What you need to know when calling for Technical Support
Should you ever require the services of Nautel technical support, there are a few things you can do to speed up your service call.
At Nautel we have a dozen front line personnel handling hundreds of calls a week, from pre-sales support, to installation questions, to general information requests, to service calls ranging in severity from, “what does this button do?” to “my transmitter is off the air”. So anything we can do to speed up the process helps us as much as it helps you.
With that in mind, here’s what you need to know when calling customer service for technical support in case of a transmitter problem:
- We need to be able to identify your transmitter system – not just the type of transmitter, but model number and serial number. Over the years, design changes occur and serial number 101 may not be configured exactly the same as serial number 450. The transmitter model number and serial number allows us to quickly identify a customer reference in our database. Multiple systems may have been provided on a single contract and installed at many different locations. Some may have been re-located at some point in time. Knowing the transmitter model number and serial number lets us be sure we have correctly identified your system and gives us fast access to information on your specific system.
- If possible it is best to be at the transmitter site when calling for support. Even if you know the serial number, our support personnel will also need to know what lights are red (active alarms) and what the meters are reading. If you have equipment with IP accessibility, then “at the transmitter site” could be translated to “near a computer that’s connected to the equipment, whether directly or over a network connection.”
- Our support personnel are very good at identifying the priority of your call but, if your system is off the air, please be sure to let them know. Knowing the specific equipment and the nature of the call (off-air vs. “how do I configure the low power alarm threshold”) allows them to direct the call to the technical staff best qualified to assist.
- While our support personnel are trained on a wide variety of our products, different techs will have different levels of hands-on experience with certain types of equipment, especially if it has been out of production for many years. We will do our very best to put you in touch with the support person who can best handle your particular situation. In an off-air event you may be connected with the first available person, regardless of equipment familiarity, so we can begin to diagnose your problem and get you back on air as soon as possible.
- We provide 24/7 technical support. After regular office hours, our support personnel do not always have access to as many of the resources they have in the office, so the more information you can provide (especially relating to the transmitter model number and serial number, so that they can properly identify your equipment), the faster they will be able to begin assisting you with your situation.
- We provide several ways for you to get in touch with technical support; by telephone at 1-902-823-5100 (International) or 1-877-628-8353 (North America) or +33 2 98 52 16 02 (Kenta France), via email to [email protected], and online support request form.
Note that email requests are usually handled within a day or two and are recommended for any non-critical requests. They also provide a written set of notes that can be referred to at the transmitter site. Phone support is available 24/7 but, during peak hours, there might be a short delay in returning your call – again, we prioritize, so emergencies will be handled before routine inquiries.