Revised 8/2021

ITE 182 - User Support/help Desk Principles (3 CR.)

Course Description

Introduces a variety of tools and techniques that are used to provide user support in help desk operations. Includes help desk concepts, customer service skills, troubleshooting problems, writing for end users, help desk operations, and software, needs analysis, facilities management, and other topics related to end user support. Lecture 3 hours per week.

General Course Purpose

Introduces a variety of tools and techniques that are used to provide user support in service desk operations. This course includes service desk concepts, customer service skills, troubleshooting problems, writing for end users, help desk operations, and software, needs analysis, facilities management, and other topics related to end user support.

Course Prerequisites/Corequisites

Prerequisite: ITE 180

Course Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • Summarize how to achieve High Customer Satisfaction
  • Develop strong listening and communication skills
  • Develop winning telephone skills
  • Develop technical writing skills for support professionals
  • Develop strategies for handling difficult customer situations
  • Develop strategies for solving and preventing incidents and problems
  • Develop business skills used by technical professionals
  • Develop teaming skills for working in a service desk setting
  • Develop strategies for minimizing stress and avoiding fatigue

Major Topics to Be Included

  • Instruction to End-User Computing
  • Introduction to Computer User Support
  • Customer Service Skills for User Support
  • Troubleshooting Computer Problems
  • Common Support Problems
  • Help Desk Operation
  • User Support Management
  • Product Evaluation Strategies and Standards Writing for End Users

Student Learning Outcomes

Summarize how to achieve High Customer Satisfaction

  • Identify the role the service desk plays in delivering quality technical customer support
  • List the four components of a successful service desk
  • Discuss trends influencing the service desk
  • Discuss what customers need and expect
  • Identify strategies for meeting and exceeding customer expectations
  • Discuss the mix of skills needed for a career in technical customer support

Develop strong listening and communication skills

  • Discuss the characteristics and benefits of active listening
  • List ways to avoid the distractions that prevent good listening
  • Define what to listen for
  • Illustrate how to build rapport and trust with customers
  • Identify and explain customer communication styles

Develop winning telephone skills

  • Express the power of the telephone
  • Discuss how to handle calls professionally
  • Identify how to avoid the most common telephone mistakes
  • Discuss how to place callers on hold and transfer calls in positive, professional way
  • Identify strategies for continuously improve your telephone skills
  • Give examples of how to consistently convey a positive, caring attitude

Develop technical writing skills for support professionals

  • Discuss the impact of technology on the service desk and its customer
  • Discuss the role of the service desk analyst in a technology-centric world
  • Create the most common documents used by service desks to convey information
  • Give examples of the characteristics of good technical writing
  • Identify proven techniques to improve your writing skills

Develop strategies for handling difficult customer situations

  • Interpret the power of a positive attitude
  • Interpret what customers sometimes behave in challenging ways
  • Discuss proven techniques to handle irate, difficult and demanding customers
  • Give examples of how to respond, not react, to difficult customer situations
  • List positive steps you can take to stay calm and in control

Develop strategies for solving and preventing incidents and problems

  • Identify processes used to solve incidents and problems
  • Give examples of proven techniques you can use to methodically solve incidents
  • Discuss how and when to take ownership of ongoing incidents
  • Discuss how to keep management and customers informed about the status of incident resolution activities
  • Identify ways to manage your work load and maintain a positive working relationship with other support groups
  • Give examples of how to use the problem management process to focus on problem prevention

Develop business skills used by technical professionals

  • Discuss how to acquire and use business skills in the workplace
  • Discuss how to use business skills to identify and justify improvement opportunities
  • Illustrate how to use presentation skills to communicate
  • Identify Advanced business skills for technical professionals

Develop teaming skills for working in a service desk setting

  • Discuss the characteristics of a successful team
  • Explain the stages of growth that teams go through
  • Discuss how successful teams manage the inevitable and normal conflict in a team setting
  • Interrelate your role in the service desk and in your company support organization
  • Give examples of how to contribute to your teams goals
  • Discuss the skills needed to have a positive working relationship with your teammates

Develop strategies for minimizing stress and avoiding fatigue

  • Discuss the cause of stress
  • Give examples of effective coping skills to reduce the negative effects of stress on your life
  • Summarize proven techniques to manager your time wisely and achiever personal success
  • Interrelate the connection between time and stress management

Required Time Allocation per Topic

In order to standardize the core topics of ITE 182 so that a course taught at one campus is equivalent to the same course taught at another campus, the following student contact hours per topic are required. Each syllabus should be created to adhere as closely as possible to these allocations. Of course, the topics cannot be followed sequentially. Many topics are taught best as an integrated whole, often revisiting the topic several times, each time at a higher level. There are normally 45 student contact hours per semester for a three credit course. (This includes 15 weeks of instruction and does not include the final exam week so 15* 3 = 45 hours. Sections of the course that are given in alternative formats from the standard 16 week section still meet for the same number of contact hours.) The final exam time is not included in the time table. The category, (Other optional content), leaves ample time for an instructor to tailor the course to special needs or resources.

Topic Hours Percent
Summarize how to achieve High Customer Satisfaction 3 8
Develop strong listening and communication skills 6 13
Develop winning telephone skills 5 11
Develop technical writing skills for support professionals 5 11
Develop strategies for handling difficult customer situations 6 13
Develop strategies for solving and preventing incidents and problems 5 11
Develop business skills used by technical professionals 5 11
Develop teaming skills for working in a service desk setting 5 11
Develop strategies for minimizing stress and avoiding fatigue 5 11
Total 45 100