Teach Them to Fish
Johann Stoessel, MCP
HDI Member Adivsory Board Chair

Troubleshooting
“. . . the process of replacing probability with certainty.”
Robert F. Mager
Troubleshooting the Troubleshooting Course

Troubleshooting starts with 5 Key Questions
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Who
What
When
Where
How

“The quality of the question determines the quality of the answer.”
Kim Hankins, The Bergerac Company

Troubleshooting – Who?
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Identify the customer
Is the customer an intermediary
One or many experiencing the symptom
Technically savvy customer

Troubleshooting – What?
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Record the details
Get specific
◦ What version of what program
◦ Machine type, operating system
◦ What function is the customer trying to perform

Troubleshooting – What?
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What is or isn’t happening
◦ How long does it take
What is on the screen
◦ Is there an error message
Can the customer perform similar tasks in other programs

Troubleshooting – What?
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“It’s not working . . .” vs
“How do I . . .” questions
What is the question behind the question

Torubleshooting – When?
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When did it start
When does it happen
Is there a pattern to its occurrence
What changed
◦ New or different computer
◦ New software installed
◦ Changes to customer job function
◦ Changes to customer network

Troubleshooting – Where?
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“Any machine no matter who’s logged on.”
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“Only my machine no matter who’s logged on.”
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“On any machine but only when I log on.”
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“Only my machine and only when I’m logged on.”
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“Everyone on the east side of the third floor.”

Troubleshooting – How?
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Can the customer make it happen again
◦ Reproducible vs. Intermittent incidents
Document the steps to recreate the incident
◦ Is the customer following proper procedure
Can you reproduce the incident in the support center

Sometimes it is not what you ask but how you ask it
Avoid defensiveness
◦ Don’t rush it
◦ Open vs Closed questions
◦ Avoid “you” and “why”
◦ Is an apology in order to keep the information coming

Develop Problem Statement
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State the incident description as you understand it
Does customer agree the description is accurate
Does customer add new, relevant or clarifying details
Restate to confirm

Prioritize the Incident
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Determine impact and severity
◦ Does it affect one customer or many
◦ Is a high-value transaction at stake
◦ Is a high-value account at stake
How does it compare with other open incidents or problems

Establish 5 Key Questions with your Team
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Teach
Prove
Whiteboard
Adapt

Case Study
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Who?
What?
When?
Where?
How?
Restate
Prioritize