While it is generally not really that worthwhile to repair your gooseneck lamp, particularly if it is the cheaper type of gooseneck desk lamp, there may be times when you would prefer to do so. Some repairs are all together too difficult to attempt, but there are some that you can safely try.
The first repair, or maintenance, that you will probably need to do with your gooseneck lamp is replace the light bulb. If your light will not turn on yet it is plugged into the switch and the power button is pressed on, the first thing you should check is your light bulb. Usually these screw out. With some lamps you can easily see if the filament is broken by holding it up to the light. It may not be as easy to tell with other bulbs, however. You should try to keep one or two replacement bulbs on hand so that you can instantly switch to a new bulb should you suspect yours is broken. If replacing the bulb with a brand new one does not resolve the problem you may have to look further.
If you have the type of gooseneck lamp that clamps onto something you may have problems if the spring on the clamp breaks. With a little ingenuity and some basic handyman skills, it is often possible to fashion your own base. You can attach the broken clamp to a piece of 2 x 4. You may need to weight the bottom down, especially if the shade section of the lamp is heavy. If so, look for some heavier metal that you can attach to the base of the wood. That should give you enough weight on your base to keep the lamp positioned properly. Be sure to sand the wood and paint or stain it afterward.
Sometimes the wiring is broken. This often happens close to the plug, especially if you are in the habit of grabbing the cord to pull the plug out of the socket, rather than grasping the plug itself. It is actually fairly simple to replace a plug. All you have to do is cut the old plug off, strip the wires, find a new plug and attach it to the wires, carefully entwining the wires around themselves so that a connection will be formed. Wrap up the individual twisted wires with electrical tape and then finally wrap some black electrical tape around the cord where it was cut.
Of course, these simple tips may only help on a temporary basis. As gooseneck lamps are actually fairly inexpensive, you may find it is easier and perhaps more safe to simply pop out at the next earliest convenience and buy a new one.