1st,2nd and 3rd line IT support

1st Line - Take calls reset passwords, switch brains of and pass everything to second line without following any of the documents for the app support, their diets mostly consist of McD's and KFC for lunch.

2nd line - running around trying to juggle everything that the first line dumped on them and trying to pass as much back whilst saying "read the support FAQ", diets consist of full english fried breakfast covered in grease from the staff canteen 3 /4 times a week and masses of cheap vending machine coffee.

3rd line - check event log on servers and say nothing appears wrong at there end, pass all calls down to second line and continue hiding behind walls of monitors they have managed to scavenge over the many years, they don't see anything wrong drinking a 2 litlre bottle of pop everyday at there desk.

Tech Admin - Often the token girl in the dept, usually responsible for matching service requests to existing licenses and getting blamed for every install that has been on hold for more than 8 weeks. Often more blokish than most of the young first liners. Diet, anything with % (By Vol ) on the label.

SDM - No one knows where they come from, or where they go, generally turn up, try to change everything and say how much better there last place was as it was all done their way and leave within 6 months.

Network / Infrastructre Development - Most places have a few who don't fit in any of the above roles and so they call themselves development, often they play with all the new gadgets and go to the meeting s and jollies. once they have agreed with the sales people to bye the product they push all the development onto the 3rd line, who then drop it on second, and go off on the next set of lunches, outings and jollies, never having to actually complete anything they haved agreed to do. Often people who have failed miserable at all roles before and have no business understanding.
 
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1st line ... call centre types following scripts and logging calls which they either deal with (via a script) or pass to ...

2nd line .. who take the brunt of the users complaints when 1st lines scripts don't work. Know more than 1st lines, and are keen to increase their knowledge.

3rd line .. work on the back office stuff, networks, etc. handle calls that 2nd can't deal with. do project work etc.

consultants .. 3rd liners who have gotten out of the support environment, have loads of experience, and actually know (sometimes) what they are doing. (that's where I am now)
 
As has been posted above.

1st Line : Support Staff who man the phones and use some kind of Service Desk to esculate calls that are beyound the basic's like password resets etc.

2nd Line : 1st point of call after 1st line log a call to be esculated. This may require the staff to make on-site vists but pretty much covers anything and everything without the needs to look in to Server Side / Network Side Issue.

3rd Line : Server Side / Network Side Specialists that will envestigate issues that are forwarded either from 1st/2nd line depending on how obvious the call may be.

Thats how it works here.

Oh and then you get 4th line .. which = management, who so what they want when they want and usualy fob of anything difficult to anybody below them like a hot potato.
 
It is going to vary enormously dependent on the size of the organisation. I work for a large IT services company and I would say we tend to have:

1st Tier - made up from the the first and second line service desk functions. These take and log calls and provide advice from scripts over the phone. Second line service desk has more access to fix issues than first line who may only have access to go through scripts and reset passwords. Operations are classed as this level as well although they don't deal with end users.

2nd Tier - system support teams. This formed from Desktop , Server (Wintel and Unix), Networks, SAN and Application areas. Actual customer contact may vary depending on role. I currently work in a Server team but it's rare that I deal with an end user as normally the Application teams are my "customers".

3rd Tier - Project teams. Project Team build new systems to defined standards and hand them over to Support. They also investigate new technology, evaluate and create new standards for it.

People from 2nd Tier are frequently seconded into 3rd Tier. It's also fairly rare to see people moving from 1st Tier to 2nd Tier in my experience.
 
It is going to vary enormously dependent on the size of the organisation. I work for a large IT services company and I would say we tend to have:

1st Tier - made up from the the first and second line service desk functions. These take and log calls and provide advice from scripts over the phone. Second line service desk has more access to fix issues than first line who may only have access to go through scripts and reset passwords. Operations are classed as this level as well although they don't deal with end users.

2nd Tier - system support teams. This formed from Desktop , Server (Wintel and Unix), Networks, SAN and Application areas. Actual customer contact may vary depending on role. I currently work in a Server team but it's rare that I deal with an end user as normally the Application teams are my "customers".

3rd Tier - Project teams. Project Team build new systems to defined standards and hand them over to Support. They also investigate new technology, evaluate and create new standards for it.

People from 2nd Tier are frequently seconded into 3rd Tier. It's also fairly rare to see people moving from 1st Tier to 2nd Tier in my experience.


out of curiosity... where do you work my friend?
 
I know SANs I am a GOD!

Anyhoo where I work I do 1st line stuff sometimes (like install the chiefs printer) 2nd line sometimes, 3rd line most of the time and project management and research to boot.

I even do some people management.

Makes for an interesting CV
 
I think it's easy to tar 1st line support users with the same brush - they may mostly be doing 'Noddy' work, but it's a very mixed bag of individuals, some may actually be very knowledgeable and skilled, they just haven't been able to move out of that position for whatever reason (as others have mentioned here it can be difficult to do so at some companies who have no clear staff progression policy, or are structured in a certain way). Half the time they may be capable of fixing problems, but don't have the access to do so.
 
I think it's easy to tar 1st line support users with the same brush - they may mostly be doing 'Noddy' work, but it's a very mixed bag of individuals, some may actually be very knowledgeable and skilled, they just haven't been able to move out of that position for whatever reason (as others have mentioned here it can be difficult to do so at some companies who have no clear staff progression policy, or are structured in a certain way). Half the time they may be capable of fixing problems, but don't have the access to do so.

This.

I've been there and seen it based in an Email company. Often the future Devs, Sys Admins, Exchange Managers come up through the ranks and have decent skills, just have to do low key work to get the basics and wait for their time to go through the ranks.

Edit:- Thinking back it was a very mixed bunch of talented individuals...and lifers of 1st line :D
 
1st line = First port of call. The 1st line answer calls and tickets on the helpdesk and respond to tickets making sure the users are given a time frame and providing quick responses wherever possible and also dealing with information requests

2nd = Both desktop and remote desktop support with a splash of administrative duties (this is the main line IT support persons role)

3rd line = Server and network side to resolve backend issues and occassionaly provide assistance to 2nd line where necessary.

Project Manager = Handles rollout plans and change overs as well as liaising with middle management. (Most likely the 1st and 2nd line support guys line manager)

IT manager = Liaise with higher level management and directors, budget planning and strategic thinking

All of this depends on the size of the company, but in most cases in small/medium, medium sized companies (which make up the majority) this is the general makeup
 
^I'm not so sure about the PM, in my experience 1st/2nd line support generally don't report to them, it'd normally be a Support/IT Manager. Whereas PMs tend to manage specific projects and request time from support staff via their manager (perhaps indirectly).

That's not to say it doesn't happen though, especially in smaller companies where roles can often be blurred or merged.
 
Where I work, first line take calls, reset passwords. Scone fix problems on computers either remotely or onsite. Third line get esculated problems and support the servers. I am in communications and look after all the switches, routers and ipt.
 
At IBM, level 2 is clever people in a call centre, and level 3 are experienced test engineers and programmers sitting in the same office as the test/development teams for the product, with access to testers and test stands for customer re-creates.
 
At IBM, level 2 is clever people in a call centre, and level 3 are experienced test engineers and programmers sitting in the same office as the test/development teams for the product, with access to testers and test stands for customer re-creates.

Clever people and call center DO NOT belong in the same sentence.
 
Clever people and call center DO NOT belong in the same sentence.

You're thinking of level one, who collect details and read from a script.

The product I test is to complicated and expensive for level one to even try any diag, so customers get right to level 2, who are familiar with the product and SAN concepts.
 
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