Tip 6 in the continuing saga of Tips to providing Technical Support

We are at tip number 6 in the continuing saga of Woody's ramblings (Sounds much nicer than Woody's Rants)

Recreate the problem.

Which states: Can you recreate the problem? Is it confined to this workstation? This Software? This file? This server? This user? Ask the user to recreate the problem. Watch the user, remember #4.

If you 'think' you know the cause of the problem, can you recreate it? (Be VERY careful when recreating this, remember tip 1 - do no harm. You do not want to cause even more damage to a production system.)

For example, a user does not know where some data went. Examining the SQL logs (or the user's screen) you see a delete query with no 'where' clause. . . (Or, and I have done this one, the query was highlighted except for the 'where' clause.) In these cases, you quickly learn the need for valid backups.

Frequently, if you know how to re-create the problem:

1 - you may be able to establish processes to prevent the recurrence

and of greater importance

2 - you are one step closer to resolving the issue.

This brings me to the anecdote about an AT&T executive being interviewed.

Interviewer: How did you get promoted to this position?

Executive: Two Words - Good Decisions.

Interviewer: How did you know how to make those good decisions?

Executive: One word - Experience

Interviewer: How did you gain the necessary experience?

Executive: Two Words - Bad Decisions

You should note, he never specified that HE made those bad decisions. Hopefully we can learn by seeing the decisions made by others.