The Role of the Help Desk in IT Support

Technicians are on the Front Lines Helping People

When you look at all of the functions that a managed IT services company oversees for clients, the role of the help desk in IT support is often the one that is the most noticeable to computer users. Acting as the main point of contact when people need assistance, the Help Desk is on the front lines assisting people by answering questions and resolving problems that would otherwise prevent them from getting their jobs done.

Great Help Desk Technicians are Great Communicators

The stereotypical picture of a technology geek, eyes glued to their monitor, barely able to interact with others is definitely not what you find at the help desk of an IT support company. Help desk technicians love to interact with people and have great communication skills. In their role as problem solvers, they are experts at asking the right questions that will uncover the information that they need to track down the cause of the problem that the person or department is facing.

Empathy is an important attribute of any help desk technician. As you can imagine, people can get upset when things don’t go as they expect, and the stress of their situation comes out in their interaction with the people working to solve their problem. This sort of thing doesn’t faze the help desk. They understand that any issue can be a big issue to the person experiencing it, and they remain courteous and calm as they work to understand and then resolve the problem.

Proactive and Reactive IT Support Go Together

The role of the help desk in IT support is reactive in nature, and although it can be the most visible part of their company's outsourced IT department to clients, you could say it is just the tip of the managed IT services iceberg. What normal users do not see are all of the functions that go on behind the scenes that help them get best use of the technology tools that they use for their daily work.

With fully managed IT services, the client gains proactive support with IT guidance that helps their company to strategize the best uses of technology and plan for future improvement projects and investments. Proactive measures are always taking place to keep networks secure and optimize performance. The reactive and proactive sides of IT support overlap when trends reported from help desk data point to opportunities for proactive improvements.

Help Desk Support as an Entry Level and a Career Path

Effective help desk operations need to be staffed by people who have varying levels of expertise. A job on the help desk can be a great entry level position for a computer science graduate right out of school, but it also provides a very rewarding career path for those who are more experienced. Whatever the level of expertise, the best help desk experts are good at collaborating with each other. They are stimulated by the problem solving nature of the job and are personable communicators. They look at themselves not just as technology experts, but people helpers.