IT Help Desk Support

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  IT Help Desk Support Technicians

Help desk support technicians are the go-to people for providing technical assistance and help related to an organization’s IT systems, including laptops, computers and software.  Technicians are often responsible for answering queries and addressing system and user issues in a timely and professional manner.  

Help desk support often works closely with the internal and external IT team, and will often interact with system and computer users across the company. The help desk team will train users on basic system and computer functions. Understanding and proactively maintaining daily system performance, having the ability to troubleshoot customer problems, and innate follow-up and follow-through skills are all essential aspects of the help desk support’s day-to-day role.

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Common Technologies Used

  Cloud Platforms and Technologies

We have been working with DevOps and Back-End developers with extensive expertise with Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Whether focused on Infrastructure as a Service, Platform as a Service, Serverless and Microservices architectures, or Hybrid Cloud applications, Sonatafy can source and vet experienced developers to help extend your teams output.

Common Cloud Platforms and Technologies we use include:

  Communication and Business Process Tools

Our engineers will use your tooling and communication applications. Whether you are a Jira, Confluence, Slack shop, or you use Microsoft Teams, our team will adapt. We support all versioning systems from Git to Bitbucket, and all of our engineers will be able to attend all meetings with clear sound and video capabilities.

Common tools we use include:

  IT Help Desk Technicians

IT help desk technicians are of the paramount essence in any organization that relies on technology for the day-to-day running of the business. They ensure that every aspect is running smoothly.

In this regard, this guide will explore the career world of IT help desk support technicians.

IT Service Desk versus IT Help Desk

IT service desk acts as a pivotal point for interaction between an IT organization and the users of the infrastructure. It can also be defined as the Single Point of Contact (SPOC), where engagement between the IT service provider and users occurs for the effective running of day-to-day activities in an organization.

The service desk is the go-to help center that manages incidents, facilitates communications, and handles routine service-related requests in an organization. It provides a single point that integrates all processes of a business coupled with the technology ecosystem.

In simple, the IT service desk provides technical support to non-IT and IT employees who are experiencing problems related to the IT infrastructure (Networking, software, and hardware). They also extend their help to customers as well.

On the other hand, the IT help desk can be referred to as some sort of a limited IT service desk. A help desk is designed in such a way that it offers internal employees or customers with support resources or information pertaining to the organization or company in question. It works towards responding to known problems, troubleshooting new problems, and addressing questions. Some good examples of IT help desks include but are not limited to product support, technical support centers, and employee benefits desks.

  What do IT Help Desk Support Technicians do?

These are professionals who offer technical help at the IT help desk. Their work involves receiving trouble tickets from IT users and acting accordingly to rectify the problem. Mostly, they receive queries through calls, emails, or in-person visits.

Notably, the most common types of IT help support technicians come into two categories, namely;

• In-House– This group of professionals is only limited to provide technical support for internal employees.
• Remote– They can be reached through phone, online, or sometimes you may find them on-site, and they can offer technical support to a broader range of clientele. Always remember outsourcing is the best option for setting an effective help desk support. It is affordable and the support staff work 24/7. And at Sonatafy, we pride ourselves on a dedicated IT Help Desk Support Technicians, who are hand-picked and vetted to meet all you IT needs.

It’s imperative to realize the roles of IT help desk support varies depending on the issues raised by the IT infrastructure users.

  What are the Educational Requirements for an IT Help Desk Support Technician?

It’s not necessary to have a college degree to secure a tier-one help desk position. Though it’s an added advantage during interviews, and you might secure higher pay as compared to those who don’t have one.

A background in network administration, Computer Information Systems (CIS), technical support, and help desk administration are some of the courses that lead to a fulfilling career in the line of help desk support.

Some people may have the passion for pursuing a career in IT help desk support but lack the time or money to study for a bachelor’s degree. For such individuals, they may consider pursuing a specialized certificate in IT/help desk support or PC repair.

Some of the aspects that should be covered in a credible help desk degree program include but are not limited to mobile device troubleshooting, network management, OS configuration and deployment, PC repair, information security, and soft skills like communication skills.

  What are the Benefits of an IT Desk Support Staff?

Before people pay for IT help desk services, they do research to understand the scope of the undertaking. They want to know the advantages that come with hiring this group of professionals IT help desks. Apart from resolving technical issues in a business, they come with a plethora of other benefits.

Some include:

Help Employees to Focus on other Stuff

IT help desk focuses on all the business’s technical problems. This means the in-house staff can work on other profit-generating undertakings. With the freed time generated, you stand to generate additional revenue, which compensates for the cost associated with hiring the IT help desk.

More importantly, employees focus on what their job description dictates, which is better for a morale boost. Always remember outsourcing IT support is less costly than maintaining an in-house team.

Better Customer Satisfaction

Statistics show that over 90 percent of customers prefer a single support platform to cater to their issues. More importantly, they like prompt responses. Using in-house IT help desk is usually slower than when outsourcing the service.

With a well-functioning IT help desk, customer satisfaction is guaranteed. Always remember unsatisfied customers are very vocal, and they may drag your business in the mud.

Proactive Solutions

By integrating an IT help desk, your organization gathers information on a daily basis, especially when addressing technical problems. Whether it is web design problems or any other IT-related issue, the information collected helps your organization to resolve future problems with ease. It also helps you implement proactive measures to counter some problems.

The IT desk helps organizations in identifying problematic systems before they cause major issues. It serves as a pointer for the business in question to replace a system before complete failure. The logs created by IT desk support provide data and act as a reference point for future problems.

Quick Resolutions

Employees without IT backgrounds go through hell trying to fix IT-related technical problems. They use the process of try and error, which is not only exhausting but also time-consuming. Companies that have outsourced their IT support get tailored solutions quickly.

Through quick resolution provided, company processes run smoothly, increasing a business’s revenue. IT help desks work 24/7, which makes them very convenient for IT infrastructure users. More importantly, customers prefer responsive support, and it’s a precursor for the growth of your company.

Introduces Industry-Specific Expertise

These services are usually specialized and depend on the industry in question. By hiring a company with vast experience in serving a certain industry, you stand to benefit from their expertise. The IT desk will help you identify similar issues faced by other companies in the same industry.

They can also resolve industry-specific problems quickly as they have experience in handling similar technical problems. Through these fast resolutions, customer satisfaction increases, leading to the growth of your client base.

Increased Efficiency

The ticket system helps the IT desk to resolve problems as per their priority. The users can match where their ticket fits and know what to expect from the support. More importantly, tickets address a problem in accordance with its severity.

The ticket system assigns an IT help desk support professional in accordance with their expertise in resolving a certain problem. This guarantees customers and users they are receiving quality and superior services. Additionally, it boosts the effectiveness in which a problem is solved and thereby improving the overall organization’s efficiency.

Tailored Fixes

Businesses that don’t have a system for tackling technical problems use random and different solutions to address problems. This is problematic as it is time-consuming. That’s why you need to integrate IT help desk support that uses a systematic approach to troubleshooting and correcting any problems in your IT infrastructure.

With the expertise that comes with IT help desk support technicians, rest assured you’ll always receive customized solutions that are tailored to last.

Round the Clock Support

Most organization business hours range between 8 and 9 hours during weekdays and 5 hours on weekends. This means that people who may need assistance outside these hours may fail to get it. But the good news with having an IT help desk is that the technical team works 24/7.

Companies that offer these services come in handy in providing assistance to your clients off hours. Always remember customers can experience a technical problem any time of the day, and you need to have the aforementioned infrastructure in place for better service and improved customer satisfaction.

Facilitate Multitasking

The help desk system has always come in handy in the prioritization and categorization of issues. The aforementioned scenario helps this group of professionals to sequence on the issues they want to address. Through the process, a technician can take care of multiple but similar issues in a single trip from the organization’s server room.

Through multitasking, they make better use of their time, maximizing productivity.

Provides a Single Platform for all IT Requests

A single place to address all IT issues is not only convenient, but it is also user-friendly. Notably, the help desk provides that convenience through the use of a user portal and a single platform that addresses IT queries through the ticketing system.

The tickets are closed once the issues have been addressed. With the integration of user’s portals, vital information is relayed, and it helps in reducing unnecessary tickets. More importantly, the collection of user’s data is easier when using help desk systems.

  Q&A

What is IT help desk support?

IT help desk support is a single-point platform for troubleshooting, handling known and unknown IT problems, answering questions and disbursing information about the company in question.

What is the average salary for an IT help desk?

The average annual salary for an IT help desk as of December 2020 ranged somewhere between $41,500 and $65,250. This salary depends on experience, level, and area of specialization. For instance, a UI UX designer may earn less than a software developer.

Is the service desk a call center?

The words call center and service desk are frequently used interchangeably, but they are quite different. Call centers are more hardware-specific when compared to service centers. Their Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are not defined and solve problems on a case-by-case basis. On the other hand, service centers have defined SLAs and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). More importantly, the service desk works with both the employees and the company as a whole.

Is Service Desk a technical job?

Definitely yes. Even though a service desk job requires the employment of soft skills to achieve perfection, it is still considered a technical job. It involves solving problems with software and hardware, and that goes without saying it’s a technical job.

What are some of the KPIs for an IT service desk?

KPIs refer to a metric that is used to determine how effective your customer support and engagement are. Some of the key KPIs to keep track of include:

• Help desk primary performance indicators
• Response time performance indicators
• Relationship freshness metrics
• Actions per engagement
• Conversion rate key performance indicators

What is a level 1 help desk?

This refers to the first tier of support. These IT personnel have the least experience. Their understanding of technical issues is lower at this level as compared to other levels. They handle less complicated tasks such as answering customer calls, data and request collection, responding to email and social media messages, and many more.

Are IT helpdesk technicians in demand?

Yes, they are in great demand. A study by the US Bureau of Labor indicated that the job vacancies for IT support specialists are expected to increase by a staggering 12 percent by 2024.

Is IT help desk technician job hard?

The professional requires a high level of technical understanding and good communication skills. Therefore, an IT desk technician should possess both hard and soft skills. They should be able to tackle complicated problems while communicating clearly with their clients.

What is the difference between IT support and IT helpdesk?

IT support utilizes a reactive approach to manage IT needs, and in turn, the managed services plan generates ways to correct any IT issues before they affect the organization in question. On the other hand, help desk services are tailored and geared towards user productivity. The managed services play similar roles as in IT support and are tailored to achieve the same objective. However, they are also designed to ensure corporate IT systems are aligned with the overall company’s IT business objectives.

What are the skills required for IT helpdesk technical support?

The maintenance of computer systems is one of the primary functions of technical support professionals. They also upgrade, install, and configure new hardware and software. While the requirements for entry-level vary from one organization to another, an IT helpdesk technical support professional should possess the following skills:

• Adaptability
• Ability to diagnose software and hardware
• Detail-oriented
• Active listening
• Web application
• Application support
• Fast learner
• Error logs
• Attention to detail
• Data-oriented
• Data setting
• Understanding of technical issues
• Good communication skills to pass technical information clearly
• Mobile devices
• Understanding of the operating systems
• Mechanical reasoning

Why Choose Sonatafy?

At Sonatafy Technology, we are a next-gen tech partner who offers IT Help Desk Support services with a difference. Our technicians possess top-tier talent, and their fluency in English is incredible. Whether it is software developers, web designers, or UI UX designers you’re looking for, we’re the complete package. More importantly, we are guided by the highest standards of professionalism, and our services come at competitive market prices.

For more information on our services, contact us.