on time. When that happens, call the customer as soon as you know and give them your best estimate of when you can be there. A simple apology wouldn’t hurt, either.
Responsibility is a tricky subject for IT folks. Certainly you should be responsible for your actions, but the stakes are high when critical data and expensive equipment is at risk. Before you work on a computer, always ask if there are backups. If there aren’t, offer to make backups for the customer, even if this incurs an extra charge for the customer. If they choose not to make a backup, make sure the customer understands, very clearly, the risk to the data on the system you are about to repair.
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NOTE Most PC repair companies require a signed Authorization of Work or Work Authorization form to document the company name, billing information, date, scope of work, and that sort of thing. Even if you do your own repairs, these forms can save you from angst and from litigation. You can create your own or do an Internet search for examples.
Adaptability/Versatility
Adaptability defines how someone adjusts to changes. Versatility, at least within the scope of an IT technician, is bringing a broad set of skills to the PC repair process. Every PC repair is to some degree a guessing game. No one knows all the possible problems that can go wrong with a computer. There is no universal PC repair manual to which you can refer to tell you how to fix computers. Good techs must be able to adapt to any situation, both technically and in the environment. For example, good techs should be able to fix most peripherals, even if they are not experts on that particular device. As you progress through the book, you’ll discover that most devices fit into one family or another and that there are certain diagnostic/repair steps that you can at least try to enact a repair.
Adaptability isn’t just for technical issues. PCs find themselves broken in the strangest places and ways. An adaptable tech doesn’t have a problem if a computer sits at the top of a suspension bridge or behind a desk. An adaptable tech can work around mean dogs, broken water lines, and noisy little kids. (But there are some very important rules to dealing with kids. See later in this chapter.)
A technician has to be versatile. The best example of this is what I call the User Advocate. User Advocates are technicians who take the time to learn the processes of whatever organization they work for and look to create technology solutions for problems and inefficiencies. This also means a tech should be at least competent if not expert at all the computer applications used by the organization. When you combine your IT skills with an understanding of how the business works, you become amazingly versatile, quickly finding yourself with more responsibility and (hopefully) more money.
A big part of versatility is offering different repair options in certain situations. When there is more than one way to fix things, make sure the customer knows all the options, but also give them your recommendation. Tell them why you feel your recommendation is the best course of action, but give them knowledge necessary to make their own decision.
A tech’s versatility isn’t limited to IT skills. Woe to the tech who doesn