Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, 3/e Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Introduction to Computer User Support

Objectives
• What the job market demand is for user support employees
• Common ways that organizations provide a user support function
• Services that user support groups provide
• Typical position descriptions for user support staff members
• The knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to qualify for an entry-level user support
position
• Career paths for user support workers

Technical Notes
Note: Students should have a good understanding of how to use Web browsers as well as
an understanding of how to download files. They should also be able to search effectively
and find quality resources on the Internet. Basic word processing and spreadsheet skills
are also required to complete chapter assignments efficiently.

Lecture Notes

Increased Need for User Support Employees

As more employees and home users have access to computers the demand for support increases.
Organizations that provide computer systems to their workers cannot end their support there. Employees
need software and hardware assistance to become more productive. There have been three trends that have
influenced the demand for user support employees in organizations. The first trend has been the economic
recession that began in March of 2001 which caused an increase in unemployment. This resulted in a
decrease in hiring in all technology fields including user support. Secondly, U.S. companies are
increasingly moving technical support jobs overseas where there are well trained workers available with
wages that are lower than in the US. Thirdly, some organizations are contracting with temporary agencies
for a time. Some of the temporary positions turn into permanent positions. The temporary assignment often
serves as a trial period for both the employee and the employer.

How Organizations Organize the User Support Function

Computer user support (or simply user support) provides information and services to employees or
customers to help them use computers more productively in their jobs or at home. Technical support is a
level of user support that focuses on high-level troubleshooting and problem solving. Sometimes computer
user support is called technical support. The name is not as important as the function that the support team
serves.

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Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, 3/e Chapter 2

Organizations provide support to employees and/or customers in a variety of ways. Informal peer support is
where one or more employees who have other job titles and responsibilities are identified as the person to
contact when there are questions about computing. This model is usually used in small organizations or
departments where help is provided informally within the department or organization. The first step to
more formalized support is when an existing employee has user support responsibilities written into an
existing position description.
When the volume of support responsibilities can no longer be handled by part-time peer staff an
organization has two options. One option is to create a full time position that has a support employee with a
greater breadth and depth of technical skills. The second alternative is to organize several part-time support
employees into a user support group, which is a formal workgroup that is organized to provide computer
user support services.
A help desk is organized to provide a single point of contact for users in need of technical support, whether
they are internal employees or external customers. Help desks can take the form of a physical location that
users can visit or where technicians can be dispatched, a telephone hotline number or an e-mail address or
Web site that can be contacted for assistance. The help desk staff have the responsibility of solving the
problem as soon as possible. They will often act as an interface between services if they cannot directly
solve the problem.
A user support center (also called an information center) provides a wide range of services to an
organization’s computer users, who are primarily internal users. Some organizations place the user support
responsibility with the Information Services (IS) Department. There can be problems with this model
because the IS staff is primarily responsible for the mainframes and telecommunications infrastructure.
This area may be too busy to provide adequate user support. On the other hand, it allows for all corporate
computing activities to be kept under one umbrella. Organizations can be successful with either centralized
support under the IS department or having support under a user support center as long as the user’s needs
are met.
Another option is to outsource user support to a vendor. To outsource user support services, an
organization contracts with an outside vendor that specializes in user support functions to handle support
calls. Outsourcing can have cost advantages as well as providing expertise that does not exist among
existing support staff. There are some disadvantages to outsourcing. Outsourced support usually occurs by
telephone or e-mail. The costs are predictable but they aren’t necessarily lower than internal support.
Because the organization relies on the vendor’s staff there is little transfer of knowledge from the support
provider staff to internal staff. Also, when support is outsourced the members of the support staff rarely
develop a personal relationship with the organization’s end users.

Quick Quiz

1. A level of user support that focuses on high-level troubleshooting and problem solving is known as
__________. Answer: technical support
2. True or False: Computer user support provides information and services to employees or clients to help
them use computers more productively in their jobs or at home. Answer: True
3. A(n) __________ is organized to provide a single point of contact for users in need of technical support,
whether they are internal employees or external clients. Answer: help desk

User Support Services

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Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, 3/e Chapter 2

User support centers in organizations provide a variety of services. The staff of a help desk or hotline can
respond to requests for product information, market and sell products and services, provide solutions to
problems, receive and log user complaints about product features and handle warranties and authorize
product return or exchanges. Figure 2-3 on page 39 visually represents common user support functions in
organizations. Support centers can also provide more in depth technical troubleshooting that is beyond that
which a help desk staff can supply. Support staff members can also assist end users in locating information
from a variety of sources to resolve questions or problems. The responsibility of evaluating new hardware,
software and network products often falls to the experienced technical staff of the support center.
The support center is generally asked to create support standards. Support standards are a list of
computer products that an organization allows its employees to use and that it will support. The support
center staff is generally responsible for performing needs assessments for the organizational staff and then
providing purchasing assistance for new hardware and software. Once new systems arrive, they provide
system installation assistance. After the machines are set up and users begin to work with them the need for
training on computer systems and procedures becomes important. The support center staff also may also
prepare computer documentation that can be used in the work environment.
Professional staff in a support center can include operators for mainframe systems, hardware, software and
network engineers and others who ensure that the computer facilities are maintained. Computer facilities
managers can be responsible for such things as network security, media backups, virus detection and
prevention, ergonomic analyses, supplies management, preventative maintenance and repairs on hardware,
and other related tasks. In some organizations the support center staff may help users develop software
applications to solve specific problems. Unlike the IS department, the support center generally assumes the
role of helping users create applications. Application development is the least common activity for user
support centers. When applying for a position in a support center, an applicant should be sure to obtain a
well-rounded picture of the support environment.

Position Descriptions for User Support Staff Members

Positions descriptions in the user support industry contain many of the elements mentioned in the previous
section. To understand what support center staff members are required to know it is important to read
position descriptions very carefully. The three different position descriptions in the book serve as an
example of how wide a variety of tasks a user support specialist can be called upon to perform.
One way to better understand the requirements for a specific position is to analyze them in terms of
knowledge, skills and abilities needed to perform the job. Each position includes a description of what an
employee needs to know in order to do the job. Each position also requires specific skills or tasks that a
support specialist must be able to perform well. Abilities are special tasks or skills that a support specialist
can either do or not do depending upon the situation. See Figures 2-4, 2-5 and 2-6 for sample position
descriptions.
Few employees start in an entry-level position with all of the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to
perform every task listed on the job description. Most support positions include training programs and staff
development.

Quick Quiz

1. True or False: Providing support for software development projects is a primary responsibility for a help
desk staff. Answer: False
2. Lists of computer products that an organization allows its employees to use and that it will support are
known as __________ standards. Answer: support

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Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, 3/e Chapter 2

3. True or False: Position descriptions reflect how an organization structures its user support function.
Answer: True

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

One way to understand the requirements for a specific position is to analyze them in terms of KSAs, the
knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform he job. Each position description includes a description
of what an employee needs to know in order to do the job. It may be started in terms of a specific amount
of education, a degree in a specific field, or a list of topics that an employee is expected to know. User
support positions may require specific job skills in one or more areas. Generally, a skill is a task that a
support specialist can perform better with practice or experience. Abilities are functions that an applicant
can either do or not do.

Alternative Career Paths For User Support Workers

An entry-level position in user support can lead to a variety of more advanced positions. One type of
position is that of a computer programmer or Web application developer. People who work in this type of
position write code into a computer language or a scripting language. To advance into this type of position
it often requires coursework in programming languages and a four-year degree. A network technician
position often includes tasks such as installing and configuring network servers and client systems, network
cabling and troubleshooting, performance analysis and configuration, facilities management and related
tasks. A Web site maintainer is a worker who uses Web development software packages to build and
maintain Web sites. End-user support workers may also aspire to move into a supervisory position in a
support group. Project management is another path that entry-level support workers can take. This type of
position manages other workers, budgets, schedules and deadlines. Support employees may also move into
positions as trainers or technical writers. Finally, a growing job category since the attacks on the United
States on September 11, 2001 is a computer security specialist. These positions generally require additional
study and specialization beyond a basic user support degree.

Quick Quiz

1. One way to better understand the requirements for a specific position is to analyze them in terms of
__________. Answer: KSAs
2. Functions that an applicant can either do or not do are known as _________. Answer: abilities
3. True or False: Security positions require the same basic skills that are needed by help desk workers.
Answer: False

Discussion Topics
1. Discuss how organizations provide user support functions.
2. Discuss the common user support services.
3. Discuss the alternative career paths for user support workers.

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Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, 3/e Chapter 2

Additional Cases
1. Catherine Smith is the lab manager at the Technology Institute. She has been asked to determine
the needs of the faculty and student users for the next term. What are some ways that she can find
out what issues need to be addressed?

Possible answer: She can survey the faculty and student users about their needs. She can also
look at usage statistics to see how the lab has been used and by whom.

2. Sally Smith is the coordinator of the computer support center at Technology University. Her staff
is responsible for supporting a user community that consists of approximately 2000 faculty and
staff members. There are currently 6 full time support positions in the technology staff and 3 full
time staff members and 3 part time student assistants working at the help desk.

Sally recently conducted a user satisfaction survey to learn how the faculty and staff at
Technology University feel about the quality of the support provided. Sally was not happy about
some of the responses to the survey. Here are a few of the comments that she was willing to share
with the committee of faculty, staff and support representatives brought together to make
suggestions about improving the system:

“I am an advanced computer user. I know quite a bit about my computer and I am willing to help
my colleagues. I don’t mind answering questions, however, I cannot take time out to help
everyone in my area. My colleagues would rather ask me questions than call the help desk”

“The help desk runs smoothly when the coordinator is in the help desk area or when there is a full
time staff member available. When they are out of the office many of the help questions are
answered incorrectly.”

“The software manuals are locked in the office of a full time staff member. Whenever I want to
have access to a software manual I have to track down this person to sign out the manual I would
like to use. Why can’t the documentation be made available through the help desk staff?”

If you were a member of this committee, what advice would you give Sally concerning the
training and assistance of staff members? What support issues have been raised? What are some
other ways Sally could address the issues? Are some alternatives more expensive than others?

Possible answer:
First, I would recommend that Sally offer training sessions for basic features to help users make
better use of software products. Also, I would recommend that she make a FAQ available for
common questions. Each department should have an identified staff member that is equipped to
work with them so that users can call and ask to speak to a specific individual, thereby
personalizing the support.

To address the second problem, I would have the part time support staff have a mandatory
mentorship assignment with a more experienced staff member, preferably a full time staff
member. Support staff should be encouraged to ask for help when they do not understand a
question and praised, not punished, for asking for help or asking a user to wait until a full time
staff member is available for consultation. If possible she should have a full time staff member
available or on-call at all times. Having a full time staff member available is an expensive
proposition. All staff should be trained and evaluated before they are left to take care of the help
desk without full time support.

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Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists, 3/e Chapter 2

Key terms
 chat session - A Web-based interactive service that allows two or more users who are both online
to communicate by alternately typing and viewing messages; also called instant messaging.
 computer facilities management - Support services to help users with information and questions
about security, media backups, viruses, ergonomics, purchase of supplies, preventative
maintenance, and other tasks required to keep a computer system operational.
 computer user support - A job function or department in an organization that provides information
and services to employees or customers to help them use computers more productively in their
jobs or at home.
 help desk - A single point of contact for users in need of technical support, whether employees or
external customers; may provide information and problem-solving services face to face, by
telephone, or by e-mail.
 hotline - A telephone number that an internal or external user can call to reach a help desk service.
information center -An older name for a user support center.
 KSAs -The knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a job.
 needs analysis - An investigation to determine the features and configuration of hardware and
software that will best match a user's specific needs; also called needs assessment.
 outsource -An arrangement or agreement in which an organization contracts with a vendor that
specializes in user support functions to handle support calls for internal and external users.
 peer support -An informal level of user support whereby coworkers in an organization or
department exchange information and provide assistance about computer use and problems
encountered.
 support standards -A list of computer products that an organization allows its employees to use
and that it will support; support standards limit the hardware, software, and network products that
a support staff must be able to support and reduce support costs.
 technical support -A level of user support that focuses on high-level troubleshooting anti problem
solving; whereas computer user support deals with a broad spectrum of support issues, technical
support deals with advanced and difficult problems that users encounter
 user support center -A group or department in an organization that provides a wide range of
services to an organization's computer users, who are primarily internal: services may include a
help desk, consulting on product purchases, training, documentation, and facilities management.
 user support group -A formal workgroup that is organized to provide computer support services.

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