Q-stack is a tool designed to assist you in sending questions and issues to the Apple Technical Assistance Center (TAC) via AppleLink or fax. Questions sent via AppleLink from Q-stack receive first priority over non Q-stack questions. Questions sent via fax must be generated from Q-stack. This is because Q-stack fills several purposes for both you and Apple:
• It helps you to quickly formulate questions for submission
• It helps us answer your question more quickly
• It formats your AppleLink message so that we can quickly categorize and enter it into our database
• It compresses any files that you send and attaches them to your AppleLink message
• It helps make your fax more legible and easier to read
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ!!!
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The TAC fax access number and AppleLink address TECH.ASSIST have been set up to support only Apple employees, Apple authorized dealers, and Apple authorized service providers who work directly with Apple regarding technical issues. The Technical Assistance Center cannot assist those who do not meet this criteria.
When deciding the best vehicle to communicate to the TAC, please consider the nature of your question. Issues that require a lot of communication between parties are best directed via the telephone. Issues that are very specific and require little additional dialog between parties are well suited for communication via AppleLink and fax. Most of our electronic requests relate to issues that are very specific, require research, and do not require an immediate response. Our average response time for AppleLink and fax requests is under four business hours.
Initiate RMA and CS-Code inquiries via the telephone only.
Q-stack TAC requirements
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You will need a Macintosh computer with at least 2MB of RAM and HyperCard software version 2.0 or later.
Instructions for using of Q-stack
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To answer your questions effectively, we must receive all information regarding your issue. We ask you to provide the following:
• Basic information about yourself and your company
• Specific details of your issue and what actions you have taken to resolve it
• The system configuration upon which the problem is occurring, if applicable
• The resources you have consulted to find answers to the issue
• The priority you assign to your issue
Q-stack constructs an AppleLink message from the details you enter and automatically addresses the memo to the Apple Technical Assistance Center. REMEMBER: Messages you send using Q-stack receive a higher response priority than others, so PLEASE use Q-stack whenever possible. If you are unable to access AppleLink and need to send a message to the Technical Assistance Center, you may print out the memo generated by Q-Stack and fax it to us at (512) 919-2900. We will fax our response to the fax phone number that you specify in your user information.
Logging into Q-stack
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Each time you start Q-stack, you will be requested to identify yourself from the user list. The first time that you use Q-stack, no users will be defined and you will proceed immediately to the Main Menu. After you have entered your user information, the next time you use Q-stack, you will be prompted to select your user name.
• If you are a new user, click New User. This allows you to define your personal information required by Q-stack. It is necessary to identify yourself so that the stack can supply proper user information in the messages you send.
• You may use the Guest button to access the stack for help information and Q-stack Feedback features.
Main Menu Options
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After you have logged in, you will reach the Main Menu. The Main Menu offers the following options:
• Send a Message allows you to describe an issue and send an AppleLink message to the Technical Assistance Center
• User Setup opens the Setup menu and allows you to enter in your personal information
• Q-stack Feedback allows you to send your comments and suggestions about the Q-stack to the Technical Assistance Center
• Help accesses online help information
• About Q-stack provides general information about Q-stack and system requirements
Sending a Message
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To send a message to the Apple Technical Assistance Center, select "Send a Message" from the Main Menu or Q-stack pulldown menu. You will see the first of two cards that you will use to send a question to the Technical Assistance Center. The top two fields define the User (sending the message) and the subject of the message. You must limit the subject to 26 characters.
The additional fields allow you to enter questions or information regarding an issue, what you have tried to solve the problem, and where you have looked for answers. Clicking the grow box will expand the contents of each field into a larger window. When you have completed entering the text, click the window’s close box and the text will appear in the appropriate field.
When you have completed all of the information on this card, click the Next button in the lower right corner to go to the second Send card. On this card, you will address your message and place it in your AppleLink Out Basket.
• Address your message to the Technical Assistance Center by using the pop-up menu to the right of the To: prompt. Select TECH.ASSIST as the address.
• If you want a copy of your message to go to other AppleLink addresses, use the Add Address button just below the CC field. A dialog listing all of the addresses from your AppleLink address book will open. If necessary, you may add or delete addresses, and these changes will be saved to your address book.
• If you wish to include files with the Q-stack message, click the Include a Package checkbox. You will be asked whether to include an existing file or create a new AppleLink package. If you choose to create a new package, you will be taken to a card that will allow you to select files and compress them.
• If you want to preview your Q-stack message, click Preview to open a window showing a copy of the message to be sent. You will not be able to make changes to the message while previewing it.
• If you want to print your Q-stack message, click Print to generate a hard copy of the message. Use this feature if you need to fax your question to the Technical Assistance Center (512) 919-2900.
• If you need to make changes to the message, click the button Back to return to the first Send card. You will be able to edit the text of your message on this card.
• When you are ready to send the message click the button Send. A dialog will open asking you to set a priority for your question/message. Please choose a priority appropriate to the response time required for your issue.
Click OK and the message and package (if specified) will be placed in your AppleLink Out Basket, ready to send the next time you log on to AppleLink. BE SURE TO SIGN ONTO APPLELINK AND SEND THE MESSAGE!
User Setup Card
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This card is for information about you and your company. You may add additional people in your company who may need to use Q-stack for questions to the TAC.
• Complete all fields on the card with your personal information. This will allow us to determine who you are and how to contact you directly, if necessary
• Check the Apple Service Level 1 Certified button only If you have attended this training and received your certificate.
• Use the three pop-up menus at the bottom right of the card to tell us your experience level.
Q-stack Feedback
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Q-stack Feedback was created so that you can send your comments and suggestions to the Technical Assistance Center. Your feedback will help us to create better and more useful versions of Q-stack in the future. Simply type your comments into the center field. The memo will automatically be addressed to the Technical Assistance Center (TECH.ASSIST).
• If you want to send a copy of your message to other AppleLink addresses, use the “Add Address” button. A dialog listing all of the addresses from your AppleLink address book will open. If necessary, you may add or delete addresses, and these changes will be saved to your address book.
• When you are ready to send your comments, click Send. An AppleLink memo will be created and placed in your AppleLink Out Basket, ready to send the next time you use AppleLink. We encourage you to give us your reaction to this version of Q-stack.
Because Q-stack TAC is the primary tool for sending technical support questions to the Technical Assistance Center, we want to make this an evolutionary process. We strongly urge you to send us your recommendations, complaints, and bright ideas. Through applied evolution, we can continue to enhance the Q-stack so that it becomes an extremely useful tool for you to find information and communicate with Apple.
Your input does matter! We will do our best to listen and act on your suggestions. Take the time to use feedback to tell us what you want. You’re going to be using Q-stack, so we want you to have a voice in its design.
