CompTIA A+ Remote Technician Quiz #44

[ramesh]

You work as a help desk technician at Earthfarm. You receive a call from a client that is having problems connecting their laptop to the company's network because he is unable to locate an Ethernet port on his laptop. The client provides you with the computer's asset tag. Earthfarm uses asset tags to identify an individual computer's hardware. You discover that the client's network card is an older type that uses a dongle. How should you approach this troubleshooting situation? Choose the best option(s) from those listed below.

a) Ask the client where the dongle is for his PCMCIA network card.
b) Ask the client where the RJ-45 cable connector is for his laptop's network card.
c) Ask the client where the network cable connector is that hooks to his PCMCIA network.
d) Ask the client where the network cable connector is that hooks to his laptop's network card.

[ramesh]

When you are assisting a customer or client with a technical problem, you should refrain from using technical terms. These include acronyms, abbreviations and technical jargon. Each profession has its own terminology that people outside of the profession may not understand. In this case, it is best to simply ask the client about the cable connector that hooks up to his network card, instead of using the technical terminology. That is easier to understand, and this will help to ensure that the client understands what you are asking him.

Correct Option(s):

d) Ask the client where the network cable connector is that hooks to his laptop's network card.

Incorrect Option(s):

a) Ask the client where the dongle is for his PCMCIA network card. - The term dongle and the acronym PCMICA would be considered jargon, as they are technical terms. These should not be used in a conversation with someone who is not familiar with technology.
b) Ask the client where the RJ-45 cable connector is for his laptop's network card. - The abbreviation RJ-45 refers to a specific connector. A client may not know what this item is, so it would be safer to refer to it as a network cable connector.
c) Ask the client where the network cable connector is that hooks to his PCMCIA network. - The acronym PCMCIA is a technical computer term. You should refrain from using this type of terminology in a conversation with a client.

[Skele Drew]

Sometimes you gotta impress customers with your knowledge though, esp. potentials. Just make sure you explain to them when they look confused...

[Ropy]

Sometimes you gotta impress customers with your knowledge though, esp. potentials. Just make sure you explain to them when they look confused...

Why? The only thing that it does is show that you cannot communitate properly with less IT savvy people.