If you have questions about using the software, such programs offer telephone support, but don't look for immediate answers.

Less formally, telephone support is available from shop to shop.

Other companies view telephone support as a profit center and charge for helping people use the product.

Remember to check on the availability of telephone support, particularly:

"We had to withdraw all telephone support," a page on the site says.

People had been driven to call because Apple's free telephone support is generally limited to the first three months of ownership.

Although telephone support has worked effectively and is still being used today, it has a number of weaknesses.

This means nine out of ten Office 365 customers get no telephone support at all for technical problems.

Over the same period, the size of the team was tripled, bringing in full and part-time help to provide telephone support.

Some mini-branches may have one or no human staff with only telephone support.