In today’s digital world, IT support is more critical than ever, with companies intra- and interconnected, online presences, marketplaces, and more. So, top-tier IT support is crucial for customer and employee satisfaction and to optimize the process to reduce downtime or issues as much as possible.
One of the foundational principles is the five levels of IT support, which will enable you to deal with IT issues on an escalating ladder efficiently. This blog will look at the different IT support levels, what they cover and their benefits and challenges for your organization.
IT Support Level 0
Level 0, or tier 0, is the lowest level of IT support and generally is on a self-help level where the users can retrieve support documentation from web or mobile pages or apps. This can include manuals, FAQs, and blog posts, often in self-service portals.
Typical tasks on this level include password resets and new hardware or software requests.
The staffing needs for this involve the creation of these manuals and posts and their ongoing maintenance and updating.
IT Support Level 1
Level 1 constitutes the delivery of basic helpdesk support and provides mostly remote support for low-level IT issues, generally known problems that can be solved following scripts or existing documentation. The technical personnel required for this level will log all incidents and service requests. They will also escalate any issues that cannot be solved to level 2 or higher.
Examples of tasks on this level include resetting passwords, hardware and software issues, and basic network connectivity problems.
Typically, this level of support involves a help desk or a ticketing system and is usually sufficient for small businesses that do not have complex IT needs or in-house IT staff.
IT Support Level 2
Most technical support falls into level 2, where you will find more experienced technical support personnel with a more profound knowledge of products or services. These technicians will troubleshoot and solve issues not resolved on level 1. In turn, they will escalate issues to level 3 if their scope goes beyond the knowledge level of level 2 technicians.
Typical examples of issues on this level include data backups and recovery, backend support issues, and troubleshooting network connectivity issues and significant incidents.
More experienced technicians provide level 2 support and can work remotely or onsite. They also may create knowledgebase articles for end users and tier 1 agents, including documentation of issues and fixing attempts. These can be used for training for new agents or updates and refreshers.
Level 2 support is suitable for small and mid-sized businesses with more complex IT needs and typically comes at a higher price than Level 1 support.
IT Support Level 3
Any issues that cannot be solved in the lower levels will be escalated to level 3, which involves technicians who are product specialists and may include creators or engineers involved in the creation of the product or service.
This IT support level generally involves handling complex issues requiring more technical skills and expertise and may involve hardware or software customization and development. This may also include the creation of hotfixes in code, networks or new software. These technicians also provide more in-depth knowledge base articles to help end users and lower-level technicians.
Level 3 support is usually available onsite only and is provided by IT professionals with specialized knowledge in specific areas of IT.
This level of support is typically reserved for larger enterprises with complex IT environments.
IT Support Level 4
Level 4 usually involves third-party support for any issues not supported by the organization. This can include specialized printers, machines, vendor software or other outsourced services. Level 4 support may also come into play if warranties are involved.
Benefits & Challenges
All of these levels of IT support have their benefits and challenges, some of which are resolved by the multi-tiered approach to support.
The most significant benefits of level 0 of IT support are that it enables self-help for users through support documentation, offering a cost-effective and quick resolution for common issues, such as password resets. It also frees up staffing to take care of higher-level IT issues.
On the other hand, it relies heavily on users’ ability to access and understand documentation. Depending on the system’s complexity, maintenance and updating of support materials can be time-consuming.
Level 1 offers remote support for basic IT issues and is an efficient solution for small businesses with simple IT needs. It also logs incidents and service requests for analysis.
It only has a limited scope for handling complex issues and generally relies on predefined scripts and documentation.
The main benefits of level 2 are more experienced technicians who can troubleshoot and solve issues. They also can create knowledgebase articles for training. Generally, this level is suitable for small and mid-sized businesses with complex IT needs.
When looking at the downsides, it comes at a higher cost compared to level 1 support and may require a combination of remote and onsite support.
Finally, level 3 offers specialized product knowledge for complex issues and can help create in-depth knowledge base articles for training. It also usually provides onsite support for larger enterprises with intricate IT environments.
On the downside, it has limited availability to onsite support only and requires professionals with specific and advanced expertise.
Unlock the Full Potential of IT Support
Are you looking to unlock the full potential of IT support? Discover the unparalleled advantages of managed IT services and support and elevate your business to new heights. Contact us today to explore how 900Solutions can help organize your IT support levels.
900Solutions has been your elite team for tailored IT experiences for professional law firms in Toronto since 2013. We understand customer service is as essential as technical support, and our intricate knowledge of law firm applications will allow you to focus on law as we take care of the IT.
Contact us today at (833) 900-2677 or complete our convenient online form to learn more about how we can elevate your IT game.
