The Professional Framework - IT Services & Best Practices

The Front Line: The Role of the Help Desk/Service Desk and Support Tiers

The Service Desk (or Help Desk) is the single point of contact (SPOC) between the IT service provider and the users for all IT-related issues, requests, and communications. It is the public face of the IT department and is crucial for a positive user experience.

To handle requests efficiently, the Service Desk is typically organized into a tiered support structure, which allows for logical escalation of issues.

• Tier 1 (T1) Support: This is the first line of support. T1 technicians handle a high volume of common, straightforward issues and service requests. They follow documented procedures to resolve problems like password resets, basic software installation, and connectivity issues. If they cannot resolve an issue, they gather all the necessary information and escalate it to Tier 2.

• Tier 2 (T2) Support: This team consists of technicians with more in-depth technical knowledge. They handle escalated incidents from Tier 1 that are more complex or require administrator-level access to investigate. They might deal with server-side issues, network problems, or advanced software troubleshooting.

• Tier 3 (T3) Support: This is the highest level of technical support, often consisting of subject matter experts, engineers, or the original software developers. They handle the most complex and critical problems, such as bugs in application code, major server failures, or architectural issues that require an expert-level solution.