What is level 1, 2 & 3 IT support and what support do you need?

If you provide a product or service to your customers that may require technical support in the future, how that support is delivered can have a major impact on your brand. In this article, we'll chat about what each service desk support level is all about and how to make sure you’re delivering the best service for your customers at every level. 

IT Support and why it’s important for your business

Scaling a business often leads to support headaches, but using a managed IT services provider for IT help desk support can eliminate these challenges. With their help, your core team can focus on their strengths, you can scale without worrying about managing a growing number of support queries, and your customers will receive top-notch support experiences. 

Your service desk isn't just for solving technical issues. Your IT support team is also responsible for being a main point of contact for your customers post-sale. This means they need to be able to listen attentively, display appropriate levels of concern and compassion, and use soft skills to provide not only technical support but customer care when needed. 

There are several different tiers of technical assistance requests that a company may be asked to fulfill in a post-sales customer service setting. Most customer service requests are managed at tier one, having prompt, professional and effective level one service desk support is critical. Swift handling of any issue leads to better customer experience and higher customer retention levels. 

So, let’s look at some examples of what can be accomplished at each level and what types of businesses can benefit. 

What is level one IT support? The basics.

Level one support is for those basic IT issues that you can solve yourself with a little help. In general, level one IT techs are capable of handling most basic to intermediate customer support requests. At this support level, technicians can also answer many break/fix questions, and open tickets for issues that need to be upgraded to a higher level service desk team member. 

Level one IT support examples 

• Resetting passwords. 
• Configuration challenges. 
• Troubleshooting minor software issues. 
• Fixing hardware glitches. 

What type of businesses should get level one support? 

This type of support is perfect for individuals or small businesses that don't have a dedicated IT team, or providers of a product or service that may require technical support in the future. 

What is level two IT support? A little more complex. 

Level two support is for those more complex IT issues that require more expertise or queries the level one support personnel couldn't handle. This level of support service can usually resolve the bulk of customer issues not directly handled by interaction with a tier one technician, making them the main line of support for opened tickets. 

Level two IT support examples 

• Coordinating on-site or in-centre hardware repairs or replacements if there is a catastrophic failure or breakage that can't be remedied. 
• Configuring a new software. 

What type of businesses should get level two support? 

This type of support is great for small to medium-sized businesses that need a little more IT support than what level one can offer. 

What is level three IT support? The critical stuff. 

Level three support is for those critical IT issues that can bring your business to a standstill. At this service level, complex issues related to software and hardware are typically handled by specialists after previous service levels have failed to resolve an issue.  

In some cases, a level one service desk technician may recognise a problem that will require level three support and open a ticket assigned directly to this level. The service tech handling these problems will have specific expertise with the hardware or software affected. 

Level three IT support examples 

• Administration, network, and other infrastructure issues. 
• Addressing data loss. 
• Supporting with a major hardware failure. 

What type of businesses should get level three support? 

This type of support is essential for large businesses that need a quick resolution to serious technical problems. 

What is level four IT support? Third-party experts. 

Level four support is for the rare service request that requires outside support from a vendor or a specialist. These support requests are passed on to the correct party for handling and the service desk team takes on more of a customer service and feedback role, checking in with the customer to make sure their issue was resolved. 

Level four IT support examples 

• Skills related to a component or piece of software/hardware not directly provided by the company. 
• The design and architecture of an organisation's IT infrastructure. 

What type of businesses should get level four support? 

This type of support is essential for large enterprises and organisations that need the highest level of IT support. 

Is level zero a thing? 

Also known as "self-service support", level zero support is the first line of support that users can access on their own, without involving IT support personnel. At the most basic level are customer questions that have simple answers and don't actually require direct assistance from a service desk technician. These queries can often be handled by having an FAQ page or other self-service option such as a chatbot that draws answers from a knowledge center to assist customers. A good example of a tier zero question is "Where is the model number on my modem?" 

How can you tell what level of support you need? 

Most organisations will need support at all levels from time to time, so it’s important to choose a provider that has the capacity to deliver at any level. A quick discussion with them will tell you what level of support should be adequate for your requirements and whether they are equipped to be flexible according to your changing needs. 

What to look out for in an IT service provider for your help desk 

There are several metrics that matter when it comes to service desk support: 

• Speed of response: When customers have an issue or question, they want to be heard right away. Providing a quick response is a huge selling point in today's fast-paced world. When help isn't available quickly, customers may start to lose trust in your brand. 
• Speed of resolution: Let's make sure every issue gets resolved on the first try! No customer should have to reach out multiple times to fix the same problem. By fixing issues promptly and effectively, you can show your customers how much you value them and their experience. 
• Effectiveness of support: The quality of support you provide is just as important as the speed. Our goal is not just to fix the problem, but to make sure it stays fixed. By being proactive and providing helpful tools, you can show your customers that you care and want to help them in the long run. 

And remember, delivering support with a smile is key to keeping your customers happy. If you don't have the right people or skills to handle support requests, you need to make changes so you can continue to offer the best experience possible. Nothing is more important than your customers feeling valued and satisfied. 

Speak to a pro 

At The Missing Link, our highly responsive, well-trained Service Desk team will handle your technical support needs with knowledge, skill and professionalism. We are available to your customers 24/7 to help with a wide range of issues. By outsourcing your IT, you can reduce the cost to handle each service request while providing superior customer service. 

To learn more, explore our service desk options today. 

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