IT Support refers to the technical assistance provided by IT professionals for users of hardware, software and services, including general customer service support.
IT Support specialists can provide internal employees with assistance by showing how to use specific programs and resolving common problems. Furthermore, these specialists offer practical suggestions on improving existing systems and productivity.
Level 1
Level 1 IT Support services focus on basic inquiries related to IT. Their primary function is identifying issues rather than treating symptoms; as they act as the initial point-of-contact between end-users and your IT department, so their personnel must possess both soft and technical abilities.
Filter help desk requests and offer basic configuration solutions to common problems (password resets and printer setup), while identifying more complex IT-related concerns that require higher-level support. They also investigate escalated tickets by verifying validity and searching for existing solutions.
Tier 2 IT Support services specialize in solving more challenging technical challenges or inquiries that were unresolved at Tier 1. Their technicians use company knowledge and troubleshoot issues through various means if they cannot resolve it themselves; otherwise they refer the ticket onward to Level 3 support.
Level 2
Level 2 support personnel typically possess both extensive company experience and in-depth technical training, and are adept at solving problems escalated from Level 1.
Help Desk Associates are responsible for filtering Help Desk calls, offering basic troubleshooting and support instructions (password resets, printer configuration changes and break/fix instructions), managing escalated cases and handling escalations processes. In addition, these individuals will assist with software installations and hardware repair (both depot-based services as well as in-house repairs) as well as general network issues.
Researching and devising solutions to new or unknown issues. Furthermore, they may assist Level 1 and 2 technicians as required.
Level 3
Level 0 IT Support offers users automated or self-service solutions they can access without assistance from help desk technicians, such as password resets, FAQ pages and online product documentation.
Level 1 IT Support employees work to filter Help Desk tickets, address basic issues and troubleshoot. They can resolve password resets, hardware and software requests as well as non-urgent incidents log-ins. In addition, they can assist with configuration issues as well as provide remote control tools if required to fix software problems remotely.
Whenever a problem can’t be solved at Tier 1, it gets escalated to Tier 2. Tier 2 IT Support staff have greater expertise with company products, which makes them better able to assist tier 1 with backend support, or call outside vendors for maintenance, should necessary.
Level 3 IT Support offers expert troubleshooters who specialize in solving technical issues and answering even the most challenging queries. They are equipped to analyze codes and designs in order to gain an understanding of how a system functions before helping identify an optimal solution for users.
Level 4
Tier 4 IT support involves outsourced technical support for products not owned by a business, such as printer and machine maintenance, vendor software support or any specialized services not typically handled by internal IT departments.
Level 1 or Tier 1 IT Support serves as the first point of support for employees and end-users, making them essential in quickly solving any problems that may arise. Support personnel for Level 1 are responsible for answering phone calls, responding to emails and log incidents as well as helping users resolve basic usage issues or provide product details as requested through service desk requests that require IT involvement.
Level 1 IT support staff typically require minimal technical knowledge and access, enabling them to address most common issues or complaints quickly. If this fails, escalates will typically follow documented escalation procedures and escalate further tiers accordingly.