Let’s say you are just concerned about your security and only have personal computer(s) and a smartphone:
- The technician you’re looking be more approachable and social – go to the sites mentioned earlier, search for “computer help”, email and interview a few people and find the one you get along with most. Tell this person you’re going to find him / her someone to work with via the same site, just on general principal. They may have recommendations, see how it goes.
- Go to the sites above, find another one. Of the two, pick one to be primary.
- Sit down with the primary, let them do the work and help you out.
- When it’s all over, do it again with the secondary. Show them what the other person did and what they said you should do, see if they agree. If they’re really hesitant, have them call the primary and work it out with you there (personally or on the phone line). The primary should expect this call.
- If this gets uncomfortable, stick with Occam’s Razor / KISS principal – take the easiest solution, it’s almost always right.
- In the above exchange you’ll get an immediate idea of who’s defensive, who’s professional, who’s knowledgeable and who’s covering their ass – keep the good one, ditch the bad one.
Over time you’ll probably come to trust one tech more than the other – this is great, keep that person as primary but you still need a secondary on deck if your primary takes a vacation or for a bi-annual check-in.
How to find a provider
Interview questions and conversation starters
Scenario – professional website