In today’s digitally-driven world, it is paramount for all businesses to have a reliable information technology (IT) system for operational success. And with the amount of energy, effort, and talent you and your employees have put into building your organization into a paragon of its industry, your company does not deserve to fall behind.
To ensure that your technology is up and running, it is important to have an IT support network in place to provide you with technical assistance whenever it is required. In your journey, you are sure to come across IT support providers that structure their technology support services according to strict levels (or tiers).
This guide will look at the different IT support levels you may come across, what they mean for your company, and what you should look for when choosing an IT support provider.
What is IT support?
IT support (or technical support) is a service offered by managed service providers (MSPs) to help businesses maintain their IT systems and resolve any technical issues that arise. MSPs often provide a range of services, such as system setup, server maintenance, troubleshooting, and network optimization.
Technical support representatives—the individuals that make up IT support teams—typically specialize in different areas of IT, making their expertise unrivaled and their support invaluable. The primary goal of IT support is to keep your company’s technology running smoothly for 24/7 operational excellence.
Your company’s IT tools define the quality of your products and services. Technical support teams are actively invested in your network systems. They want to make sure you can continue to use your IT tools effectively to improve business processes and increase productivity.
What advantages does IT support offer businesses?
In 2022, the American market for IT spending hit “a value of USD 1.25 trillion”. It is not a secret that technology is now synonymous with business, particularly in today’s market, where customers expect you to deliver your services and products round the clock. Consequently, having a technical support representative on hand provides companies with several benefits.
They are:
- Save money and time by resolving technical issues before they lead to downtime.
- Maintain cybersecurity standards that ensure compliance.
- Enhance employee productivity with relevant tools that work.
- Improve the customer experience by reducing the chances of IT (and process) failures.
- Access to advice on how to maximize your technical efficiency, providing you with new ways to improve your devices’ performance and streamline operations.
All in all, technology support services can supply you with a professional team that can manage the health of your IT environment for streamlined workflows and more satisfied customers.
What are the 5 IT support levels?
An IT support system can be divided into 5 levels that grow in complexity the higher up you go. In circumstances where it is possible for you to fix your own IT issues, you would slip into the lowest tier. At the same time, if it is not possible for you to overcome your pain point on your own, you will find yourself in one of the higher levels.
With that being said, support levels are different for every organization. When undertaking IT support, you are likely to experience variations in the levels.
But, generally speaking, the support tiers are as follows:
Level 0 IT support
Level 0 IT support is the most basic level of IT support. At this stage, the power to overcome your organization’s technical problems is in your hands. You will typically use self-serve tools and resources to acquire information, such as customer portals, online tutorials, forums, catalogs, frequently asked questions (FAQs), social media channels, etc. It is unlikely that you will interact with a technical support representative at this stage.
Tier 0 is an excellent support choice for minor issues. However, if your problem is too complicated, your IT provider should escalate your situation to the tier above—level 1 IT support.
Level 1 IT support
At this stage, IT support professionals are tasked with basic services, such as username and password resets, and assessing the performance of software applications. Level 1 support staff resolve customer problems using standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Level 1 IT support can quickly patch everyday technical issues, requiring you to spend less time away from your clients, team members, and business. If the support personnel at this stage are unable to help you, they will pass you on to the next level up.
Level 2 IT support
Level 2 is occupied by veteran customer support and IT staff that are familiar with your organization’s technical environment, goals, and workflows. Level 2 support staff can perform more sophisticated network examinations, accessing your systems through the backend to uncover the root of your technology issues.
Providers of technology support services understand that your IT tools must be functioning correctly to uphold your business’s standards. Tier 2 support delves deeper into your technical problems, providing you with an explanation for why the problem occurred and how it can be resolved. This information can be incorporated into your business’s processes and IT strategy, mitigating the likelihood of it happening again and keeping your tools productive.
Level 3 IT support
A level 3 technical support representative has a strong understanding of the IT tools your business uses. They can also leverage the most advanced resources to recreate your IT issues, determine their causes, and develop solutions to solve them. At this stage, the problems that companies are experiencing are highly complex. Consequently, Tier 3’s subject matter experts work at a design/code level to give themselves the best chance of solving your technical pain points.
In business, the unexpected can always happen. And when you throw technology into the mix, problems can range from minor to major, fluctuating in the blink of an eye. Aside from fixing issues, level 3 support also provides documentation for the lower tiers to strengthen everyone’s understanding of potential complications and their solutions. This way, any future problems your organization encounters can be solved quickly, regardless of the complexity.
Level 4 IT support
At level 4, certain technology support services are passed onto outsourced professionals who work in areas that your IT support provider may not service. For example, if your organization’s printers are not working and your regular support provider does not offer printer support services, your issue will be given to another party for them to resolve. However, your normal provider will keep in contact with them, prioritizing your needs while monitoring the other entity’s progress.
MSPs’ expertise covers the IT landscape, but there are situations where technical issues are best solved by product vendors. With level 4 support, you can have peace of mind knowing that your business’s technology is being given its best chance of survival while being overseen by your trusted IT support provider.
What to look for in an IT support provider
When looking for an IT support provider, you should consider their:
- Experience: Look for a provider that has a proven track record of success in fixing technical issues. Study their clients and make sure to check reviews to ensure that their customers have had positive experiences with them.
- Expertise: Make sure that the provider you are considering has the necessary expertise to handle the needs of your business. Ask about their qualifications and certifications in software, hardware, and other IT services. All the technical staff across the various IT support levels should be able to support your organization’s IT tools.
- Availability: Ensure that the provider you select is available when you need them. Ask about their hours of operation (for their service desk and other services) and response times to queries to make sure that they will be available when your business needs them.
- Cost: Make sure that you are getting the best value for your money. Ask about their service-level agreements (SLAs) and pricing methods. A support provider’s services should be customizable to satisfy your financial needs.
- Security: Inquire about the provider’s security protocols and measures to ensure that your data is always secure. Your support specialist is likely to interact with your organization’s information throughout your partnership. Inquire as to what their security policies are regarding their clients.
- Scalability: Look for an IT support provider that can accommodate your business’s changing needs. Make sure they are able to scale their services up or down as needed.
By making sure to consider these six important factors, you can make sure that you are selecting the best IT support provider for your business. With the right provider in place, you can rest assured that your technology needs will be well taken care of.
Technology support services from Columbus for businesses across the US
An IT system that provides you with the ability to remain competitive in the business landscape is a tool that you must have in your possession. A technical support representative, along with the various IT support levels, can keep your technology operating effectively.
The IT support specialists at Skynet MTS have the expertise your business needs to overcome its technical pain points. Talk to the Skynet MTS team today for full-scale access to technology support services that will upgrade your company’s IT tools, boost your employees’ productivity, and grow your revenue.