Asking the question “Have you read your manual?”
Perhaps one of the most important and yet least asked questions that a tech support person can ask, at least in my experience.
All too often this simple question seems to come across as either condescending or patronizing and the recipient often responds negatively. And that is a shame, because in reality it should be a simple first step in troubleshooting a problem and it absolutely shouldn’t be perceived as a slight or insult.
For example, you wouldn’t try to drive a car without some level of instruction or familiarization would you? And when you go to a driving school, don’t they ask you if you have any experience with driving off road, with motorcycles, etc.? They are just trying to gauge your level of familiarization before proceeding with instruction (or answering your question).
Asking if you have read the manual is our way of understanding just how familiar (or unfamiliar) you may be with the item or subject at hand so we can cater our approach to your specific needs.
That said…there are some technical support, customer service people out there who actually may be patronizing or condescending to you, in which case yes, they deserve to be told what you think.
But most of us really are just trying to help…
And if you haven’t read your manual(s), maybe before the call try and locate it so we can help point you to the resources right at your finger tips.
If you don’t have a manual, that is fine, just let us know and we’ll help you through your problem. (Then we’ll get you a copy.)
If you are a TMI Customer and would like a copy of your manual, please contact us.