Support Request Tips

There is a fine art to sending a good request for support. Sending a good support request not only makes life easier for the recipient. The more pertinent information you provide, the more likely you'll actually have your problem resolved in a timely fashion. These tips pertain to not only to the SpamButcher email spam filter, but just about any other application offering support via email.

First, include a subject line descriptive of your problem.

"It stopped working" and "I need help" are examples of a bad subject lines.

"Unable to restore messages" is an example of a good subject.

Be sure to include details of the problem you're experiencing in the message body. I cringe every time I see an email where the entire body is composed of a line such as, "Your program stopped working for me, and now I need some support."

What are they expecting? I'm half-tempted to respond with a message like, "Yes, I can give you support. Do you have an address for me to send the support to?"

In less sever cases, users explain the general problem, but fail to include obvious details.

For instance, if you get an error message after trying to recover a message, be sure to include the content of that error message. Saying, "I try to recover messages, but I get an error" isn't nearly as useful as, "I get an error saying 'invalid user name or password' when I try to recover a message."

Sending screen shots of the problem has its pros and cons. On one hand, they clearly demonstrate exactly what's going on. On the other, attached images make it more likely for the message to be blocked by spam busters. Often, the best course of action is to specifically describe the exact circumstances of the problem you are experiencing.

If the problem is urgent or causing significant frustration, state this fact in the email. Support requests are often scanned briefly upon receipt, and then prioritized. Polite emails expressing a genuine need for quick resolution often do get moved to the front of the line.

Conversely, messages containing "YELLING" or using otherwise abrasive language are more likely to get laughed at and given a lower priority - even if the problem is legitimate.

Many applications now offer support only via email. Try to be understanding of this if you are not offered a voice support number when you request one. With relatively small-volume applications costing under $100, offering phone support can be prohibitively expensive.

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