What is the First Line of IT Support?

When you buy a computer or any other electronic device it comes with a warranty for up to one year or longer; this includes IT, or Information Technology, support. Companies that supply this support do so in various levels. The basic level is the first line of support, and this deals with mostly user issues.

IT Support Calls are Routed to First Line Staff

If your computer stops working and you have to call the IT support line, your call is immediately routed to the first line support team. This is because most companies have more first line support personnel than they do second or third level support because they can hire them for less money. In addition, many issues that a user will call about are easy fixes, such as not knowing how to turn the computer on, or the system is stuck and it needs to be rebooted.

What the First Line Support Staff Do

The personnel that work as the first line of IT support are trained to handle simple matters that can easily be fixed. They are also trained to listen to customers to see if the problem needs to be escalated to the next level of support. They will have you go through simple troubleshooting steps based on the problem and the product you have. If these fail, your call is handed to a the second level of support for more in-depth analysis of the problem you're having.

The Goal of First Line IT Support

The goal for the first line support is to resolve as many simple issues as they can quickly and only escalate those that are out of their knowledge level. The faster the first line IT support resolves issues, the better the company looks to users and the company saves money in the long run.