When to stop, and how to ask well

The three points at which the answer is always to fetch somebody, and how to arrive with an hour of the job already done.

Knowing when to stop is part of the method. Twenty minutes is a fair limit, and there are three points at which the answer is always to fetch somebody: when a step involves paying, when it involves deleting something you cannot replace, and when the words factory reset appear.

For a person rather than a page: many public libraries run free technology-help sessions, senior centers often run them too, and the store that sold you the device will usually look at it across the counter.

Key points

Stop at twenty minutes, or at anything involving payment or a reset
Arrive with the five facts written down, and save most of the call
Name three places a real person will help you, free

What to remember

Make and age, what happens, the exact words, when it last worked, what you have tried. Written down first, every time.
When something goes wrong with a device, what usually happens?

Try this

Write the five facts on a card and put it wherever you keep the telephone: what it is, what happens, the exact words, when it last worked, what you tried. Next time, you fill it in instead of thinking of it.

Practice: When to stop, and how to ask well. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.