If you’re thinking about becoming an IT service desk agent or analyst, there are many things you need to know. Some relate to day-to-day IT support operations, but others might be even more important. To help, here’s a list of ten things I believe set a new IT service desk agent on the right path to a fulfilling career in IT service management (ITSM).
As you will see, some are very much the IT support “nuts and bolts,” while others are more about being the right person to help others in what is an evolving IT support role.
Non-technical IT service desk agent knowledge
1. Appreciating that IT support is really people support
This is fundamental to the modern IT service desk agent role. While IT service desk agents might spend all day fixing technology issues and provisioning new IT services, they need to appreciate that their role is about more than the technology. Instead, they are vital in keeping people productive and their business operational.
Think of this – rather than how many tickets are handled daily, the real win for IT support and the wider business is how many people are being made productive again (or more productive).
2. Understanding the common IT support issues and requests
Much of what IT service desk agents do, even with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled capabilities handling the more straightforward issues and requests, can be grouped into several common IT issues. Appreciating what these are and how they impact the affected end-users is essential.
Depending on whether an IT service desk has adopted automation and AI-enabled capabilities, an IT service desk agent must be familiar with common technical issues such as password resets, VPN access, software installation issues, printer problems, network connectivity issues, and email configuration. There will, of course, also be issues related to the employing organization. For example, remote, mobile, or hot desk working and needs pertaining to key business applications. In all instances, it’s important to know how these issues impact end-user productivity and business operations.
3. Communication skills
The IT service desk agent role is built on communication, and strong verbal and written communication skills are must-haves. For example, clear communication with end-users is crucial for understanding their issues and providing resolutions.
A particular need here is to be able to explain technical concepts to potentially non-technical end-users simply and patiently.
4. Customer service skills and empathy
Increasingly, IT service agents are valued for their ability to deliver exceptional employee experiences more than their technical knowledge. This not only relates to the first bullet but also to having the personal skills traditionally associated with external customer service roles rather than internal IT support roles. For example, active listening, empathy, and patience.
5. Prioritization and time management
Whether it’s correct to do so or not, the IT service desk agent role is one of the most monitored in an organization. A wealth of performance metrics will be employed, such as the number of tickets handled and average handling time. It’s therefore essential that IT service desk agents are not only highly motivated but also good at making the most of their available time.
IT service desk practices will help here. For example, prioritizing issues based on urgency and impact. However, there also needs to be an underlying prioritization and time management capability to understand which tickets to handle immediately, which to escalate, and which can wait. This ties back into the second bullet.
6. Continuous learning and adaptability
In the past, the IT service desk agent role has been considered pretty static, reflecting the lack of change in IT support practices. However, the opposite is true these days – with ITSM trends such as experience management and AI making the role subject to continued evolution.
Thus, IT service desk agents must be prepared to continuously learn and adapt. The role you are recruited to today will likely change over time, with the expectation that you will also change.
Technical IT service desk agent knowledge
7. Technology “know-how”
A good understanding of corporate technology is not a necessity for script-based IT service desks, but it will certainly help. Not only as part of the resolution process but also in appreciating how IT issues with an organization’s IT infrastructure, including hardware (computers, printers, network devices) and software (operating systems, office applications, specialized software), will impact employees and business operations.
8. Knowledge of the key IT policies and procedures
You might be surprised at how much of this you already know! If you already work in an organization with IT support capabilities, you’ve likely been educated in some of the key IT policies and how to engage with the IT service desk for issues and requests (often during onboarding). You’ve also likely used the latter in anger, too.
Of course, there will be differences between organizations. Still, there will also be many similarities, such as across IT security protocols, acceptable use policies, and data protection guidelines.
9. ITSM tool understanding
The corporate ITSM tool is vital in IT support activities and wider eneteprise service management strategies. Understanding how to use the tool is likely something that needs to be learned on the job. However, knowing the corporate ITSM tool employed by the organization you wish to work in can be advantageous in getting an IT service desk agent role. For example, the opportunity to use AI capabilities for automated ticket triage and whether there are native remote support capabilities or if a third-party tool is used.
10. Basic troubleshooting and diagnostic skills
Again, this is something that will be learned on the job and perhaps facilitated through knowledge articles and IT service desk scripts. However, there are many basic troubleshooting techniques that you probably already use at work or home that can be referred to if questioned during an interview.
For example, checking for power and network connectivity, restarting the affected device, clearing the cache and cookies, and using built-in diagnostic tools. Again, it’s crucial not to underappreciate what’s already known that will provide a foundation for your future IT service desk agent role.
What else would you add to this list of IT service desk agent knowledge? Please let me know in the comments.
Further Reading
Please use the website search capability to find other helpful ITSM articles on topics such as designing products or services, customer service team development, hiring customer service representatives, customer feedback, user experience, delivering good customer service, real-time AI-powered performance measurement, how to solve the problem of ticket backlogs, and continual or continuous improvement.
There are also articles on support agent skills, improved customer experiences, service level agreements (SLAs), IT similarities with customer service agents, improving customer service experiences, bottom-line benefit improvements, understanding how the customer feels, how to respond to customers efficiently, and raising customer expectations in the long term.
Stephen Mann
Principal Analyst and Content Director at the ITSM-focused industry analyst firm ITSM.tools. Also an independent IT and IT service management marketing content creator, and a frequent blogger, writer, and presenter on the challenges and opportunities for IT service management professionals.
Previously held positions in IT research and analysis (at IT industry analyst firms Ovum and Forrester and the UK Post Office), IT service management consultancy, enterprise IT service desk and IT service management, IT asset management, innovation and creativity facilitation, project management, finance consultancy, internal audit, and product marketing for a SaaS IT service management technology vendor.
