Offices these days depend on technology to get the job done. We use the internet for email, for downloads, for uploads, for file sharing, for everything it seems. So when things go wrong it can be incredibly frustrating.
We've all experienced printers not printing, the internet connection crashing, computers freezing, and it can make a tough day suddenly get tougher. But what to do when it feels like your office has suddenly stopped functioning?
You may feel like picking up the computer and doing something fairly violent with it, but it's probably best to take a few moments out and re-think the options.
Firstly, connections do crash sometimes, and there's not much we can do to stop it from happening. There are countless technical reasons for the internet to go wrong, it's an incredibly complex system, but hitches are generally only temporary.
The only way to solve a problem is to find out what the problem is. Because someone stops getting emails or a page doesn't download doesn't mean the "internet has stopped working" and it must be the internet connection. You can spend hours on the phone checking with ISPs' waiting for them to do checks when it could be a simple IP conflict. The important thing is to stay calm and be logical.
In the meantime, if you need to get a document sent over to an important client or you're on critical deadlines and your staff can't do their work, what's the answer?
It's easy to forget all the other forms of communication out there, but perhaps it's possible to transfer your work to a memory stick or other mobile device and courier it over to the client or destination, or could you fax it over, or even discuss it verbally over the phone? It sounds so obvious, but it's incredible how easily we forget such things! Many of us have become so reliant on technology now, it can feel like all work comes to a standstill without it. The reality is of course different -- there are alternatives you can use to help you temporarily and we'll certainly do our best to assist you.
Three deep breaths is always a good start before picking up the phone!
