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Aquika

support · August 12, 2026 · 2 min read

How to leave a good voicemail (or message) for your IT provider

The five things to include when you report a problem, so the first call back is a fix instead of a round of questions.

By Matt Franck

When something breaks, the fastest path to a fix is a message that answers the questions we'd otherwise have to call and ask. Whether you're leaving a voicemail, talking to our AI receptionist, or sending an email, try to include these five things.

1. What changed

Problems rarely appear from nowhere. Did a Windows update run overnight? Did someone plug in a new device, move desks, change a password, or install something? Did the power blink? "It stopped working after…" is the single most useful sentence you can give us, even if the connection seems unlikely.

2. Who is affected

One person, one office, or everyone? One application, or all of them? "Sarah can't print" and "nobody can print" are completely different problems that get worked in different orders. If you're not sure, ask one other person before you call — it takes ten seconds and often changes the diagnosis.

3. The exact error text

If there's a message on the screen, read it to us word for word, or take a photo with your phone and email it. "It says something about a certificate" and "it says NET::ERR_CERT_DATE_INVALID" are the difference between guessing and knowing. Numbers, codes, and odd-looking words matter most.

4. What you already tried

Restarted the computer? Tried another browser? Tried from a different desk? Say so — it saves us from suggesting the same thing and tells us how deep the problem goes.

5. How urgent it is, honestly

"Nobody can take payments" is an emergency. "My second monitor is flickering" is not, and saying so lets us schedule it sensibly instead of interrupting something else. If you're calling our line after hours, tell the receptionist it's an outage and it will be flagged as urgent.

And always

Leave your name, company, and a direct callback number — not the main office line, if that's the thing that's broken. Repeat the number slowly. If you reach our AI receptionist, it will read the number back to you to confirm; that's on purpose.

A message with all five is often enough for us to arrive — remotely or in person — already knowing what to do.

Have a version of this problem?

Tell us what's going on. We'll give you a straight answer about what we'd do and whether we're the right fit.