HELP DESK CHANGES AIM TO IMPROVE SERVICE
Posted on August 20, 2010
Help Desk Hours 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday
through Thursday University Technology Services is expanding its services
again, this time with new policies, procedures and tools that will make UTech
Services more effective in providing support and resolving problems. A new set of tools and a tiered approach to service
management is being rolled out. Over time it will allow UTech Services to
resolve more problems in less time while improving the quality of the customer
experience. "We're setting up a first line of defense - a triage
system," said Andy Caudill of UTech Services. Technicians with various levels
of training will be available to assist Cal U students, faculty and staff with
their technology concerns. "When someone calls the Help Desk, they first will speak to
a Tier 1 agent," Caudill explained. "We have thoroughly trained these agents to
ensure that customer service and triage skills are advanced and consistent. We
also are putting processes in place to ensure Tier 1 agents are informed about
any outages that are being worked on or changes that are being made." Charles Mance, vice president for University Technology
Services, said the changes will ensure that Help Desk service is flexible and
responsive. "We want anyone who comes to us for help to feel confident
that his or her question will be answered promptly and correctly," he added.
Technology support includes much more than just the Help Desk, however. If the Tier 1 agents are not able to resolve a caller's
problem, they will gather important information and pass it along to the Tier 2
team via a "trouble ticket" within a new ticket-tracking system called
Footprints. This will allow the Tier 2 team to prioritize workload and
to start work on the issue quickly. Tier 2 will pass the problem to a Tier 3
team if they are unable to resolve it.
By Dec. 31, 2011, UTech Services hopes to have Tier 1 and
Tier 2 personnel resolve 90 percent of all service problems. In order to simplify the process of getting computer help,
UTech will combine all support numbers into one: 724-938-5911. A menu will
direct customers to the appropriate service area. The Footprints ticket-tracking system will be a useful tool
not only for UTech technicians, but for Cal U "customers," as well. Students,
faculty or staff may call the Help Desk directly or submit a request for help
via a website. Once a "ticket" requesting help is entered into the system,
the customer will receive updates and be able to track the status of the
ticket. UTech Services is excited about implementing these new
approaches and feels confident they will lead to improved service levels and
customer satisfaction. As with any change, the process will take time. During this
period, students, faculty and staff should feel free to contact UTech Services
with any feedback.
724-938-5911
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday
10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday
2 p.m.-10 p.m. Sunday
