Are you a business owner or manager who is looking for the best possible IT support? If so, then it’s essential to understand your options and how each tier of IT support service differs. Over 60% of high-growth companies take advantage of an outsourced help desk to reach their goals — why not do the same with yours?
By 2023, the help desk market is expected to reach $11 billion dollars in total valuel. On top of this, the managed services market for 2027 registered a compounded annual growth rateCAGR of 12.44 percent.
Image Credit: Statista
Your help desk partner should break down their services into tiers of IT support, following a longstanding industry framework called the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL). But what do those tiers mean for the end user? Let’s take a look at each of the tiers of IT support.
Exploring the Different IT Support Tiers
What is the difference between different IT support tiers?
An IT issue is classified into three tiers based on how complex or difficult it is, and the degree of technical skill required to resolve it.
IT support generally consists of “tier zero” through “tier three”:
- Tier 0/ Level 0
- Tier 1/ Level 1
- Tier 2/ Level 2
- Tier 3/ Level 3
Technical support teams and managed service providers (MSPs) do not necessarily use the same terminology when describing tiered technical support, so it’s important to take into account how each MSP models their support structures.
Wondering if you’re getting the most out of your MSP? Check out these resources: |
IT Support Tiers Explained: An In-Depth Analysis
In most cases, an IT support engagement begins with a tier 1 technician diagnosing a technical problem and taking action to solve it themselves, or escalating the case to a higher-level technician depending on the complexity.
So, why include a tier 0 IT support tier?
Tier 0 Support
Tech support at tier 0 refers to information and services a user can find on their own when troubleshooting a problem. This is often referred to as “self-service.”.
Technical support teams don’t usually list tier 0 when it comes to direct services, since tier 0 does not require human interaction.
This category includes resources such as:
- Online information
- Customer FAQ forums
- E-manuals
- Search functions
- Guides
Users may contact service desks for additional customer support if they are unable to resolve their technical issue with free-to-access products and services.
Tier 1 Support
Usually, when users call, email, or chat for rapid technical support, they are matched with a tier 1 technician. Some common examples of problems usually solved within Level 1 IT technical support tiers include:
- Resetting passwords
- Access authorization
- Spam filtering
- Application management
- Updating systems and networks
- Application installation
- Monitoring server notifications
If the tier 1 tech can’t resolve the issue, they’ll escalate the ticket to a more senior tier 2 expert.
Tier 2 Support
The tier 2 support tech follows a more direct and personalized approach to resolving your IT issues.
Experts at tier 2 typically perform the following tasks:
- Troubleshooting persistent software issues remotely
- Testing diagnostics
- Fixing computer problems remotely
Technicians within level 2 IT technical support tiers are often more experienced tier 1 staff with specialized expertise in network engineering and specialized software.
Are you curious to have the difference between IT support tiers explained in further detail? Get in touch with our experienced team today and we can point you in the right direction!
Take Advantage of Expert Insight & Support
Tier 3 Support
In most cases, tier 3 is a MSP’s highest level of technical support.
In the event of an IT system failure or emergency, tier 2 technicians can provide the best response with quality customer service and support.
A tier 3 IT support technician will:
- Troubleshoot complex IT issues
- Identify and fix operating systems
- Install and manage specialized software
- Analyze crash dumps to determine the cause
- Backup and restore critical data
- Configure hardware and software patches
Technicians at level 3 IT support tiers can determine the root cause of any technical problem users might encounter, rather than just solving it for you. This helps prevent the same problems from harming your operations again.
It is not uncommon for tier 3 support staff to recommend a new product or software solutions and IT strategies to mitigate future issues.
Get Full IT Support with NetGain Technologies
So, what is the difference between different IT support tiers?
Here’s a summary of IT support tiers explained:
Our support system is designed to provide you with the best possible experience, ensuring your needs are taken care of no matter how complex.
At our first level we can easily identify any issues you may have and troubleshoot basic problems, while IT support tiers 2 and 3 offer you specialized help and support personnel as needed—with access to the highest level of expertise 24 hours a day.
We pride ourselves in our ability to offer you a superior customer experience. We have a breadth of technical capabilities and over 200 experienced technicians, all from your community.
Our team of experts is available 24×7 to provide everything from basic problem identification and general troubleshooting, all the way up to advanced resolution techniques tailored towards specialized issues.
Don’t let tech problems slow you down. Connect today for more info about how we can help.
