What Makes a Good IT Support Team?

Every IT Support provider faces challenges - How they are solved is what counts.

Key takeaways:

• What happens when you face a complex technical issue?
• How long does it take for your IT support team to respond?
• Is support proactive or reactive?
• Are your issues treated empathetically?

When you need IT support, you want it to be readily available and prompt. However, not all support teams are up to the task.

Your business heavily relies on well-functioning IT infrastructure for seamless operations, and a crucial part of that is reliable support that quickly, effectively, and efficiently solves issues. This is important not only for operational and financial efficiency but also for maximizing customer satisfaction.

Let’s also don’t forget about cybersecurity. Poor IT support can put your company at a higher risk for cybercrime instead of mitigating it. Tech issues, lost customers, downtime, and reduced employee productivity hurt the bottom line.

The best IT support teams possess technical proficiency, proactive problem-solving, effective communication, quick response time, and a customer-centric approach. In this article, we’ll offer insight into IT support teams' challenges and the qualifications you should look for before you partner with one.

What are the common challenges faced by IT support teams?

There can be many challenges, but they must be overcome to provide reliable support. Here are the 10 most common challenges that IT teams face daily:

1. High ticket volume
   There are too many requests and too little time. Without an efficient ticket handling process, response time will be slow, service will be hurried, and quality will be sacrificed.
2. Complex technical issues
   A support team is only as good as the people on that team. Some IT support teams have expertise in only one technical area and lack those who can deal with more complex issues.
3. Documentation and knowledge transfer
   What happened when? What systems are affected? Without accurate and precise documentation, an IT support team can find it almost impossible to track down an issue without spending much time and money.
4. Communication challenges
   How can you contact the support team? Is it through filing a ticket, phone, or email? Then, how long is the response time and how long does it take to resolve the issue?
5. Internal team communication
   As the saying goes, does the left hand know what the right hand is doing? Meaning: Is there a clear communication process, with a direct line for additional expertise if needed?
6. Managing user expectations
   Expectations can be challenging to manage if communication and timelines are unclear and transparent about what’s being done.
7. Balancing proactive and reactive support
   Proactive support means anticipating and mitigating problems before they happen. Reactive support means solving unanticipated issues as they come up. Sometimes, the balance can be difficult.
8. Adapting to new technologies
   Keeping up with the latest technologies is almost a full-time job. The challenge is having the right expertise and training programs to adapt to new, emerging, and bleeding-edge advancements.
9. Integration challenges
   Not every legacy system has to be discarded. An IT support team that successfully integrates the old with the new can save time, money, and resources.
10. User training and education
    User error accounts for 95% of security breaches. Employees poorly trained on new systems suffer productivity loss and poor operational efficiency, resulting in customer dissatisfaction.

Every IT support team faces similar challenges to the ones above. Some teams shrug their shoulders for different reasons, such as lack of resources and poor management. Still, others take the proper actions toward success.

What qualifications should your IT support team possess?

Your IT support team should be able to rise to any challenge and possess these key attributes:

Technical proficiency

Good IT support starts with technical expertise. Support staff must have a strong understanding of the technical aspects of networks, hardware, software, and cybersecurity and be able to learn new software and hardware. A reliable support team will have experts in various areas who can use their combined experience and agile strategies to solve issues.

Proactive problem solving

A reactive approach is not the way to run a support team. Look for an IT support team that prioritizes proactive measures to prevent issues before they occur. They invest in monitoring tools that continuously track system health and performance. Identifying potential problems early on means they can be addressed proactively without waiting for you to file a ticket.

Effective communication

Effective communication means listening to your concerns and questions and explaining concepts in everyday language that avoids jargon. Empathy and patience play a large part – your IT support team should deal with frustrations and confusion empathetically. Your team should also be available through one or more channels.

A customer-centric approach

An IT support team should have a servant’s heart and a genuine desire to provide excellent service that has a positive impact. The team should be as invested in your business success as you are.

Quick response time

A reliable IT support team will have high availability, remote monitoring, and a speedy average response time well below the industry average of 7 hours and four minutes.

Good IT support can keep your business humming smoothly and power business success. Inadequate IT support leads to frustration, aggravation, and financial loss. Choose carefully.

How can Endsight help?

Endsight is on a mission to provide an excellent operational experience – we fight the super-villain known as “Bad IT.” We’re strategic thinkers who have created optimal IT management solutions with customer-centric, human-friendly technical support.

We deliver premium IT support, combining trained IT professionals with sophisticated technology to create reliable networks and reliable IT support teams.

• Proactive thinking with reactive support when necessary
• An average response time of less than 5 minutes
• Emergency onsite support
• A customer-centric approach
• A large technical team
• Remote support