Escalating sensibly.
WHEN TO ASK
You have tried the obvious things The problem involves data you cannot afford to lose The problem is worsening You would be guessing
WHAT TO DO BEFORE ASKING
Back up, if possible Record the exact error Note what changed Note what you have tried
WHAT TO PROVIDE
The exact message, not a paraphrase What you were doing when it happened When it started What is and is not affected
WHY THAT MATTERS
It saves a round of questions and speeds resolution.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Continue trying things that might make it worse Hide what you did before it broke
THAT SECOND POINT
What you did is the most useful information available.
WHO TO ASK
Your hosting provider, for anything on your hosting Your connection provider, for connectivity A technician, for hardware The software vendor, for the software
WHAT TO ESTABLISH
Who is responsible for what, before something breaks.
