Have you ever been in the middle of something important when your whole computer shuts down for no reason? Of course you have. We have all experienced computers freezing or the screen going blank. When these things happen, we must call in the IT professionals at our job to help and this can sometimes cause anxiety.

It’s not always easy to communicate with your IT department staff. They are specialists in their field and it’s easy to feel ignorant in the face of people with such knowledge. Particularly when the solution to your problem is “Turn it off, wait a few minutes, and turn it back on again.” It can also seem like they are speaking a different language altogether.

There are some actions you can take to make this relationship a little easier. The tips below will not only make communication go more smoothly, they will also get your problem solved faster.

No Reason to be Intimidated

Do not be intimidated by their considerable knowledge. This does not help communication. If you are not confident, it will be harder to explain the problem even if you know the appropriate terminology. Also, keep in mind that while they are the experts in their field, you are an expert in yours as well.

Screenshots

Screenshots are a blessing for IT professionals. Take screenshots of what is happening. This includes any error messages you receive, or everything that pops up that is out of the ordinary. If you cannot take screenshots, try to duplicate the problem for them when they get to your desk. Let them watch the actions you take that cause the issue. The more information you can provide them with the better.

A Written Report

Your IT department needs complete information to do their job well. Recording your experiences when something breaks, i.e. what your computer did, what error messages you got, what programs you were using when the event happened, will help your IT department enormously.

Communicating with your IT department doesn’t have to be a daunting or irritating experience. Just follow these simple rules, and you’ll be computing at full strength in no time.