End User support

IT End User Support

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Introduction
Soft Logic Company has hired me as a help desk technician for the existing help desk.
The company has around 500 staff at 5 different branches around the Sri Lanka. It has
department s for Software Development, Hardware Sales, Training, Facilities
Management, Accounting and Personnel.
In this report Im going to investigate what are the common problems in the company
and solutions for them. How to manage the help desk staff appropriate way.

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Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Task 01...........................................................................................................................6
1.1...............................................................................................................................6
1.1.1 Help Desk......................................................................................................6
1.1.2 End User........................................................................................................6
1.1.3 Common types of problems..........................................................................7
1.2 What is a System Downtime................................................................................9
2. Be able to provide user support................................................................................10
2.1 Propose a suitable way to monitor and document user support technical
activities...................................................................................................................10
2.2 Different way to support an end user.................................................................12
3. Be able to create user support programmes.............................................................19
3.1 User Support Manual.........................................................................................19
Login to the System.............................................................................................19
Connecting to the Network..................................................................................20
Printing Documents..............................................................................................23
3.2 Create a training course and IT policies to be presented to new employees of
the company.............................................................................................................26
3.3

Produce a system maintenance and disaster recovery plan...........................29

Conclusion....................................................................................................................32
Referencing..................................................................................................................33
Gantt chart....................................................................................................................34

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Figure 1 Log File..........................................................................................................15

Figure 2 Logging interface...........................................................................................19
Figure 3 Desktop..........................................................................................................20
Figure 4 Network icon.................................................................................................20
Figure 5 Network icon.................................................................................................21
Figure 6 Start Menu.....................................................................................................21
Figure 7 Control Panel.................................................................................................21
Figure 8 Network and Sharing Center..........................................................................22
Figure 9 Trouble Shoot.................................................................................................22
Figure 10 Detecting problems......................................................................................23
Figure 11 Printing Option.............................................................................................24
Figure 12 Printing Option............................................................................................24

Table 1 Common Problems............................................................................................8

Table 2 Maintains schedule..........................................................................................29
Table 3 Recovery Plan..................................................................................................31

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Task 01
1.1
1.1.1 Help Desk
Department with a company support for users for their technical problems. Whether
they are internal workers or external clients. Most IT companies have this help desk
stuff to respond to questions from their customers. These companies usually answer
for these technical questions using E mails, telephone, web sites or online chat.
Organizations frequently structure their help desks into several levels of support.
They are:
1. Customer
2. Incident Screener (Level 1 Support)
3. Product Specialists (Level 2 Support)
4. Technical Support (Level 3 Support)
5. Support Manager (Level 4 Support)
Some common names for a help desk; Customer Support Center, Technical Support
Center, IT Solution Center and Information Center.

1.1.2 End User

An end user is a person that a software or hardware product is designed from the
developers, installers, and servicers of the product, who uses the product after it has
been fully developed and marketed. Organizations provide technical support to their
knowledge workers; it is helpful to recognize the different types of end users.

1.1.3 Common types of problems

In this Soft logic company we can see common types of problem with end users.
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What are the common types problems with End users?
Hardware Problems
Software Problems
User Problems
Vendor problems
Network Problems
Problems

Solution

Hardware installation problem, Printer

not working.

Ask to download drivers for particular printer

and install them step by step.

Hardware failure problem, Processor not

support to the motherboard.

When buying a processor and motherboard

look their performance equal to the each
other.

Software installation problem, Microsoft Checking the product key in the Microsoft
package product key not working.
official web site and download the key for
particular version of package.
Software Compatible problem, Installing Installing winnows 7 64bit OS can be resolve
Visual studio 2012 in windows 7 32 bit
the problem.
OS.
One of the web systems is down.

First asking for the error number .according

to the error number providing the solution.

Emails not working.

They are using a Microsoft exchange server.

Troubleshooting the exchange server.

Cannot transfer files for specific folders.

Checking the folder ownership and writing

permissions.

Router not working, cant access to the

internet

Checking the router configuration can be

resolving the problem.

Anti-virus guard out of the date.

Check new updates for the anti-virus guard

from the internet and download them and
install.

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Table 1 Common Problems

1.2 What is a System Downtime

System downtime is in particular time machines and systems are not functional or
cannot work. That means machine or technology is unavailable for use. It may be due
to technical maintenance, technical failure, power failure and non-availability of
inputs such as materials and labor power.
Soft Logic Company has six departments and 500 staff working 5 different branches
around the Sri Lanka. If there are in system downtime in this company its mainly
affected for the user productivity.
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When customer needs to contact the customer care to know about the productivity,
when trying to refer about the productivity, staff cannot log in to their system for get
the details about the productivity. Because when the system is down they cannot refer
about the product. This is time consuming. They cannot switch to another department
because system is down they cant connect with directly with them. They have to use
manual system to do all of this stuff. When they doing manually company will loses
their customers.
When we are doing online transaction using company web site customer has to enter
his details about transaction. If the system is down customer cant enter his details
about the transaction. Customer wants to buy some product, but system is not
working. He cant log in to the site to know about the product details before
purchasing it. If this customer wants to buy that product at that time, he will look
another organization to buy that product. Because customer doesnt want to waste his
time. Then Company will lose thousands of customers in this system down time.

2. Be able to provide user support

2.1 Propose a suitable way to monitor and document user support
technical activities.

Monitoring and documenting will help for help desk staff to improve their customer
service to customers. Because when they are monitoring they can track their call for
future tasks. They can find what they have to learn like knowledge about the products,
what are the faults and what are the skills must be improve. Some of the methods are
given below.

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Monitoring Customer calls
Every company has own monitoring customer service. When using this monitoring
system they can identify how they sound to customers, how they use that knowledge
to make corrections to their service. This method useful for future purpose also.
Example:
We can use call recoding system. If we are using this monitoring system we can hear
conversation between customers and help desk staff. When customer asking about
hardware problem how the help desk member respond to that problem and how to
resolve that problem using his knowledge and How is conversation skill with
customer. These things can identify using this monitoring system.

Call Logging
Call logging is the practice of listening to, recording and assessing interactions
between call center agents and customers. These practices are used for staff training
and development, customer quality control and liability protection.

Asking Customer for feedback

We can find that simply asking customers what they think of the service is an
effective way to point problem areas. We can apply this technique chatting with a
customer after a transaction is complete. Most of using scripted questioner or ask
customers to complete a survey from given information about the quality of service
they received.
Example:
After the conversation done we can tell to customer send the feedback about the
services what he got. How is agent respond to the problem, how is his listing to the
customer, is he doing it fast or slow, how is his knowledge about the product. Then
customer can rate that conversation sending feedback.

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Reviewing Written Correspondence

All types of written correspondence, including letters, emails and live chat records,
can provide important information about how your staff handling customers. Let your
employees know that their interactions could be monitored prior to doing so, which
will ensure a better attitude from your staff about the process.

2.2 Different way to support an end user

When we are connecting with customer we are using different ways to connect with
them. In this soft logic company, they can user different ways to connect with them.
They are:

Emails, Chat
Person to Person
Over the Phone
User Manuals
Remotely

Emails, Chat

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The ability to communicate effectively via email and instant messaging (chat) is an
important writing skill for user support specialists. This type of communications
service that enables you to create a kind of private chat room with another individual
in order to communicate in real time over the internet. This communication is text
based. Using this method customer can get instantly answers for their problems. They
can just want to text the problem over the chat room. They can ask any of questions
through this system, it easy to use. Example for live chat services:

Kayako (www.kayako.com)
SmarterTrack (www.smartertools.com)
ReadyDesk (www.readydesk.com)

Person to Person
This is a way to get help from a person who work in help desk can talk to face to face.
When we want to get help from a help desk staff we can use this method also. If we
want to buy a product and want to know about that product, we can get help from that
person. Talk to each other can resolve the problem easily.

Over the phone

Using phone customers can connect with help desk staff to get their help and its call
customer care services. When customer having a problem with the product he can
easily make a call to that company and they transfer the call to the particular
department. In that department has help desk persons to provide the knowledge to that
customer. Customer can ask any of questions about his product or problem. This staff
working 24 hours and customers can connect with any time with them.
User Manuals

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This is a written documentation and technical communication document intended to
give assistance to people using a particular system. When someone buying a product
with that product have a user manual. In this manual have how to use that particular
product, how to setup that and how to maintain etc... If any problem with a product
user can use that user manual to resolve the problem. Example for user manuals:
Printer user manuals
Wifi Router user manual
Microsoft windows 7 user manual

Remotely
Remote access is utility software that support help desk staff to control the operations
of users computer remotely over the network connection. When help desk staff using
remotely access to the users computer they can see the users desktop and other
controls. Then directly they can solve the user problems using remotely access.
Example for remote control software:

Team Viewer
Join.me
WebEx Free
GoToMyPC

There is a way to get that customer problem step by step, its call incident management
process. There are 12 steps in this process. Lets see how to work that process.

The incident management process

The incident management is a formal process that helps the customer to solve his
problem step by step. There are 12 steps. Lets see that steps.
Receive the incident
This is the first step with the customer calling to the help desk agent, which means
getting knowing each other. Technically help desk agent confirm the name of the
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organization and provide their name after that agent ask the name of the customer.
These calls are monitored and an apology for any waits time.

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Prescreen the Incident
In this step filtering the information that he got from customer to quickly identify and
respond to simple requests for information. Incident screener may be able to handle a
simple request for information like product information, how to order and where to
purchase like that.

Authenticate the Incident

This means help desk staff is authorized to handle the problem. Usually they are
asking a user for a product model or serial number, warranty and license number. That
staff member asks for the users name and which department to find out the user is a
registered owner of a product and which level of services he wants and also he is
asking about the billing information. They ask about these details for filter to find, is
he authorized or unauthorized customer that calling.

Log the Incident

Incident logging begins to document the incident and its related problem. In this log
enter the basic information about the incident, they are trouble report form and
incident tracking database. The main purpose is the start a record of the incident.

Figure 1 Log File

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Screen the Incident
Incident screening categorizes and describes the incident. They are common incident
categorize;
1. Request for information: Will the latest virus guard update fix my Trojan
2.
3.
4.
5.

problem
Question: How do I delete cookie files?
Problem: My Microsoft office package not working
Complaints: When I installing your software it say system error in my pc
Work orders: Will you upgrade the Adobe Photoshop new version on my pc, that
I can use the latest version with new tools
After this categorize we can define the category of an incident and can capture a
brief description of the incident.

Prioritize the Incident

Priority code is assigned based on how serious the problem is for users, how many
users are affected and consequence of not handling problem immediately. The priority
code often determines the kind of attention an incident will receive from staff.
Example of Priority code:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Urgent
High priority
Medium priority
Low priority

High priority incidents are usually serious problems that affect the
productivity of a large number of users
Priority codes may be used to determine response time of support staff
Priority codes may change as an incident is handled
A queue is a waiting line into which incoming incidents are placed when they
cannot be answered immediately.
Queues may be defined for:
1. Priority codes
2. Different products
3. Types of customers
4. Levels of support
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Assign the Incident
When a level 1 Incident Screener cannot respond to an incident directly, they assign it
to another agent who has specific product knowledge and specialized expertise. Help
desks often maintain a list of staff members who specialize in specific products or
types of problems. In some automated incidents move to a queue where it will get
appropriate attention.

Track the Incident

Incident tracking updates information as an incident is processed and new information
is added to the incident log. The purpose is providing a record and data. They looking
up to how the incident was handled in history, evaluate support agent performance
and identify support staff training needs.

Escalate the Incident

Escalation is a normal process in which an incident is transferred to a higher level
support agent who has greater ability or expertise and resources to handle more
difficult problems. Escalation may be automatic if an incident is not resolved within
a limited period of time.

Resolve the Incident

Resolution means that a users problem has been solved or information has been
provided. In this step the client authorizations to return a product for replacement or a
refund.
Close the Incident
Incident closing may include:
1. Review the steps to solve the problem
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2. Seek mutual agreement that a solution has been reached
3. Thank the user for contacting the help desk
4. Invite the user to re contact if not satisfied
5. Make final entries in incident log or database

Archive the incident

Archive means to copy resolved incidents to a database of completed incidents.
Incidents are retained in an active database as long as they remain relevant. Then
reduce the size of the active database by removing less relevant information.

3. Be able to create user support programmes

3.1 User Support Manual
What is a user support manual?
It is a written documentation and technical communication document intended to give
assistance to people using a particular system.

User Support Manual

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Login to the System

After your system is turned on.
1. User must enter his user name and password in the text field.

Figure 2 Logging interface

2. Next click the arrow button to login.

3. If successfully login user can see the their home page

Figure 3 Desktop

4. If your user name or password enters incorrectly you cant login to the system.
You have to make sure about user name and password before enter in the text
field.
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Connecting to the Network
In this manual shows you how to connect to the network and how to trouble shoot.
First of you have to check the network cable is connected to the computer properly
and make sure all of the devices are setup properly. So then system automatically
connects to the network.
1. Now switch on the Modem or Router to establish a connection. After this done
please check the network icon. Its shows if anything wrong with the network.
If the connection is done its shows like this.

Figure 4 Network icon

If network not working, its shows like this.

Figure 5 Network icon

If its not working it means system not established the network, then you must have to
trouble shoot the problem. Lets see how to do that step by step.
1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

Figure 6 Start Menu

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2. Click Network and Internet Connection

Figure 7 Control Panel

3. Click Network and Sharing Center

Figure 8 Network and Sharing Center

When you click the network and sharing center, and then will open a new window.
In that window you can see a link called Fix Network Problem click that link.

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Figure 9 Trouble Shoot

After that you can see a window call Windows Network Diagnostics.

Figure 10 Detecting problems

After complete that Network Diagnostics task you will be able to connect to the
network.

Printing Documents
Before printing from your computer, make sure you have set up your product and
installed its software drivers.

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Select the basic settings for the document you want to print.
1. Open a document for printing.
2. Select the print command in your application.
Note: You may need to select a print icon on your screen, the Print option in the
File menu, or another command. See your application's help utility for details.
3. If necessary, select your product name as the printer you want to use.
Note: You may also need to select Properties or Preferences to view your print
settings.
You see the Main tab of your printer settings window.

Figure 11 Printing Option

4. Select the size of the paper you loaded as the Document Size setting.
5. Select the orientation of your document.
6. Select the type of paper you loaded as the Paper Type setting.

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Figure 12 Printing Option

7. To print on both sides of the paper, select the 2-Sided Printing checkbox and
select the options you want.
8. To print multiple copies and arrange their print order, select the Copies options.
9. To preview your job before printing, select Print Preview.
10. After all of the settings finished, click the print button.

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3.2 Create a training course and IT policies to be presented to new
employees of the company
Every company has a training course for the new employees. Because they
doesnt know how to work with the company environment, how they using the
software and hardware devices. This course is computer based training one.
There is a practical sessions also, its easier to learn and understand for the new
employee.
What is Training?
Training is a teaching and learning process that aims to build skills and
knowledge of the new trainers.
The Training Process
There are four steps in a process to successfully teach users.
They are:
Plan the training
Prepare the training
Present the training
Progress toward higher quality user training

The objectives of the IT training course

How to assemble a computer
How to connect devices properly
Explain the devices
How to install operating system to the computer
How to log in to the system using user name and password
How to install the software
How to use software
How to connect to the network
How to trouble shoot problems
How to use the mail system in company
How to maintain the system
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Lets see example of training objective
Microsoft Office 2013 Introduction
Goal: Provide workers who are new with an introduction to the Office 2013.
Audience: Design for computer user who have little or no previous experience
with office 2013.
Methods: The training will include hands on experience with 0ffice 2013, so
trainers learn to use office interface, menu bars, tools, how to save, how to print a
document with practice. Trainers should be able to perform basic office 2013.
Learning and Performance Outcome: At the end of the training session
learners will be able to take basic knowledge about the office 2013.Basci task
such as the following:

Installing Office
Start the application
Use the menu bars, title bars
Use the tool buttons
Use the save option
Print a document
Use the page setup and paragraph settings
Use the office help system

The training will not provide a complete understanding of the organization and
operations of office 2013, but will focuses on the basic use of office package.
Performance Measures: Trainers should be able to define 75% of simple test.
Trainers should demonstrate a creating a document, as well as editing using tools,
saving the document and print that document.
IT Polices for the New Employee
The trainers will getting an IT polices of the company before entering to the work
place.
Following are the Polices:

User account password police.

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Web server access police.

Company email access police.
No company software is to be taken off site unless special permission.
No Flash drives can be plugged into any network other than the company

network.
No personal computers can be plug in to the company network.
Social networking and Chat rooms sites are not allowed.
Any of company file not allowed to taken without permission.
Not allowed to install software without the permission.

3.3 Produce a system maintenance and disaster recovery plan

System Maintenance
System maintenance is critical to keeping systems running smoothly and
preventing planned process.

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Service

Occurrence

Time

Duration

Data

Daily

3.30 P.M

1 Hour

Operation

Monthly

4.30 P.M

1 Hour

Systems
User Accounts

Annually

5.00 P.M

45 Minutes

Email

Weekly

5.30 P.M

30 Minutes

Antivirus

Daily

7.00 A.M

25 Minutes

Software
Operating

Annually

7.00 A.M

1 Hour

Systems
Application

Monthly

7.30 A.M

1 Hour

Softwares
Hardware

Annually

4.30 P.M

2 Hour

Monthly

7.00 A.M

30 Minutes

Monthly

7.00 A.M

30 Minutes

Monthly

Monthly

9.00 A.M

1 Hour

Reports
Annual Reports

Annually

9.00 A.M

1 Hour

Affected
Backups

Accounts
Upgrade

Components
Security
Changing
Passwords
User Access
Permission
Auditing

System Maintenance Schedule

What is a Disaster recovery plan?

Describes how an organization is to deal with potential disasters. Just as a

disaster is an event that makes the continuation of normal functions impossible,
a disaster recovery plan consists of the defense taken so that the effects of a

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Table 2 Maintains schedule

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disaster will be minimized and the organization will be able to either maintain or
quickly resume mission-critical functions.
Category of Disaster:
1. Natural Disaster
2. Long term Power cut
3. Setting of fires
4. Security system destroy
5. Server failure
Stage of Disaster Recovery Plan
1. Understanding an organization's activities and how all of its resources
are interconnected.
2. Understanding how all levels of the organization would be affected in
the event of a disaster
3. Developing a short-term recovery plan.
4. Testing and consistently maintaining and updating the plan as the
business change

How to protect the data from the disaster

We can protect the data using online backup system, whatever happened in the
company data not destroy because all of data store in the online system. Every
time these data backup to the system. We can use Cloud system for data storage.
Even when it is a power cut we can use UPS for the system. Then servers never
going offline and all system can work perfectly.
The Recovery Plan

System

Threat

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Screening
strategy

Response
strategy

Recovery
strategy

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Security
System

Security
system
destroy

Locate system
in secure area

Deploy
guards at
strategic
points

Install and
replace the
units and
sensors

Account
System

Server
failure

Secure
equipment
room, backup
servers

Switch over
to backup
server

Fix or
replace
primary
server

Data Storage

Storage

Backup online

Switch to

Fix or

devices

data storage

the online

replace

backup

storage units

failure

system

Table 3 Recovery Plan

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Conclusion
In this assignment main objective is to how deal with the end user problems and how
to respond to that problems. Explain what the help desk is and what the objectives of
them.
In this assignment also show how to monitoring the technical activities of help desk
staff and how they work with the customers. Describe what the user manuals and
what the purpose of using user manuals. Even it shows how to train a new employee
using basic training course.
This assignment shows how to maintain the system and how to use a recovery plan
for the company.

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Referencing

Techopedia, 2014. What is the help desk [Online] Available at :<

http://www.techopedia.com/definition/353/help-desk > [Accessed on 15th of
May 2014]

Inc, 2014. Monitor Customer services [Online] Available at :<

http://www.inc.com/articles/2000/04/18226.html> [Accessed on 17th of May
2014]

Unitiv, 2014. Monitor Customer services [Online] Available at :<

http://www.unitiv.com/intelligent-help-desk-blog/bid/87930/5-Ways-ToMonitor-Your-Customer-Service > [Accessed on 18th of May 2014]

Pcworld, 2014. Remote Pc Access [Online] Available at :<

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2091801/5-alternatives-to-logmein-free-forremote-pc-access.html> [Accessed on 20th of May 2014]

Security Berkeley, 2014. Policy Overview [Online] Available at :<

https://security.berkeley.edu/it-policy-overview?destination=node/25>
[Accessed on 22th of May 2014]

Wcpt, 2014. Disaster management [Online] Available at :<

http://www.wcpt.org/disaster-management/what-is-disaster-management/25>
[Accessed on 24th of May 2014]

Teach-ict, 2014. Maintenance [Online] Available at :< http://www.teachict.com/as_a2_ict_new/ocr/A2_G063/331_systems_cycle/slc_stages/miniweb/

pg24.htm> [Accessed on 25th of May 2014]

Beisse, F. Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support
Specialist (5th edition).Course Technology Publishing.

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Gantt chart

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