Here's how you can tackle the most common technical issues as an entry-level technical support professional.

This is widely gonna depend on the company you work for. And if this is a common issue the company SHOULD have a troubleshooting guide or knowledge base article to reference for guidance for the new tech. If one isn't created this is a great opportunity to get one created and will be immensely helpful to the company/org and help standardize the process to lead to easier and more effective resolutions.

If you're dealing with a wired connection then confirming all points in the connection are accurate and connected properly would be the first step. If labeling isn't present then you might have to hand trace (fiber) or use a toner/probe (copper) to confirm it's going where it's suppose to be going. If you're dealing with fiber and every connection point seems accurate then you should move to cleaning the fiber. If it is copper then using a cable tester to ensure the copper cable is still functioning correctly would be the next step. If all the physical stuff is good and the connection is still having issues then you're gonna have to start to dive into the settings of both devices on either end of the connection.

This is always a tricky one. Not only do you have to simplify everything you say but you also need to get them interested in understand how to not create the problem again (if it was something they accidently did) or how to navigate the resolution steps on there own again if it is likely to happen again at no fault of their own. Often teaching some basic troubleshooting steps is useful though: -Reboot (save important docs) -Unplug connection and plug it back in -Make sure device is up to date But ultimately, we do need to understand and except that some users just aren't going to care about learning all of this and plan on using tech support every time. So we need to make sure we come at these simple problems with a welcoming attitude.

Encourage users to report errors promptly and keep their systems updated. Teaching basic troubleshooting steps, like rebooting or checking connections, empowers them to solve simple problems independently. This proactive approach reduces support tickets and boosts user satisfaction and confidence. Sharing knowledge makes everyone’s tech experience smoother.

No one knows everything! You will have moments that you badly need technical/non-technical advice. It will be lifesaving for you to discover whom to go when you need. It can be someone in the team who is more experienced from technical perspective or one of your colleagues that can help you get the data you need from the customer or your managers to handle escalations… Do not try to handle all the stuff yourself. The team is for days like this. Don’t be shy! Again, one exception here: Never ever tell your customers that you don’t know something. You represent your company in front of the customer so if you tell such a thing; the customer may think that your company is not familiar with their own product.