Global Help Desk

A help desk is a resource to provide information and assistance in troubleshooting computer problems. Organizations provide help desk support to customers and employees to aid with hardware and software problems. These services are often provided via toll-free telephone numbers, website interfaces, or e-mail messages. Help desk support falls under the organizational umbrella of Information Technology services but is sometimes part of a larger service desk within the company.

The help desk is managed using help desk software, or an issue tracking system, that assigns unique tracking numbers to user requests. Sometimes, these tracking numbers are referred to as bugs or tickets. Software applications that support help desks organize these tracking numbers by function, department, or application.

Help desk support specialists are designated by levels, or tiers, of support they provide. First-level help desk support includes answering frequently asked questions and resolving common problems that repeatedly arise for users. Issue tracking software is sometimes used to create a knowledgebase or FAQ section that enables users to solve these problems without assistance once the help desk technician has posted detailed instructions about how to do so.

If a user’s technical problem is not resolved with first-level support, the issue is escalated to second-level help desk support. Help desk specialists working second-level support are more technically skilled to handle more complex problems. Some organizations have third-level or higher technicians to resolve very specific software needs.