IT support levels—also known as “support tiers”—vary from business to business and depend on many factors. Identifying your company’s IT support tier is crucial to understanding where support is thriving or may be lacking.
IT Support Levels
Every company has different IT support levels, depending on the number of staff they have and their expertise in information technology solutions. Most IT companies categorize their support in three tiers, some more or less depending on their support model. The most common support tiers include:
Tier 0
Tier 0, also known as the “self-help” tier, does not require any technical knowledge; existing staff utilize technical and marketing media resources for support.
Businesses categorized as Tier 0 conduct research on solving IT-related problems via web and mobile pages/apps. They often use search functions to discover IT focused FAQs, blog posts, or digital product/technology manuals to answer any questions they have. Also, the web offers many customer forums, allowing users to crowdsource solutions without any input from IT personnel.
Tier 1
Tier 1 is the basic help desk resolution, requiring minimal IT skill. This support level involves solving fundamental issues, such as resetting a password or providing solutions to common user problems.
Tier 1 requires lower-level technical personnel who solve common customer support issues and fulfill service requests by following a step-by-step guide.
Tier 2
Tier 2 is the most common support level for businesses. The difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 is that when a customer issue is beyond the skill set of Tier 1 staff, the problem turns over to more advanced personnel in Tier 2.
Tier 2 staff have a more significant knowledge base and acquire the technological skills to handle more complex customer issues. They’re not necessarily technical engineers or programmers, but they do acquire a decent amount of technical knowledge.
Tier 3
Tier 3 is the highest level of technical skill in an organization, providing expert product and tech support; this often includes a team of engineers or programmers.
The difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3 is that when a customer runs into an issue where there are no resolutions, Tier 3 personnel offer design changes and bug fixes to the software. They define the root cause of a problem and use various codes and specifications to make the product work more efficiently.
Tier 4
Tier 4 is when a business utilizes an outsource provider to assist in product support. They are not full-time employees of the organization but hired by a company to offer tech support whenever they need it.
The Logic Group enables businesses to use cutting edge technology solutions that increase productivity, efficiency, and profitability. We’re a technical support structure you can trust.
Benefits of Categorizing IT Support Tiers
Organizing IT support into different levels allows companies to realize some crucial benefits. IT support tiers enable businesses to identify their most common issues and resolve them from occurring again.
IT support levels also help define areas of responsibility, allocating resources more efficiently; this allows higher-skilled personnel to focus on more complex issues.
Structuring IT support in levels also helps companies:
- Address customer needs
- Promote a positive customer experience
- Quickly resolve easy-to-manage tasks
- Establish a timeline for more complex problems
- Increase employee satisfaction
- Improve employee training
- Obtain feedback and suggestions
How To Identify Your Business Support Level
There are several aspects to consider when organizing your business’s tech support levels:
Staff Skill Level
Recognizing staff skill is one of the most crucial aspects of identifying your business support level. If they don’t acquire the skill level to solve complex issues, you may need to consider training or recruiting higher-skilled technical professionals.
Number of Clients
As the number of your clients increases, you’re likely to encounter more customer issues. This is why it’s important to hire more or higher-skilled IT personnel to solve those problems.
When hiring more IT personnel, you ensure greater customer service (Tier 2). On the other hand, when you hire expert technicians—either internally (Tier 3) or externally (Tier 4)—you can help your company get to the root of the problem.
Size of Business
Similar to the number of clients, the greater the size of your business, the greater the likelihood for issues to arise. The more employees your business entails, the more responses your support team will have to respond to.
What’s the Difference Between Technical Support and Desktop Support?
Technical Support
Technical support service desks are an essential customer service touchpoint. They’re more than just an answering service; they quickly resolve customer technical problems. Tech support representatives walk users through any technical problems they encounter and offer verbal guidance on how to fix them.
Technical support can be delivered through a number of outlets—phone, email, live chat, message boards, social media, etc. Companies that execute timely, accurate, and helpful IT technical support solutions receive higher customer satisfaction than companies that are slow to respond and don’t provide valuable information.
Desktop Support
In contrast to technical support, desktop support remotely fixes any software related issues on a user’s computer, phone, or printer. With desktop support, accredited representatives directly gain access to the affected machine from a remote location.
Desktop support is most often used in office settings because networks are securely managed and monitored; this minimizes the risk of hackers breaking into the network and gaining access to confidential company data.
Providing 24/7 IT Support—Day in and Day Out
At The Logic Group, we make it easy for you to receive immediate technical support. Our accredited network support engineers walk you through your issue, providing you the best support method for your current situation. Contact us today to get started!
