For these reasons, I will always contact tech support via their online chat system before using the phone. Another advantage of the chat support system is that tech support can connect remotely to your computer if needed so they can see the problem first hand and even make changes for you.
Not every corporation has online chat support, but many do. Despite this, finding their chat links can be challenging so I thought I would list them here. Just click the links below to go to the appropriate chat support page.
Dell Technical Support (other contact options)
Lexmark Support (no online chat)
McAfee Support (live chat button on top right corner of page)
Qwest Online Chat Support
Note that I only listed the most commonly needed chat support systems here. There are more. So if you don't see your link above, search Google. Also, keep in mind that if you're needing help with free software (like AVG, Avast, etc., that most of these sites don't offer online chat tech support. Instead, you can find help in their community forums).