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What is Tier 1 Support? Learn about Tier 1, Tier 2 & Tier 3 IT Support Levels

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In order to better serve the customers or users, services are divided into Tiers or Levels. As a result, a common support structure revolves around a three-layered system. Tier 1 support or Level 1 IT support, followed by Tier 2 & Tier 3 tech support.

Tier 1 Support or Level 1 Support Services

Tier 1 support is first line of support. This team is responsible for basic issues faced by the customers or users. It is synonymous with first-line support or level 1 support or tier-1 tech support denoting basic technical or non-technical support functions. Tier-1 support handles the highest support traffic & thus is the face of your company or your company’s IT team.

The Approach:

Tier 1 Support or tier 1 IT support services are the support level responsible for basic customer issues. The first task of a Level 1 support engineer is to gather customer information and determine the issue the customer is facing. Level 1 tech support specialists analyze the symptoms and determine the underlying problem. When analyzing the symptoms, it is important for the tech support rep to identify what the customer is trying to accomplish. This is to ensure that time is not wasted on attempting to solve a symptom instead of a problem. The tier 1 tech specialist begins resolving the issue after identifying the underlying problem.

Issues Covered under Tier 1 or Level 1 Support

  • ✓ Triage
  • ✓ Filters help desk support calls
  • ✓ User Life-Cycle Management
  • ✓ Account unlock
  • ✓ Password Reset – VPN, O365, AD, G-Suite
  • ✓ Granting access rights
  • ✓ Microsoft Active Directory, MS Office 365 User Management
  • ✓ Manage distribution lists, Shared mailboxes, Calendars membership
  • ✓ Spam filtering requests like whitelisting & blocking
  • ✓ End Point Management
  • ✓ Remote troubleshooting of peripherals
  • ✓ Remote Troubleshooting of computer issues like slow computers, cache clearing etc
  • ✓ Common Outlook errors, Excel not opening
  • ✓ Updating OS & drivers
  • ✓ Basic O365 issues
  • ✓ Install, uninstall applications
  • ✓ Application navigation assistance
  • ✓ High-level application usage or How-to questions
  • ✓ Google Suite Management
  • ✓ Gather all information & screenshots for Escalation to Level 2 or Level 3 support
  • ✓ Ticket creation & allocation to relevant teams
  • ✓ Monitoring & responding to server notifications
  • ✓ Call on-duty service technicians for P1 issues

Tier-1 or L1 Support Capabilities

Tier 1 technical support reps have a good understanding of the product or service but may not be competent enough to solve complex tickets. The goal of this group is to handle 70%-80% of the issues to meet the requirements of the SLA contract, before finding it necessary to escalate.

tier 1 technical support, tier 2, tier 3 support

Tier 2 Support or Level 3 Support Services

This is more in-depth technical support. It costs more than tier 1 as the tech support reps are more experienced and knowledgeable on a particular product or service. It is synonymous with support level 2 or L2 support, administrative support denoting advanced technical troubleshooting and analysis methods.

Tech support service specialists in this realm of knowledge are responsible for assisting tier 1 reps in solving basic technical problems. They are also responsible for investigating elevated tickets by confirming the validity of the problem and seeking known solutions.

Prior to the troubleshooting process, it is important that the technicians review the task or support ticket to see what has already been accomplished by the L1 team.

By having the above information, the tech support team is able to prioritize the troubleshooting process and properly manage time. If a problem is new and/or tech support rep from this group cannot determine a solution, they are responsible for raising this issue to this support group.

This may include software repair, diagnostic testing, and the utilization of remote control tools used to take over the user’s machine for the sole purpose of troubleshooting and finding a solution to the problem.

Level support team helps to find whether or not the customer is experiencing problems due to environmental factors or if the problem lies with the product.

What do we offer under Tier 2 support?

  • ✓ In-depth low-level technical support service desk.
  • ✓ Skilled and knowledgeable technicians to assess issues.
  • ✓ Support engineers with deep tech knowledge & experience with all help desk software solutions.
  • ✓ Elevating customer experience by presenting fast and permanent solutions.

Tier 3 Support or Level 3 Support Services

This is the highest level of support in a three-layered technical support model responsible for handling the most difficult or advanced problems. It is synonymous with L3 support denoting expert troubleshooting and resolution methods.

Out of the 3 tech support levels, L3 professionals are experts in their fields and are responsible for assisting both L1 and L2 personnel. They are responsible for the research and development of solutions to new or unknown issues.

Note that L3 engineers offer the same services as L2 technicians in reviewing the work order and assessing the time already spent on the issue. This helps them prioritize tickets and manage time efficiently.

This support group determines whether a problem can be solved, and is also responsible for the following:

  1. Designing and developing one or more courses of action.
  2. Evaluating each of these courses in a test environment.
  3. Implementing the best solution to the problem.

Once the support solution is verified, the L3 professional resolves the issue. The help desk problems & solutions are also added to the internal knowledge portal for future troubleshooting and support.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Technical Support?

Technical support (often shortened to tech support) refers to services that entities provide to users of technology products or services. In general, technical support reps provide help with tech-specific problems with a product or service.

What are the different levels of tech support?

There are mainly three levels of tech support:

  • ✓ Tier 1 Tech Support
  • ✓ Tier 2 Tech Support
  • ✓ Tier 3 Tech Support

What is the difference between T1, T2, and T3?

Tier 1: Tech support team resolves simple tickets. Their primary responsibility is initial customer contact, logging a support case & resolving simple issues. Tier-1 team is responsible for SLA compliance

Tier 2: Tech support team has the knowledge and skills to resolve complicated (as compared to Tier 1) tickets and will often use remote control tools.

Tier 3: Tech support team carries maximum experience & generally comprises of product developers & engineers. This team is brought in when resolution requires design change to the product.

What is Tier 1 tech support?

Tier 1 tech support is the first line of technical support team responsible for basic customer issues. It is synonymous with first-line support or level 1 support resolving basic technical or semi-technical issues.

What is Tier 2 tech support?

Tier 2 tech support is more in-depth technical support. It costs more than tier 1 as the tech support reps are more experienced and knowledgeable with the specific product or service. It is synonymous with support level 2 or L2 support, administrative support denoting advanced technical troubleshooting and analysis methods.

What is Tier 3 tech support?

Tier 3 tech support is the highest level of support in a three-layered technical support model. This team is responsible for handling the most difficult or complex problems. It is synonymous with L3 support denoting expert troubleshooting and resolution methods.

What services are offered by Tier 1 tech support specialist?

Tech support specialists in Tier 1 support or Level 1 support typically handle straightforward and simple problems while possibly using knowledge base tools & step-by-step guides. This includes troubleshooting methods such as verifying the physical layer, resolving username and password issues, verification of proper hardware and software set up, and assistance with navigating around application menus.

What services are offered by Tier 2 tech support specialist?

Tech support specialists in Tier 2 are responsible for software repair, diagnostics, testing, and the utilization of remote control tools. L2 teams often take control of user’s computer for the purpose of troubleshooting and finding a solution to the problem.

What services are offered by Tier 3 tech support specialist?

Tech support specialists in Tier 3 are responsible for fixing low level issues related to hardware or code or architecture. L3 team works in close coordination with the developers or product managers.

What are IT or Technical Support Tiers?

Tech support tiers, also known as support levels, is the scope of technical assistance provided for an IT software or hardware product. It is usually classified into 3 categories: Tier 1 or L1, Tier 2 or L2, Tier 3, or L3. The support is categorized based on the complexity of the issue.

What are the benefits of IT Support Tiers?

IT help desk tech support services levels help optimize staffing cost, improve resource utilization & deliver high customer satisfaction score. Simple issues are directed to the T1 team. They have lesser experience and are less expensive. Unresolved support issues are sent to the T2 team. The 3rd  team is responsible for complex issues and they are the most expensive asset.

What are the responsibilities of IT Support?

Some common responsibilities of the IT support team are as follows:

  • ✓ Monitoring of computer networks and systems.
  • ✓ Logging customers’ and employees’ support tickets.
  • ✓ Responding to call-outs on time.
  • ✓ Diagnosing and solving hardware or software faults.
  • ✓ Review logs to discover any underlying problems or trends.