1.

If possible, print the screen so that the exact error can be read or faxed to the Help Desk if requested. This is very important and can be a great timesaver. 

2.

If unable to print the screen, write down the error message verbatim. 

3.

If the person who will call the Help Desk is not the person who received the error, find out what procedures were being done at the time the error occurred. 

4.

If the error was reported to you and you did not see the error on the screen, ask the person to repeat the actions they were performing when they received the error. This process is necessary to determine whether the error is only on one particular record or a larger problem. If you are not able to recreate the error, it was most likely an entry error or an error reading the program. If you are able to recreate the error, do a screen print or write down exactly what the screen says. Also, since you saw how the error was created, you will have a better understanding of what may have caused the error and be able to relay important information to the Help Desk.