Remote help from Zane
Sometimes I can fix things without driving over. This page explains exactly how that works — and, just as importantly, how to be certain it is really me.
Only use this page if you called me
If someone called you and told you to come to this page, that person is not me.
Hang up. Then call me yourself on (614) 526-8883.
First, ask me for our code word
We choose a code word together, in person, at your first visit. I write it on the card I leave by your phone.
If the person on the phone cannot tell you our code word, it is not me. Hang up.
A stranger can fake my phone number on your screen, and these days a stranger can fake my voice. Nobody can fake a word the two of us agreed on in your kitchen.
On a computer
Windows or Mac. We will be on the phone together the whole time.
Not quite ready yet
I am still setting up the software for this, so there is nothing on this page to press at the moment.
Call me and we will do it together another way — usually a video call where you point your phone at the screen, which works for anything at all, including a television or a printer.
When it is ready, this page will show you three short steps, and I will talk you through every one of them on the phone. You will never have to work anything out on your own.
And whenever we do this: if anything on your screen looks different from what I have described, stop and tell me. That is not a nuisance — it is exactly what I want you to do.
On an iPhone or iPad
Nothing to download at all. We start a FaceTime call, I ask to see your screen, and your phone asks your permission. You tap Share.
Apple only allows this if I am already saved in your contacts, which is why I add my card to your phone when I visit. You can stop the sharing at any time, and Apple will not let me touch payments or your passwords.
On an Android phone or tablet
I can watch your screen while you hold the phone, and tell you what to press. I cannot take over. Your phone shows a marker at the top of the screen the whole time it is sharing, and stops sharing on its own when you lock it.
Anything else — a TV, a printer, a router
We do a plain video call and you point the camera at it. This is often the fastest way, and it lets me see the cables, which is where the problem frequently turns out to be.
Most of the time I only watch.
I watch your screen and tell you what to press, so you stay in control and you learn where things are. I take the mouse only if you ask me to.
What I will never do
The full list is on the promises page, and it is printed on the card I leave with you. The short version:
- I will never call you first.
- I will never tell you your computer has a virus.
- I will never ask you for a password.
- I will never ask you to buy gift cards.
Questions about any of this? Call me: (614) 526-8883