Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Diagnosing Gmail Outage Issues

Purpose

This SOP provides IT agents with a structured approach to diagnose and communicate with employees experiencing Gmail outages. It includes initial troubleshooting steps for employees to take while the issue is being investigated.

Scope

This document applies to all IT agents handling incidents related to Gmail outages and is intended to ensure a consistent and effective response.

Procedure

1. Initial Communication with the Employee

• Acknowledge the Issue:
  • Greet the employee and thank them for reporting the issue.
  • Confirm that you are aware of the Gmail outage and that you are here to assist them.
• Gather Information:
  • Ask the employee the following questions to gather relevant information:
    • What specific issues are you experiencing with Gmail? (e.g., unable to log in, error messages, etc.)
    • When did the issue start?
    • Are other employees experiencing similar issues?
    • Have you tried accessing Gmail from different devices or browsers?
    • Are you connected to the company VPN (if applicable)?
• Set Expectations:
  • Inform the employee that you will investigate the issue and provide updates as you gather more information.
  • Let them know that you will also check for any known outages or incidents reported by other users.

2. Initial Troubleshooting Steps for the Employee

While the IT agent investigates the issue, instruct the employee to perform the following troubleshooting steps:

• Check Internet Connection:
  • Ensure that the employee's device is connected to the internet. They can do this by trying to access other websites or applications.
• Clear Browser Cache:
  • Instruct the employee to clear their browser cache and cookies. This can often resolve issues related to loading web applications.
  • Provide the following general steps:
    1. Open the browser settings.
    2. Navigate to the privacy or history section.
    3. Select the option to clear browsing data, ensuring that cookies and cached images/files are included.
• Try a Different Browser:
  • Ask the employee to attempt accessing Gmail using a different web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge) to determine if the issue is browser-specific.
• Disable Browser Extensions:
  • Suggest that the employee temporarily disable any browser extensions, particularly ad blockers or security extensions, which may interfere with Gmail.
• Check Gmail Status Page:
  • Direct the employee to the Google Workspace Status Dashboard (https://www.google.com/appsstatus) to check for any reported outages or issues with Gmail.
• Restart Device:
  • Recommend that the employee restart their device to refresh the system and clear any temporary glitches.