Tech Support

Tech Support is a range of services providing assistance with computer hardware, software, or other electronic or mechanical goods. In general, tech support services attempt to help the user solve specific problems with a product -- rather than providing training, customization, or other Tech support is essential for any organizations who utilize technology as part of their regular business practices.

Most companies which sell hardware or software offer tech support over the telephone or via various online media such as email or a Web site. Companies and institutions frequently also have internal tech support for employees, students, or other associates. There are also many freely available tech support forums on the Internet, wherein experienced users volunteer to help novices.


Types of Tech support
Tech support can happen through various media, including e-mail, live chat, telephones, applications, faxes and technicians, although the most common is the telephone. Often Tech  support takes the forms of support for a particular range of products or services, the support remit. Support remits have several purposes, including legal liability, training, and availability. An Internet tech support contractor has a limited number of Erlang units (for instance, Customer Support Advisors) available at any one time, and so needs to satisfy a certain rate of customers.
If it supports and assists on products not relating to the support remit then the customer throughput will be lower than if it only supports certain issues. Training is also a factor, built around the proverb that a jack of all trades is a master of none - a limited support remit limits the amount of training required for the support officer or CSA and allows for greater customer confidence - the definition of a support remit prevents the support officer or CSA from being humiliated by being asked about matters about which he or she knows little or nothing. A support remit also protects from liability lawsuits - incorrect advice on, say, Internet Explorer configuration may cause only limited damage, but incorrect advice on a Power Supply Unit may lead to serious injury or fire.


Proliferation With the introduction of the internet and especially DSL products into the mass market, tech support as a segment of the service industry has exploded in recent years, augmented by the formation of dedicated companies and outsourcing. In recent years, large numbers of call centers have been established to provide telephone tech support, clusters of centers often being opened in former industrial cities such as Sheffield, Middles rough, Newcastle and Mumbai.

There are also a growing number of online community-supported tech support bulletin boards. In tandem with the growth of tech support is the growth of tech support jobs, seen as McJobs by many of their holders. Tech support workers have a stereotyped reputation as being somewhat recalcitrant and self-satisfied; similarly, customers of tech support have a stereotype of being stupid and arrogant

Coverage of Tech support Tech support varies depending on the range of possibilities. Some things that are not supported in lower levels of support can be supported with higher service levels: for instance, only direct questions can feasibly be addressed through SMS or fax; basic software problems can be addressed over the telephone; while hardware problems often need to be dealt with in person.


Cost of tech support The cost of tech support can vary. Some companies offer limited free support when their hardware or software is purchased; others charge by premium-rate telephone calls. (See ICSTIS. Some are
free by using forums, live chat, or email. Others offer support contracts.