Tag Archives: technical support

5 questions with Timmy Forson: Business Support Hall-of-Famer

February 12, 2016 007admin Leave a comment

Business support Hall-of-Famer, Timmy Forson

Timothy “Timmy” Forson is one of Avast’s business products finest Support Specialists. He began working at Avast on June 1st, 2015. We sat down to learn more about one of our support Hall-of-Famers. This is 5 questions with Timmy!

1. What is your role at Avast Software?

Senior Support Specialist. Basically I support all our business solution customers, from Endpoint and Server protection to Avast for Business via email, phone, and chat. I work from our Charlotte, North Carolina office.

2. What is your approach to supporting customers?

First, I analyze the customer’s issues one step at a time, this way I can gather a clear and concise picture of the overall problem. Then through a streamlined method of troubleshooting, I can provide a solution for the customer’s issue and communicate that as plainly as possible.

In this, I am not only solving the customer’s issue but also educating the customer about what caused the issue and how it can be further avoided. This way the customer walks away truly feeling how much they mean to us and not just like another number to the company. We want our customers to have a positive experience with support.

3. What is your favorite part of chat support?

Not knowing what will show up in chat next. It is very rewarding taking someone’s bad day and turning it around just like that.

4. A lot of us have been “that customer,” the one that runs to support for something obvious. What is the funniest issue you’ve ever had to resolve? (KEEP IT G-RATED TIMMY )

This would have to be a customer that came into chat one day and needed help downloading the installer file from the console. I asked the customer to click on the blue “add new devices” button. They looked all over that page for the button and could not find it….about 30 seconds later they reply ”…oh…the blinking blue button that says ‘add new devices?” ….Yes….that is it I replied. Everyone has those moments.

5. Traditionally the last question is not work related. I understand you fly stuff. Tell me all about that, then tell me what your favorite plane is and why?

I have been flying since the age of 14 (it runs in the family). I started out in a J-3 Piper Cub and rapidly moved my way up through the Cessna Caravan and also have time in a B-200 King Air and a BeachJet 400.

Currently, I fly search and rescue for the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. We conduct 95% of all homeland search and rescue missions. We operate a beefed-up Cessna 182, and the Gruman GA-8.

Along with flying the big airplanes, I also enjoy designing, building, and flying R/C model aircraft as well. I currently have a collection of 12 airplanes and 4 helicopters. Here’s a video of Timmy flying one of his helicopters in the meeting room at Avast offices in Charlotte.

I would have to say that I have two favorite aircraft; the first one is from WW2 called the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. It was a formidable fighter with a reputation for taking a pounding and bringing its pilots home safe. The other is my favorite fighter of today – the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet. I fell in love with these aircraft the first time I saw them when I was 5 years old at an airshow in Maryland.

Flying is the one thing that I can say without a doubt I am 100% passionate about. I am also a member of the Avast Aviators group on Google Plus. It is an internal group for anyone in Avast that enjoys the splendors of aviation.

Follow Avast on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Google+ where we keep you updated on cybersecurity news every day.

AVG

Getting the care you deserve for your digital life

November 16, 2015 007admin Leave a comment

Being connected and enjoying your digital life these days means dealing with many devices. Computers, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, printers, and don’t forget they all need a reliable Internet connection too!

And despite all that money you spend on your technology, when things go wrong and you spend hours searching for a solution that doesn’t work, it can be very frustrating and lonely.

Having to solve a technical problem quickly when you don’t know the answer can feel a bit like you are the contestant on a live TV game show! The only difference is there’s no 50/50 or “ask the audience” option – instead you’re only left with “phone a friend”.

Then what happens when your friend can’t help? Or if you know that calling your “friend” is going to leave you with more questions than answers, or you’re going to get “that look” they give you; like you’re the dumbest person on the planet.

Instead, let me suggest a new friend, a really smart and non-judgmental friend, who will help you with technical problems on your PC, Mac, tablet, smartphone or game console.

Your new friend is called AVG Go

AVG Go offers remote technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I bet your other friends are never THAT available!

Our dedicated tech experts can help you with:

troubleshooting operating system issues
installing and configuring software
setting-up and configuring your router and Wi-FI to get you online
diagnosing and removing viruses, spyware, & malware.

If you sign up for the AVG Go Total Care Plan, you also get our award-winning protection and performance products for unlimited devices with AVG Ultimate. All of these products are included:

AVG Internet Security for Windows
AVG AntiVirus PRO for Android
AVG AntiVirus for Mac
AVG PC TuneUp for Windows
AVG Cleaner for Mac
AVG Cleaner PRO for Android.

For more information visit AVG Go or, if you’re in the US or Canada, call 1-844-234-6038* now for your FREE consultation.

*AVG Go is currently available in the US and Canada and we hope to bring you more locations in the future.

Avast

Support for older Avast versions will end

May 6, 2015 007admin Leave a comment

At the end of this month, Avast will end support for our older consumer versions of Avast Antivirus. Those are: Avast Free Antivirus, Avast Pro Antivirus, Avast Internet Security, and Avast Premier.

Update to Avast 2015 for maximum protection.

A good antivirus program is a necessity to protect your Windows PC from malware attacks, to keep your computer running smoothly, and to protect your online identity and personal data. Over the past 3 years, Avast engineers have improved our database of known virus definitions, the mechanism in which zero- day and widespread malware are detected, and the frequency of streaming updates sent to our customers. Avast 2015, with its unique Home Network Security feature which scans your home network for potential risks, is our best performing security product yet.

After May 31st, 2015, Avast will no longer provide security patches or technical support for versions 8.0.1497 and lower. Security updates patch vulnerabilities that could be exploited by malware, endangering your machine and the data on it. Please update to the latest version so you can receive regular security updates and benefit from the enhanced features and higher detection rates that protect your computer from malicious attacks. This update is also recommended because the latest version is compatible with Windows 10.

If you are running an older version of Avast, you can easily move to the latest version of Avast 2015.

How to check for the latest version and do a program update

If you need to update later, here’s a quick way to do it.

Right click on the orange Avast ball icon in the system tray.
Select Update from the menu and then click Program.

The update screen in the Avast user interface shows you the overall progress of the program update. When it’s done you will be asked to restart your computer. Click Yes to reboot immediately. Once the computer is restarted, information about the update may appear. If you are using a paid subscription, then your protection will be valid for the remaining period of your subscription.

Why to upgrade

Better detection rates
Easier technical support
We fixed bugs and problems that still might exist on your current version
Receive further program updates to ensure best protection

Avast 2015 has better detection rates than older versions. Update as soon as possible for maximum antivirus protection.

If you prefer an older version of Avast and require technical support, you will be asked to update first before we can assist you. There will be no patches issued and technical support will end on May 31st, 2015.

007 Software