IT - Service Desk (IT job, employee, interviewed, application)

[meekocat]

A couple of questions for IT peeps out there.

1) Define 1st level, 2nd level and 3rd level support?

2) What kind of training from the new employer should be expected?

I'm currently working 60+ at a new Support Analyst position. Our manager keeps insisting we do 1st level support. Our support consists of provisioning new users, modifications and terminations, password resets, PC builds, running around fixing PC's, thin clients (they suck), dealing with a ton of Citrix and VDI issues, remoting in and fixing internal and external users with the same issues, training clients on our software (remotely), constantly troubleshooting issues with web-based but antiquated applications, working with partners responsible for a couple of applications as well payroll information and client e-learning.

Also includes monitoring server issues and escalating (although the network team handles most of those alerts).

We're pretty much not allowed to do a lot of escalation so I'm balking at the fact that we're considered 1st level support, when we're pretty much expected to do everything. If you have to escalate to someone else, they consider you to be unknowledgeable about desktop support.

[johnp292]

1st, 2nd, 3rd level are pretty much determined by whatever the particular IT shop you are working in deems them to be. I'd consider the stuff you described to be a mixture of 1st and 2nd, but if your boss says that you're level 1, that's what you are.

[ohardin]

I have worked years at different helpdesks. Usually they mean 1st level of support is helpdesk, 2nd level is desktop support and 3rd level is everything above - server team, networking team etc.

Two comments - one is that I worked at a level one helpdesk where they expected a high resolution rate. The good part of that is when I interviewed for higher level IT jobs that I could say that I fixed x amount of issues and gave specific examples. I really emphasized I did more than reset passwords and ask people to reboot.

My other comment is that when I was at the helpdesk I THOUGHT that I fixed most issues but when I was at level 3 realized that I only fixed the easier ones. When you are at higher levels you also don't usually have the luxury of passing a ticket on to another team.

[Serious Conversation]

I've worked in very rigid, large help desks where ohardin's rules generally held true, and a small shop where the help desk guy did desktop support and other more advanced things. It sounds like you're at level 2.

[unixfed]

1) In a three tier model, from the business perspective (typically leadership push to implement this), it has a lot to do with ROI.

The first line of support (tier 1) typically field all of the calls, gather information, and utilize basic knowledge and procedures to solve a majority of issues. Tier 1 is typically your lowest paid group of the bunch and resolves around 75% of all issues.

Second tier is the next level of escalation for unique issues or issues beyond the scope of tier 1. By the time an issue gets to tier 2, information should have already been collected along with documentation of what troubleshooting steps have been provided. Tier 2 is typically your senior level help desk, desktop support, etc. Tier 2 is also modestly paid and resolves 22% or so of the issues that come through.

Third tier is where you have your systems and network administrators/engineers and your top gun support. This group typically resolves about 3% of all incidents and should only be utilized when absolutely necessary. This group is typically well compensated.

The purpose for this model is to have a specified flow of incidents and escalations, defined procedures, and positions the lowest cost employees in the very front taking the majority of the calls. Reason being, it costs more for your higher tier employees to resolve issues than the lower tiers.

2) At the minimum, a new employee should receive training on the organization, the environment, and the essentials necessary to do the job. Preferably, training should include career advancement and a clearly defined path for growth.