Problem solving tips for helpdesk personnel
| Home | 1. Symptoms | 2. Examine the evidence | 3. Confirm everything | 4. Research | 5. Postulate |
| 6. Identify the problem | 7. Provide a solution | 8. Confirm the solution | 9. Communicate & record | Useful links | |
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Identify the Problem
You know what the symptoms are, you have confirmed everything with the user, had one or more ideas as to the problem and now you have narrowed it down to just one. You must double-check that this you have identified it correctly. There is no point in telling your user to buy a new monitor if all they have to do is wait for the power failure to be restored!
In the ideal world you will be able to devise one test that identifies the problem without doubt.
Of course, in the real world, all you can do is take your best guess, try your solution and hope. The mark of a good support person is how accurate that "guess" is. If you have followed the steps so far, gathered enough evidence, confirmed everything with the user and eliminated other possibilities logically, then your "guess" should be pretty accurate.