No matter the size of your business or corporation, IT support will be necessary from time to time. Larger enterprises may have their own IT department while others outsource it to a Managed Service Provider (MSP).
Your company’s requirements and budget will dictate which IT support solution you select. Here are some qualities to look for when searching for a tech support provider:
Level 1 Support
Level 1 support is the initial level of tech support provided to IT help desks. It typically consists of customer service representatives with both soft and technical expertise.
Employees at this tier provide basic troubleshooting methods, access to knowledge base tools and step-by-step guides to resolve user issues quickly. Having a system in place for providing this level of support allows you to respond promptly to incoming requests, improving the customer experience.
A reliable IT Support company should have standard operating procedures (SOPs) and ticket scripts that enable agents to filter and prioritize repetitive complaints according to their severity and complexity.
Having a team of level 1 support agents on hand can also reduce system downtime caused by human error, hardware or software malfunctioning and cyberattacks.
This tier of IT Support is responsible for helping companies protect their sensitive user and enterprise data by enforcing robust security protocols. Ensuring critical information remains secure is essential to keeping customers contented, as well as keeping businesses running efficiently.
Level 2 Support
Level 2 support offers more in-depth customer service for technical issues. This tier is staffed with knowledgeable personnel who possess in-depth expertise regarding the company’s hardware and software tools.
For instance, if a customer had trouble accessing their bank account and was mistakenly blocked by the anti-phishing system, a level 2 technician would thoroughly investigate the problem before unblocking it.
The level 2 support team is more knowledgeable about the company’s products, enabling them to resolve back-end problems that would be impossible for level 1 technicians to resolve.
To advance in this tier, you must possess expert knowledge of the company’s product and have extensive troubleshooting experience. Furthermore, you need access to all company data and be able to communicate effectively with people at all levels within the organization in order to get the most from your job.
Level 3 Support
Level 3 support, also referred to as third line, is the highest tier of tech support. This team is responsible for solving even the most intricate or sophisticated problems.
Level 3 technicians usually possess expert knowledge of a product’s architecture, which may not be common among entry-level techs. Furthermore, they may be able to access the app’s code to identify and resolve any problems within it.
Level 3 typically takes longer to resolve issues than its lower tiers due to the more intricate nature of these cases.
In other words, a Level 3 tech may spend hours or days troubleshooting and fixing an issue that only took a level 1 tech minutes to resolve.
Level 0 support is the lowest tier of IT support and often used by companies without a dedicated IT department or customers with straightforward problems they can resolve themselves. It typically consists of a self-service portal, service catalog, and knowledge base.
Level 4 Support
Level 4 support (also referred to as Tier 4 support) is provided by external vendors and business partners. They offer assistance with products or components not directly serviced by a company but are essential in providing services to customers.
Vendors often provide support for products and components not provided by the organization itself, such as printer support, machine maintenance, vendor software assistance, depot assistance, and other outsourced services.
They possess the highest level of knowledge and proficiency in a particular product or service. These individuals are commonly referred to as product specialists, and may include actual creators, engineers, or chief architects who designed and developed it.
Typically, they do not engage directly in customer communication but possess extensive technical expertise about the product or service. Furthermore, they possess the capacity to research and implement fixes for new issues that require more technical support. If they cannot resolve your problem, they will escalate it up a support ladder for further assistance.