for: Help Desk (webcomic)

A helpdesk is an information and assistance resource that troubleshoots problems with computers or similar products. Corporations often provide helpdesk support to their customers via a toll-free number, website and/or e-mail. There are also in-house helpdesks geared toward providing the same kind of help for employees only. Some schools offer classes in which they perform similar tasks as a helpdesk. In the Information Technology Infrastructure Library, within companies adhering to ISO/IEC 20000 or seeking to implement IT Service Management best practice, a HelpDesk may offer a wider range of user centric services and be part of a larger Service Desk.

Functions

A typical helpdesk has several functions. It provides the users a central point to receive help on various computer issues. The helpdesk typically manages its requests via helpdesk software, such as an incident tracking system, that allows them to track user requests with a unique ticket number. This can also be called a "Local Bug Tracker" or LBT. The helpdesk software can often be an extremely beneficial tool when used to find, analyze, and eliminate common problems in an organization's computing environment. There are many software applications available to support the helpdesk function. Some are targeting enterprise level helpdesk (rather large) and some are targeting departmental needs. See Comparison of issue tracking systems.

From the mid 1990s research by Middleton at Robert Gordon University found that many organizations had begun to recognize that the real value of their helpdesk(s) derives not solely from their reactive response to users' issues but from the helpdesk's unique position where it communicates daily with numerous customers or employees. This gives the helpdesk the ability to monitor the user environment for issues from technical problems to user preferences and satisfaction. Such information gathered at the helpdesk can be valuable in planning and preparation to other units in IT.

Organization

Large helpdesks have different levels to handle different types of questions. The first-level helpdesk is prepared to answer the most commonly asked questions, or provide resolutions that often belong in an FAQ or knowledge base. Typically, an incident tracking system has been implemented that allows a logging process to take place at the onset of a call. If the issue isn't resolved at the first-level, the ticket is escalated to a second, higher, level that has the necessary resources to handle more difficult calls. Also note that some organizations have a third, higher again, line of support which often deals with software specific needs, such as updates and bug-fixes that affect the client directly.

Larger helpdesks have a person or team responsible for managing the tickets and are commonly called queue managers or queue supervisors. The queue manager is responsible for the ticket queues, which can be setup in various ways depending on the helpdesk size or structure. Typically, larger helpdesks have several teams that are experienced in working on different issues. The queue manager will assign a ticket to one of the specialized teams based on the type of issue. Some helpdesks may have phone systems with ACD splits that ensure that calls about specific topics are put through to analysts with experience or knowledge on that topic.