Different kinds of IT helpdesk issues require different amounts of time, knowledge, and skill to resolve. If users can’t DIY the problem through available self-service resources (Level 0), then Level 1 support can resolve many common helpdesk issues. If Level 1 support can’t fix the problem, the technician escalates it to Level 2. If necessary, it then gets escalated to your senior staff for Level 3 resolution.
Smart help ticket escalation requires skilled helpdesk personnel, clear protocols, well-integrated systems, and sensible management. For instance, if you don’t give users the tools to resolve their own Level 0 requests, these requests will all get kicked up to Level 1, unnecessarily tying up technicians who should be solving more complex issues. A helpdesk that spends too much time on Level 1 requests is just spinning its wheels without resolving anything, which leads to a backlog of unfulfilled help tickets. The sooner your helpdesk technicians recognize the genuine need to escalate a help ticket, the more smoothly this aspect of your IT services will proceed.
If you want to optimize your IT helpdesk escalation, you must establish how long a help ticket can and should remain at any one level before being kicked upstairs. For example, your protocols might state that a Level 1 ticket can only eat up 20 minutes before the technician must escalate it to Level 2, or that a Level 2 ticket must get escalated to Level 3 after 60 minutes. You must also set clear boundaries as to what kinds of problems merit leap-frogging to the higher levels immediately.
Outsourcing your low-level help tickets to Gravity Helpdesk can ensure smart, sensible help ticket escalation for your company. Our SLAs spell out exactly how, when, and why we escalate help requests from our team to yours. Contact us today so we can discuss your helpdesk needs.