Technical Support (often shortened to tech support) refers to services that entities provide to users of technology products or services. In general, technical support assists with specific problems with a product or service rather than offering training, product provision or customization, or other support services. Most companies offer technical support for the services or products they sell, either included in the cost or for an additional fee. Technical support may be delivered by phone, e-mail, live support software on a website, or other tools where users can log an incident. Larger organizations frequently have internal technical support available to their staff for computer-related problems.

Coverage of support:

Technical support may be delivered by different technologies depending on the situation. For example, direct questions can be addressed using telephone calls, SMS, Online chat, Support Forums, E-mail, or Fax; basic software problems can be addressed over the telephone or, increasingly, by using remote access repair services; while more complicated problems with hardware may need to be dealt with in person.

Benefits:

• 24/7 technical support enhances operational efficiencies by minimizing the time users spend to fix incidents or problems.

• Speaking with a certified technical support specialist makes resolving IT issues quick and easy, which can reduce crankiness in the workplace.

• US-based Help Desk support provides immediate response time to support tickets and communication with an actual person (not a recording) on the same day.

• Having a support system in place provides a smooth and easy mechanism for users to receive service while eliminating internal technical service requests, which can reduce downtime for multiple employees.

• With diverse credentials, training, and experience, technical support specialists have the resources to fix a wide variety of system errors – not just basic speed bumps.

• Reports indicate increasing interest in technical certifications in 2015, showing organizations are utilizing Help Desk services more and more to stay competitive. 

• While assisting users, Help Desk engineers practice incident management to help spot problems before they occur, identifying the root cause of frequent recurring incidents. 

• Support specialists have experience working with organizations similar to your business, so they understand your industry vertical, which provides a strategic advantage. 

• Technical specialists not only support users, but they also recommend tools that make it easier to communicate and collaborate on tasks. 

• Educating the end user provides an overall positive experience and faster resolution. 

• Small businesses outsource Help Desk services through Managed Service agreements so they could focus on their business and have full 24/7 support for their users. 

• Mid-size and large businesses partner with IT companies that offer Help Desk support to provide an additional resource for their IT staff. 

• When you apply the cost per call for the various call flow models for Help Desk services, you can see the financial impact. Cost calculations for typical call flow support models indicate 48% more cost-effective savings. 

• Help Desk support services can give your business a new way to generate revenue, attract and retain clients and compete in a quickly changing IT environment.