Write it down, tech support

A few weeks ago, i received a call that appeared too important to avoid answering. My usual phone was switched off for about a month and i was using another number known to a select few. (I do that to take a break from the constant haunting of the connected world). That usual phone had rang just a couple of minutes after turning it on! When i answered, it was a call from a high office - a really high office in my tribe - Office of the Nnabagereka. Nnabagereka is the official title of the wife of the king, Kabaka, of Buganda.

After the usual pleasantries, a lady who works in that office informed me that they could not connect to the Internet, and asked me to go over and fix it for them. I established that the router was up and running and then guided her through a few check mouse clicks. Her report indicated that her machine just needed credentials to connect!

So, i cleared the phlegm in my coarse throat, and popped the big question in a robotic voice: "Do yo have the small book that came with the Internet thing?".
Positive.
Then i switched back to my normal voice and said: "Okaaay. Check and see what i wrote in there, use it to connect". And she reconnected herself to the cloud in just a couple of minutes.

Being a Christian, i thought the lady must have prayed before calling me, causing me to turn on the phone.

Techs: always write down the basics your clients need to get going. Keep a copy and leave a copy with them. It is not always necessary to drive to your installed base - and it is not always necessary to invoice them for minor support.

~/`~/`.