We’ve all been there before. Vexed by a technical issue, exhausted the Google-fu (skill in using search engines), tried the chatbot, and at wit’s end, we know we have to call for support. And that’s where the fun begins. A better understanding of the process that support organizations go through might make finding the solution less painful.

It starts with levels. Typically there are three, cleverly labeled Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Level 1 is the first level of support, the voice you talk to when you first call in. Level 3 is the highest level of support, reserved for difficult issues that have been vetted by lower levels. Rumor has it that some organizations have a Level 4, but experiences of this level could be akin to a menehune sighting.

Level 1 is usually staffed by, to put it politely, the least experienced technicians. This is why so many support calls can be maddening. But there’s a method to the madness. A good percentage of issues are, in fact, solved at Level 1. And even the most seasoned technical professionals occasionally have their problem solved at this level. This is purely an economic decision; the goal is to solve the most problems with the least expensive resources.

Anyone with the least bit of savvy, who has done their own investigation and research, is often put off by the seeming protracted process of getting through Level 1 support. But attempting to jump-start this process is never a good idea. A good support organization has a flowchart for their Level 1 folks to follow, so if the technician is taking you through a pre-defined set of questions, that’s a good thing.

At Level 1 the best thing to do is be patient and go through the process, even if you feel like you know where it is leading. Could you ask to speak to a supervisor? Why yes, Karen certainly could. But even getting there has a process.

Once you get to the higher levels of support, the flowchart gets kind of fuzzy, and you can freestyle a bit more in your discussion of the issue. For many, this feels like when your problem will actually be solved.

Technicians are often graded by metrics. These grades have a direct effect on their compensation or even continued employment. A couple of common metrics are closing percentage — the number of cases they close versus the number of cases that hit their phone number — and average time to close. So their goal is to close your case and close it fast. Note that escalating to a higher level is usually considered a “close” for the Level 1 tech, so they are incentivized to move you along, but they must work within the process.

If your issue needs further follow-up that cannot be solved on the first call, make sure to get some key pieces of information: the name of the technician, an estimated time of next contact and a case number or some sort of reference, so that if you call back in, they can easily pick up where you left off.

John Agsalud is an IT expert with more than 25 years of information technology experience in Hawaii and around the world. He can be reached at jagsalud@live.com.