Computer Support is a range of services providing assistance with computer systems and products and is a type of Technical Support (or Tech Support). General computer support services attempt to help the user solve specific problems with a product—rather than providing training, customization, or other support services.

Computer support may be delivered over the telephone or via various online media such as e-mail, a Web site or by connecting directly to the client’s computer over the internet or other network. Larger organizations frequently have internal computer or technical support available to their staff for computer related problems.

Computer Support Delivery

Computer support may be delivered via different technologies depending on the situation. For example, direct questions can be addressed using email or fax; basic software problems can be addressed over the telephone or using remote support; while more complicated problems with equipment may need to be dealt with in on site (in person).

Outsourcing Technical Support

With the increasing use of computers in the workplace, there is a growing requirement to provide computer support. Many organizations locate their technical support departments or call centres in countries with lower costs. There has also been a growth in companies specializing in providing technical support to other organizations (BrightVisions is a good example of such a company).

For businesses that require technical support, outsourcing provides them with the ability to maintain a high availability of service. This comes as a result of peaks in call volumes during the day, periods of high activity due to the introduction of new products and maintenance service packs, and the necessity to provide consumers with a high level of service at a low cost to the business.

For businesses needing technical support assets, outsourcing enables their core employees to focus more on their work in order to maintain productivity. It also enables them to utilize specialized personnel, whose technical knowledge base and experience may exceed the scope of the business, thus providing a higher level of technical support to their employees.

Multi-Tiered Technical Support

Technical support is often subdivided into tiers, or levels, in order to better serve a business or customer base, which is the case at BrightVisions. The reason for providing a multi-tiered support system instead of one general support group is to provide the best possible service in the most efficient possible manner. Success of this organizational structure is dependent on the technicians’ understanding of their level of responsibility and commitments, their customer response time commitments, and when to appropriately escalate an issue and to which level. A common support structure revolves around a three-tiered technical support system:

Tier I: This is the initial support level responsible for basic customer issues. It is synonymous with first-line support, level 1 support, front-end support, support line 1, and various other headings denoting basic level technical support functions. It is referred to as First Line Support at BrightVisions.

The first job of a Tier 1 specialist is to gather the customer’s information and to determine the customer’s issue by analyzing the symptoms and understanding out the underlying problem. When analyzing the symptoms, it is important for the support technician to identify what the customer is trying to accomplish so that time is not wasted in “attempting to solve a symptom instead of the problem.” Once identification of the underlying problem is established, the specialist can begin sorting through the possible solutions that are available. Technical support specialists in this group typically handle straightforward and simple problems while “possibly using some kind of knowledge management tool.” The “Help-Desk” and FocalPoint are examples of suck tool, and are the preferred knowledge management tools used at BrightVisions.

Personnel at this level usually have a general understanding of the product or service in question but  may not always have the knowledge or experience required for solving complex issues. Nevertheless, the goal for this group is to handle 70%-80% of the user problems before finding it necessary to escalate the issue to a higher level.

Tier II: This is a more in-depth technical support level than Tier I, containing experienced and more knowledgeable personnel on particular products or services. It is synonymous with level 2 support, support line 2, administrative level support, and various other headings denoting advanced technical troubleshooting and analysis methods. It is referred to as Second Line Support at BrightVisions.

Technicians in this realm of knowledge are responsible for assisting Tier I personnel in solving basic technical problems and for investigating elevated issues by confirming the validity of the problem and seeking for known solutions related to these more complex issues. However, prior to the troubleshooting process, it is important that the technician review the work order to see what has already been accomplished by the Tier I technician and how long the technician has been working with the particular customer. This is a key element in meeting both the customer and business needs as it allows the technician to prioritize the troubleshooting process and properly manage his or her time. If a problem is new and/or personnel from this group cannot determine a solution, they are responsible for raising this issue to the Tier III technical support group. In addition, many companies may specify that certain troubleshooting solutions be performed by this group to help ensure the intricacies of a challenging issue are solved by providing experienced and knowledgeable technicians. This may include, but is not limited to onsite installations or replacements of various hardware components, software repair, diagnostic testing, and the utilization of remote control tools used to take over the user’s machine for the sole purpose of troubleshooting and finding a solution to the problem.

Tier III: This is the highest level of support in a three-tiered technical support model responsible for handling the most difficult or advanced problems. It is synonymous with level 3 support, back-end support, support line 3, high-end support, and various other headings denoting expert level troubleshooting and analysis methods. It is referred to as Third Line Support at BrightVisions.

These individuals are experts in their fields and are responsible for not only assisting both Tier I and Tier II personnel, but with the research and development of solutions to new or unknown issues. Note that Tier III technicians have the same responsibility as Tier II technicians in reviewing the work order and assessing the time already spent with the customer so that the work is prioritized and time management is sufficiently utilized. If it is at all possible, the technician will work to solve the problem with the customer as it may become apparent that the Tier I and/or Tier II technicians simply failed to discover the proper solution. Upon encountering new problems; however, Tier III personnel must first determine whether or not to solve the problem and may require the customer’s contact information so that the technician can have adequate time to troubleshoot the issue and find a solution. In some instances, an issue may be so problematic to the point where the product cannot be salvaged and must be replaced. If it is determined that a problem can be solved, this group is responsible for designing and developing one or more courses of action, evaluating each of these courses in a test case environment, and implementing the best solution to the problem. Once the solution is verified, it is delivered to the customer and made available for future troubleshooting and analysis.

Tier IV: While not universally used, a fourth level often represents an escalation point beyond the organization. This is generally a hardware or software vendor. Within a corporate incident management system it is important to continue to track incidents even when they are being actioned by a vendor and the Service Level Agreement (or SLA) may have specific provision for this.

Remote Personal Computer (PC) Repair

Remote PC repair is troubleshooting common computer errors online via remote desktop connection which works by logging in to the remote PC with the username and password. The person controlling the computer uses it as himself, apart from the fact that it is being controlled over the Internet. The technology is being embraced by many people as it saves them from taking their PCs to a shop and wait to get it back.

Remote PC repair services are cost effective and generally offered with a subscription policy which means that customers don’t have to pay for every instance that they use the service, but rather they subscribe to access to the service. These repairs are popular as technical support, online computer help, and onsite technical support.

Common repairs available with online computer support providers are computer virus and spyware removal, computer optimization, registry repair, device driver issues and Web related issues.

Not all repairs can be fixed using remote PC repair. It can be of little or no help to computer hardware with physical damage. Remote repair is often ineffective for computers that are not able to reboot.