Tier – I Support

This is a basic level of customer support. The technical support representative is a generalist with a broad understanding of the information technology and may not understand the inner workings. They would identify a users needs and provide tips on how to manage a problem.  They also have the ability to log into your computer and control it remotely.

Tier-1 support usually provides a 24-hour service 7 days per week.  Typically the Tier 1 specialist is able to handle 75% of all calls within 15 minutes. When a tier-1 support employee is not able to resolve the issue within about 15 minutes, they classify the problem and pass it on to the appropriate tier-2 employee. At this point, an issue tracking ticket is issued to our client.

Tier – II Support

Tier-II support involves technical knowledge and is staffed by technicians who have troubleshooting capabilities beyond the tier-1 employees. The technicians tend to have a specialization and will determine which specialization best matches the customer’s needs before helping him. If their technical specialization is one that can help the customer, the tech then determines whether this problem is a new issue or an existing one. Advanced diagnostic tools and data analysis may be utilized at this point.

If the issue is an existing one, the tier-II specialist then finds out if there is a solution or a workaround. The customer is then told how to fix their problem or we would remote into the users computer and resolve the issue directly. Tier 2 is typically able to handle 92% of the calls.  However, in some cases they may not be able to solve the issue.  In that case, the tier-II desk adds an ticket to move up the chain to deploy a technical support representative to your site.

If a customer experiences a new issue, further analysis has to be done to see if it can be dealt with. The help desk employee would then explain to the customer how to fix their issue or the technical support pro would log into the users computer and resolve the problem remotely.  Tier 2 is typically able to handle 92% of the calls.  However, if the tech cannot fix the problem at this tier, the problem goes to tier-III. In that case, the tier-II desk adds an ticket to move up the chain to deploy a technical support representative to your site.

Tier – III Support

Tier-III requires a person who has specialized skills over and above the work the techs do in tier II. This support is usually provided by the specialists. They deal with complex issues. To solve the problem, they will collect as much data as possible from the employees at tiers 1 and 2.  They may need to make an onsite visit to solve the problem.

Comparing Service Plans