CHAPTER SEVENTEEN User Support Services

I get by with a little help from my friends.

—LENNON/MCCARTNEY

CHAPTER TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Value of Help Desks 452
2. Components of a Help Desk 453
3. Call Tracking 459
4. Staffing 460
5. Service Level Agreements 463
6. User Training 465
7. Additional Resources 468

Whether it goes by the name of Help Desk, Support Center, User Services, or any of a variety of other names, your IT department needs some kind of support organization to provide assistance to your user population — employees, clients, customers, or business partners.

In general, IT Help Desks are designed to be one-stop shopping for all computer-related requests. For many users, your support organization is the only interaction they will ...

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