GeekLimit

GTD – 10 Helpdesk Operator Tips

Posted by taoski | Filed under Geeky, Software

After working for over five years on an IT Helpline, I am now presenting my top 10 tips for Getting Things Done when working on the helpdesk.

Automation
Working on a Helpdesk can be very repetitive.  If you have common tasks to perform such as resetting passwords or clearing print queues, make use of your time by automating as many tasks as possible using batch files, script files or macros.  Even a basic ms-dos batchfile to map a network drive to a remote PC can save alot of time when diagnosing issues.

Procrastinatination
Often, a helpline will receive calls that you could class as non-critical.  Where a user needs procedural help with Excel or is having remote access issues are the types of calls that are often resolved by the customer by the time you call them back, or the fault was only temporary.  It is useful to know what sort of calls can be left for a (small) period of time before being actioned.  If it is not critical that the call be resolved immediately and it is not "mission critical" then let it sit in the queue for a while.

Quick Hits
My helpdesk queue is sorted by the Fix Target, the date and time when the call will fail it's agreed Service Level.  Although the calls nearest the target get my attention more than others, the calls are prioritised on an individual basis accoring to the following rule.  If I can take 5 minutes to a small issue before tackling larger or more complex one, then I will.  I refer to it as doing Quick Hits.  Password resets and printer queue purges are good examples of quick hits.  Any fault where you can just contact the customer to say "No" to their query or to point them in the right direction would also be classed as a quick hit.  This will leave you more time to clear down the major calls and if your queueis  clear of "little" jobs, it might make it easier to spot major issues as they arise.

Trend Spotting
Keep your eye on spotting trends in calls – even though they may only be small.  I have lost count of the number of times several customers call in faults regarding the same network printer being offline for some reason, only to have different helpdesk staff approach the fault in different ways.  If you have a call vetter who assigns the calls, use them to manage duplicated faults and keep them away from the normal queues.  Assign the primary or parent call to someone to action and attach the other calls to that one.

Tags
When checking my helpdesk queue it is important for me to get an instant view on the situation of how many calls I have outstanding, how many are awaiting customer call back or are suspended until a customer is back from leave.  To achieve this, I use small codes or "tags" against the call description to allow me to see the status immediately.

eg:

ACB – Awaiting Call Back
ES  – Email Sent
AL – Customer on annual leave

I also assign dates as tags too to show when a call should be actioned.  It allows me to concentrate on calls without tags which may have just landed in my queue.  If all the helpdesk staff use these tags then everyone can see the status of all calls.

Knowledge Base
If you have a knowledge base, it is worth knowing your way round.  Make sure that helpdesk staff have the opportunity to have input to the helpline and submit fixes and information for inclusion.  The knowledge base is also invaluable to new starters as a training reference.  It is also important to make the content as accessible as possible.  Hoards of manuals stacked on a shelf would be better presented as a web based or database driven system.

Internet
Make use of the internet to query faults.  The Microsoft Support Knowledge Base is a great tool for researching issues.  You can also Google for error messages or use other areas like Google Groups to monitor discussions.  Don't think that just because you have not come across an error before that someone else has not.
Make sure you search for relevant information too.  Include the operating system in quotes, eg "Windows 2000" when searching to narrow down the results.  Also be aware that not all you read on the internet is gospel (including this article!) so take it all with a pinch of salt and rely more on the established sites that offer help.
Seek help from sites that have been created by Microsoft MVPs (Most Valuable Professional).

Email
If a customer can be contacted via email with a result – then why not use this as a tool to accomplish more.  Requests for new user accounts or updates and be mailed back to customers quicker that trying to contact them by phone as they stand chatting at the coffee machine.  Make sure you give them your contact details so they can get back to you if need be though.

Workflow
When checking a PC for faults I often connect remotely in the background and check various things before I even call the customer to check what the issue is.  Doing simple tasks like browsing the eventlog of the PC will reveal any obvious faults like disk errors or repeated crashes and you will often also get the exact detail of any error message and when it occured.
You can also check running processes using a utility like PSLIST from Sysinternals to spot viruses or unauthorised software that may be causing issues or high CPU usage.
I will be expanding further on using tools like these in another Geeklimit post soon.

Chill Out
I understand that working on a helpline can be stressful.  It can be soul destroying to clear five faults only to have seven more appear in your queue when you refresh your screen.  It is important to take your breaks away from the PC.  I often go and sit in the still quiet of the toilet to calm my head down on busy days.  Wearing a telephone headset does wonders for causing headaches.  Make sure you get up and walk around, drink plenty of water to keep your brain oiled and working efficiently.  Too much coffee has a habit of making me overload and burn out too quick.

Comments (1) | May 5th, 2006

One Response to “GTD – 10 Helpdesk Operator Tips”

1. GeekLimit Adminbot Says:
   May 5, 2006 at 10:18 am

   great post. if you’re not planning n a review of free organizational tools, I’ll do one. worls wonders to be organized…