How To Write A Good Help Desk Request

By Ross Madden
Published on March 19, 2012 1:04 pm MT
Updated on March 7, 2016 12:51 pm MT
Posted in Knowledge Base

Please use a short and informative subject line that briefly describes your question or problem.

Bad: “HAVE COMPUTER PROBLEM!! NEED HELP NOW!!!”
Good: “Computer won’t boot – restarts automatically”

Bad: “Can’t print!”
Good: “Error message when trying to print to MRB216BW-1-N from Photoshop.”

Describe your question or problem with as much detail as you can. A vague request will simply be answered by a bunch of questions you’ll have to answer anyway. You’ll get a faster response if you provide this information in your initial request.

When writing your request answer these questions where appropriate:

What were you trying to do?
What happened instead?
If there was an error message, what did it say?
Where is the computer/device located?
What computer/Device is this happening on? PC or Mac? Personal or departmental computer/device?
What software program are you using? If you know the version number please provide it.

Please don’t assume we know what you’re talking about. Be descriptive.