If you’ve ever tried to custom-order something from a store––like a piece of jewelry or living room furniture––you know the importance of clear communication. It’s not just about being kind to the salesperson or responding to emails on time, but making sure you gave them all of the information they need to make your final product what you wanted.
A request like, “I want a big, gray couch with a matching chair,” isn’t nearly as helpful to the sales and design teams as: “I want an 88-inch soft leather 3-seat couch, in heather gray, with a matching recliner.”
When you work in technology, being specific and clear right away is a great skill to have––especially when it comes to resolving software or program issues with a support team.
If you’re having trouble with a tool and need help from support, you should give the support desk staff as much information as you can right away. By including the following key details, you can get faster, more direct responses from support because they understand your problem more clearly in less time.
We talked to our Ekklesia 360 support team to learn more about what makes it easier for them to help customers as quickly and efficiently as possible. We hope their insight gives you the inside scoop on building better relationships with your ministry partners:
How to Write a Support Request Email (That Gets A Response Right Away!)
Note: Ultimately, you should always try to interact with a company via support ticket first, if they have one. This is a form submission that might pull a lot of this information before you even begin (like the browser you’re using). It can be a more efficient way to get help with your problem than a support request email sent to a service team that is often missing key information.
Your Request Checklist
If you are writing an email, make sure you’ve done all you can to give a full picture of the problem you’re having before you hit send:
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Include your name, organization, the email address connected to your account with their service, and a link to the asset/page that's not working. (If you don’t use the authorized email address, they may have to take extra steps to verify your account.)
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Explain what's happening, in detail. Use technical words when you can and include screenshots to help illustrate the problem. If you’re saying, “It just doesn’t look right,” they can identify the problem faster if they can see how it doesn’t look right.
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What browser are you using? Let them know if using different browsers changes the situation. (For example, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Internet Explorer. If you know what version you’re using, that’s even better!) A website like Support Details allows you to easily export a PDF of this information, all in one place. Depending on the tool you’re getting help with, a support ticket will automatically pull much of this information for you.
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Mention any changes to your process that could have contributed to the situation. Do you have a new communications director added as a user? Did you change something in the code? What exact date did you first notice the problem?
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To avoid playing phone tag, ask if the support team has an online calendar where you can set up an appointment. Many companies have these, but see ours as an example.
The Golden Rule of Customer Service
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Matthew 7:12
These words are so important to remember when we are frustrated. It’s a simple reminder that the person on the other end of your conversation is first and foremost a human––a living person who is doing the best they can.
We would encourage you to be nice to the support staff you work with -- ours and any other companies you deal with. They’re all nice people--that’s part of why we hired them. If you’re also nice and friendly, it’s just that much easier for everyone to have a good conversation, learn together, and solve problems. They know that by the time you’ve submitted your request, you’ve likely tried everything in your power to fix it yourself. Trust that support teams do care about your issue, and that they are experts on the topic––even if it takes a little while to get the issue resolved.
