Help Desk Support

Function: Customer Service

About Help Desk Support: Provides technical assistance and support to customers with software, hardware, or system issues. This role falls within the Customer Service function of a firm. Important aspects of this role are covered below to give you an idea about your own resume and help you distill your own experiences for a prospective employer in interviews

Primary Activities

A Help Desk Support in the Customer Service function is typically expected to perform the following activities as a part of their job. Expect questions delving deeper into these areas depending on your level of experience. This is a representative list and not a complete one; the latter are generally based on the exact nature of the role

Answering Customer Inquiries: Responding to customer questions and concerns via phone, email, or chat to provide assistance and resolve issues
Troubleshooting Technical Problems: Identifying and diagnosing technical issues reported by customers, and providing step-by-step guidance to resolve them
Logging & Tracking Customer Issues: Recording customer complaints, inquiries, and technical problems in a ticketing system to ensure proper documentation and tracking of issues
Escalating Complex Issues: Recognizing and escalating complex or unresolved customer issues to higher-level support or specialized teams for further investigation and resolution
Providing Product Knowledge: Sharing comprehensive knowledge about products or services with customers, including features, functionalities, and troubleshooting tips
Assisting With Account Management: Helping customers with account-related tasks such as password resets, account setup, billing inquiries, and subscription management
Maintaining Customer Satisfaction: Ensuring customer satisfaction by actively listening to their concerns, empathizing with their frustrations, and providing timely and effective solutions
Collaborating With Other Teams: Working closely with other departments, such as technical support, sales, or product development, to address customer needs and provide seamless support
Updating Knowledge Base: Contributing to the maintenance and improvement of the knowledge base by documenting common issues, resolutions, and best practices for future reference
Following Up With Customers: Proactively contacting customers to ensure their issues have been resolved satisfactorily and to gather feedback on the support experience

Key Performance Indicators

Help Desk Supports in the Customer Service function are often evaluated using the following KPI metrics. Address atleast some of these metrics in your resume line items & within your interview stories to maximize your prospects (if you have prior experiences in this or a related role). This is not a comprehensive list and exact metrics vary depending on the type of business

First Call Resolution Rate: Percentage of customer issues resolved on the first call
Average Response Time: Average time taken to respond to customer inquiries
Average Handle Time: Average time taken to handle a customer issue
Customer Satisfaction Score: Measurement of customer satisfaction with the support received
Ticket Resolution Time: Average time taken to resolve customer tickets
Ticket Backlog: Number of unresolved customer tickets
Agent Utilization: Percentage of time agents spend on customer support activities
First Response Time: Average time taken to provide the first response to a customer inquiry
Abandoned Call Rate: Percentage of calls abandoned by customers before reaching an agent
Escalation Rate: Percentage of customer issues escalated to higher-level support

Selection Process

Successful candidates for a Help Desk Supports role in the Customer Service function can expect a similar selection process as the one outlined below. Actual process may vary depending on seniority, size/type of company etc.

Phone screening
Brief phone call to assess basic qualifications and interest in the role
In-person interview
Face-to-face interview to evaluate technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and customer service orientation
Technical assessment
Practical test or scenario-based questions to assess troubleshooting skills and knowledge of relevant technologies
Behavioral interview
Structured interview to evaluate communication skills, teamwork, and ability to handle difficult customer situations
Reference check
Contacting provided references to verify past performance and work ethic
Final interview
Meeting with hiring manager or senior leadership to discuss fit, expectations, and potential offer

Interview Questions

Common Interview Questions that a Help Desk Supports in the Customer Service function is likely to face. Prepare stories that tailor to your own experiences that may help you answer these questions effectively. This is not a complete list and more questions will be added over time. Use the topic tags in the search box below to filter by specific topics

Link	Question	Topic(s)
Link	Tell me about your experience in providing technical support to customers.	Experience Technical Support
Link	How do you handle difficult or irate customers?	Customer Handling
Link	What steps do you take to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues?	Troubleshooting
Link	Describe a time when you had to prioritize multiple customer issues. How did you handle it?	Prioritization
Link	How do you ensure customer satisfaction while resolving their technical problems?	Customer Satisfaction
Link	What software or tools have you used to track and manage customer support tickets?	Ticket Management
Link	How do you stay updated with the latest technology trends and developments?	Technology Knowledge
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to escalate a customer issue to a higher level of support.	Escalation
Link	How do you handle repetitive or common customer issues?	Problem Resolution
Link	Describe a situation where you had to communicate technical information to a non-technical customer.	Communication
Link	What steps do you take to ensure data security and privacy while assisting customers?	Data Security
Link	How do you handle a situation where you don't know the answer to a customer's question?	Problem Solving
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to work collaboratively with other teams to resolve a customer issue.	Collaboration
Link	How do you manage your time and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced customer support environment?	Time Management
Link	Describe a situation where you had to provide support remotely or over the phone.	Remote Support
Link	What steps do you take to document and update knowledge base articles for common customer issues?	Knowledge Base
Link	Tell me about a time when you had to handle a high volume of customer inquiries or requests.	High Volume
Link	How do you handle a situation where a customer is not satisfied with the resolution provided?	Customer Satisfaction
Link	Describe a time when you had to adapt to new technologies or software quickly.	Adaptability
Link	What steps do you take to ensure a smooth transition when handing off a customer issue to another team member?	Handoff