Unit 05: LO 1 - 1.5 - Levels of Support within Escalation Route

Think about the levels of support within an escalation route as if they were different teachers in a school, each with a different set of skills and responsibilities.

1st Line Support

• What It Is: This is like your general subject teacher. They can answer most of your basic questions and solve straightforward problems. In tech terms, they handle common issues like password resets, basic troubleshooting, and simple software or hardware problems.

• Purpose: To resolve the majority of simple issues without requiring specialized knowledge, thereby speeding up the support process.

• Business Implication: This is often the most cost-effective level of support, aimed at quickly resolving common issues to maximize user satisfaction and minimize downtime.

2nd Line Support

• What It Is: This is like your subject specialist teacher, who knows a bit more than the general teacher and can handle more complex questions. In tech, they take on the issues that 1st line support couldn't resolve. They might look into more complex hardware and software issues, including in-depth troubleshooting and more specialized tasks.

• Purpose: To handle more complex issues requiring specialized knowledge but not high-level expertise. They may also have more tools or access to resolve these issues.

• Business Implication: This level is costlier than 1st line but is necessary for more intricate problems that couldn't be solved initially. Effective 2nd line support can greatly improve user satisfaction and system functionality.

3rd Line Support

• What It Is: This is like the top expert or professor in a specialized field. They have a deep understanding of specific issues. In tech, they handle the most complex and specialized issues, often involving system-level errors, bugs, or tasks like network configuration.

• Purpose: To resolve highly technical or specialized issues that lower-level support can't handle. They may even be involved in software development or system architecture.

• Business Implication: This is the most expensive level of support, often involving senior experts or specialized teams. However, they are crucial for resolving issues that can have a significant impact on business operations.

So, just like you'd ask basic questions to your general teacher and go to higher-level experts for more complex queries, tech support works in a similar way, escalating issues through these different levels of expertise.