Ask the Techie: Getting IT support

There are many things you can do on your own with your computer and home network, but sometimes you need to call in some help. Where do you start?

One good place to start is to ask your work's IT department for recommendations. It isn't their responsibility to support personal computers of staff, but they have more experience in working with outside vendors or can give you a few tips. If you use your computer to telecommute, they may have specific requirements regarding software and your particular setup. Be patient and respect their workload and a little thanks for their help goes a long way.

Ask your friends and neighbors who they have used and whether or not they were satisfied with the help they received. Like choosing a mechanic or a hair stylist, there is no perfect way to find a provider of professional services, but the opinions of their customers matter and it is better to choose someone based on positive recommendations.

Some basic questions to ask are:

1) Do you do service in-home, on-site or off-site? In-home is the fastest of course and with no danger of damaging in transit. In-home also should be the choice for working with network set-ups and connections between devices. Off-site can mean issues with shipping and risk of damage. Be sure to get guarantees as to timely return and protection against damage in transit.

2) Are your technicians certified to work with the systems they repair? Do they have the basic CompTIA A+ certification?

3) Do you offer guarantees on your repairs?

4) What protections do you have in place for my private information?

Most people are familiar with the national chains' repair services
such as Geek Squad from Best Buy and Easy Tech from Staples. There are also nationwide franchises such as Geeks on Call .The advantage of choosing them is the same as with any national chain--you have some guarantee of consistency across the chain. Just as McDonald's doesn't always have the best burger, you at least know what to expect.

Better prices and sometimes better service could be found from many regional and local service providers (in Woodbridge, Dumfries, and southern Fairfax County). These are often found through personal recommendations but here are a few local resources. I don't vouch for their services, but provide them here to save you some research time. If you have any experience with any of these service providers or to recommend another, please comment.

• Dove Computer Services
• Golden Tech, Inc
• CN Computer & CCTV
• The Computer Doctor (small business support)
• XPress Computer Services
• Geeks and Wireless
• Computer Savers
• Capable Computers