All aspects of help desk support are crucial to ensure successful outcomes, but what’s known as Tier 1 help desk support may be the most important step, because it sets the stage for everything else that happens. The people providing Tier 1 support are the first point of contact for customers or users who are facing an issue. How well those customers or users are heard, taken seriously, and given clear and understandable direction creates the foundation for satisfaction and success.
Introduction to Tier 1 Help Desk Support
What is Tier 1 help desk support? In familiar terms, it’s the first line of assistance that’s available to customers and users. When a customer or system user reaches out to technical support — whether they do that by phone, text, or online chat — it’s because something isn’t right.
Their technology may not be behaving as expected, something is clearly broken, or they just don’t understand how to accomplish what they need to do. They may have accessed help files or used a search engine to figure things out and haven’t come up with the answer on their own. As a result, they may be embarrassed, scared, frustrated, or downright angry.
Understanding the Role and Importance
Tier 1 help desks generally handle what IT departments regard as routine issues or service requests (though it’s important to note they’re anything but routine to the people encountering the issues). The role of Tier 1 support personnel is to handle basic questions and troubleshooting. If they’re unable to help the user on their own, they serve as a point of connection to other resources available within the organization. Put another way, if they don’t have the answer, they usually know who else can provide it.
What makes the help desk so important is that they have the opportunity to replace those feelings of embarrassment, fear, frustration, or anger with satisfaction, confidence, and even happiness. A customer who is unhappy with a product and the company that made it can be turned into a raving fan as a result of the actions and attitude of the help desk. In essence, they become the face of the company and the IT department. The user’s encounter shapes their opinion of the company and what it offers.
Essential Skills for Tier 1 Help Desk Support
Effective Tier 1 support is delivered by people who bring a unique combination of skills: they understand both technology and people well enough to make those people comfortable with the technology they’re trying to use.
Technical Proficiency
Technical proficiency is important, but it demands more than simply understanding the basics of how the technology works. Effective Tier 1 support team also requires the ability to troubleshoot and determine why the user is encountering problems, and then to provide clear step-by-step instructions in language that’s comfortable for the user. In addition, good support teams also understand how the technology affects the user and their business. For example, the user may be anxious because they need to complete a high-priority task under a tight deadline.
Communication Skills
People skills such as the ability to communicate are even more important than technical knowledge because people who communicate well are usually quick learners. Communications skills in the help desk context means more than being able to explain things.
Tier 1 support staff need to have strong listening skills and a genuine sense of empathy that helps them understand the user’s perspective. Patience can be just as important, especially when dealing with a user who is frantic or angry. Being a calming presence can help resolve the issue more quickly.
Problem-Solving Abilities
Because Tier 1 support personnel spend much of their time addressing user problems, they need good problem-solving and analytical skills. They should be detail-oriented and able to remain focused, even in high-pressure situations.
Challenges in Help Desk Support
Tier 1 help desks face a variety of challenges, some due to the nature of the marketplace, and others rooted in the company’s culture.
Handling High Volume of Requests
As technology and growth play a bigger role in companies, the potential for problems increases, which means more users reaching out for help. That’s especially true when a company launches a new product, a new initiative, or an upgrade that proves to be more buggy than anticipated. In addition, resolving issues may take longer than expected, causing a backlog of requests. Once companies realize scaling is the best option for continued success, they’ll need help addressing the issues limiting their growth.
Dealing with Complex Issues
Many of the issues handled by Tier 1 help desks are routine and repeated frequently. But some will be unique situations the staff hasn’t encountered. Many of those situations may be so complex that they require additional time and resources to resolve. Fortunately, the next time the help desk is contacted about a similar issue, the customer experience will improve their ability to resolve it. Developing a modern knowledge base with easy-to-access articles can make a world of difference in the help desk game. While Tier 1 help desk support is vital, it’s important to recognize that internal help desks often face significant challenges that can impact their effectiveness and overall service quality.
Strategies to Overcome Challenges
For a help desk support team, challenges are never-ending. Staff and leadership need to remain agile so they can continue to respond to new issues. There are several steps companies can take to prepare for those challenges, among them:
Effective Training Programs
Training is not a “one-and-done” matter for any service desk. It’s a constant need, because changes to products, systems, and other technologies may lead to a need for additional support. Training should be an ongoing process, and hiring should focus on people who are eager and willing to keep learning, using these proven agent training techniques.
Utilizing the Right Tools and Technology
You can’t run an effective Tier 1 help desk without the most effective (and cost-effective) tools and technology. There are amazing systems out there, but they can require a significantly larger investment than you envision. (Outsourcing your help desk to a BPO provider with an industry-leading call center — like Netfor’s, for example — may get you the best for far less.)
Stress Management Techniques
Tier 1 help desk support tickets at a high level may look easy, but anyone who has done it will tell you it’s not. There are days of non-stop requests, often the same days callers are in ugly moods. Implementing stress management strategies, such as Netfor’s innovative RTIG tool, can make a significant difference in managing these challenges. Encouraging staff to learn stress management techniques like mindfulness, breathing, and physical exercises will improve their satisfaction and reduce turnover.
Enhancing Effectiveness in Tier 1 Support
No matter how good your Tier 1 operation may be, you can’t afford to stop focusing on how you can do even better. Maintaining a high level of support requires ongoing training and development for your team members, ensuring they are always equipped to handle both common and complex issues. As your technical support needs evolve, so must the capabilities of your support team. This means preparing them not only for routine challenges but also for situations that may require escalation to Tier 2 support. By striving to deliver the highest level of service, you ensure that your customers always receive the technical support they need, no matter the complexity of their issues.
Continuous Learning and Development
We mentioned the importance of hiring people who are eager learners, and you constantly should feed the hunger for the learners on your team. Everyone wants to get better and get greater satisfaction from the time they spend working. Ongoing learning is a critical company mission. Our Structured System for Sharing What We Know elaborates on the benefits of continuous learning.
Leveraging Feedback for Improvement
When users raise an issue that just doesn’t sound right, don’t dismiss it as nonsense. Treat it seriously and look into it. User feedback can be one of your most powerful weapons. Our blog Creating Extraordinary Customer Service By Asking Two Simple Questions provides a framework for using feedback effectively.
Key Takeaways and Future Outlook
In an age of online reviews, your organization cannot afford anything less than a highly effective Tier 1 operation. Creating one begins with a commitment to being the best and being willing to invest in the best people and equipment. Want to know more about what’s involved in mastering help desk operations? We’ll be happy to share.
Now that you know the ins and outs of improving your tier 1 help desk, implementing these changes can take time and effort. A great way to measure success is with our favorite metric: First Call Resolution rate.
