WHAT DOES A HELP DESK SUPPORT SPECIALIST DO?

Published: Aug 11, 2025 - The Help Desk Support Specialist assists with resolving Tier 1 and Tier 2 end-user issues, logging and tracking incidents, and ensuring first-call resolution. This role involves providing technical support for Exchange to O365 cloud migrations in large enterprise environments, handling device setups for onboarding, and managing account access during terminations. The support specialist also delivers application support, mobile device assistance, employee training, and routing of calls according to established help desk processes.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Help Desk Support Specialist

1. Help Desk Support Specialist Functions

  • Application Support: Engage and interact with the application service team for Tomcat, JMS, and TSF issues.
  • Database Support: Identify and interact with the database support team for Oracle errors and maintenance.
  • Technical Support: Engage and interact with L1 and L2 TPTP support teams.
  • Depot Coordination: Engage and interact with Depot Support.
  • Business Support: Provide business support in the maintenance and management of data.
  • PL/SQL Reporting: Report on application usage using PL/SQL.
  • Data Analysis: Diagnose data discrepancies between systems.
  • Process Analysis: Diagnose process discrepancies in data flow.
  • Project Support: Support Service Transformation and ERP projects.
  • System Support: Support ServiceMobility, GAPS, Salesforce, and Oracle (FS/RS) systems.
  • Business Liaison: Act as a business liaison to support teams.
  • Hardware Evaluation: Evaluate hardware for future rollouts and releases.

2. Help Desk Support Specialist Accountabilities

  • iPad Administration: Facilitate and administer iPads with the Point of Sale system.
  • Equipment Configuration: Configure and troubleshoot all equipment that interfaces with iPads.
  • MDM Administration: Administer MDM, Apple DEP, and VPP.
  • Server Administration: Administer Windows Server Active Directory, WSUS, and Group Policy.
  • IT Provisioning: Provision and de-provision all IT-related equipment and user accounts.
  • Hardware Repair: Diagnose and repair PC hardware.
  • IT Support: Document and resolve all IT-related support tickets.
  • Policy Documentation: Document policies and procedures.
  • On-Call Support: Participate in on-call rotation during after-hours and weekends.

3. Help Desk Support Specialist Job Summary

  • Customer Support: Assist and troubleshoot customer problems involving hardware, software, and networking.
  • Ticket Management: Submit and track tickets using the customer's ticketing systems.
  • Account Maintenance: Assist users with account maintenance tasks like changing passwords.
  • Microsoft Office Support: Assist users with Microsoft Office.
  • Application Support: Assist users with customer-specific applications and hardware configurations.
  • Training Compliance: Track mandatory training compliance for specified individuals.
  • Service Tracking: Track all service calls and provide periodic metrics.
  • General Assistance: Assist with other tasks.

4. Help Desk Support Specialist Responsibilities

  • Issue Troubleshooting: Troubleshoot basic end-user issues on various software applications, hardware, and networks, and provide basic desktop support.
  • Team Collaboration: Work with a small team of Service Desk Analysts to meet customer service level targets.
  • First Contact Support: Serve as the first point of contact for customers seeking technical assistance over the phone or email.
  • Inquiry Response: Respond to questions from all emails and callers.
  • Problem-Solving Guidance: Walk customers through the problem-solving process.
  • Policy Familiarization: Become familiar with helpdesk policies and services.
  • Procedure Compliance: Follow standard Service Desk operating procedures.
  • Ticket Logging: Accurately log all Service Desk tickets using the defined tracking software.
  • Remote Troubleshooting: Perform remote troubleshooting through diagnostic techniques and pertinent questions.
  • Solution Determination: Determine the best solution based on the issue and details provided by customers.
  • Customer Follow-Up: Follow up and update customer status and information.

5. Help Desk Support Specialist Details

  • User Liaison: Act as a link between end users and advanced support, proactively troubleshooting or escalating on demand.
  • Network Administration: Assist in maintaining and administering all aspects of the network.
  • Helpdesk Support: Provide on-site Helpdesk support for multiple entities in the area, entailing hands-on assistance with hardware replacement, troubleshooting, and software installation.
  • Conference System Maintenance: Maintain conference room systems and equipment, including Zoom rooms, Microsoft Teams, and AV conferencing platforms.
  • Meeting Coordination: Set up meetings, including coordination of multiple office and remote user systems to ensure uninterrupted transmissions of critical agency-wide monthly meetings.
  • Computer Deployment: Work with Tier 2 support to deploy computers for employees and effectuate desk moves.
  • Team Collaboration: Collaborate within the team and inter-departmentally to maintain standards and functionality.
  • Inventory Management: Manage IT hardware inventory for several offices.

6. Help Desk Support Specialist Duties

  • Issue Response: Respond to incoming email or web-reported technical issues from internal users related to applications, network, infrastructure, or hardware.
  • Productivity Tools Support: Provide support to local and remote employees for a suite of productivity tools.
  • Issue Documentation: Identify severity and impact, and document details in the Help Desk call tracking system.
  • Troubleshooting: Diagnose, troubleshoot, and attempt to resolve issues within identified service level agreements.
  • System Monitoring: Perform system monitoring to ensure service level agreements are met and alert appropriate IT staff and management of any downtime or missed SLAs.
  • IT Collaboration: Work in partnership with all IT teams to find solutions or escalate issues to the appropriate IT groups for resolution.
  • User Communication: Communicate status and updates to end users in a timely and consistent manner.
  • Infrastructure Enhancement: Proactively identify and recommend enhancements to the overall IT infrastructure.
  • Issue Escalation: Set priorities for open issues and escalate them to the correct department for resolution.
  • Issue Closure: Follow through with the closure of user issues.
  • Product Knowledge: Learn new and existing hardware and software products.

7. Help Desk Support Specialist Overview

  • Issue Resolution: Assist with correcting end-user issues (Tier 1 and Tier 2 escalation point) and log issues as they occur.
  • First Call Resolution: Achieve first call resolution results.
  • Call Routing: Route support calls through existing helpdesk systems and processes.
  • Helpdesk Processing: Perform all necessary actions on helpdesk calls related to non-migration issues, including logging, tracking, and closure.
  • Migration Call Routing: Route migration-related support calls to designated Tier 1 and Tier 2 support resources.
  • Migration Support: Provide Tier 1 and Tier 2 level helpdesk support for Exchange to O365 cloud-based mail migrations in an enterprise-level environment (greater than 10,000 users).
  • Application Support: Answer questions and solve problems related to application software as part of application support.
  • Device Setup: Handle computer and mobile device setups for onboarding new employees and cancel all access during terminations.
  • Mobile Device Support: Provide iPhone and tablet support for all employees.
  • Employee Training: Train new employees on their applications and create training materials for employee use.

8. Help Desk Support Specialist Tasks

  • Customer Communication: Answer inbound customer requests via telephone, email, chat, or any additional method of inbound communication, and demonstrate proficiency with all internal tools.
  • Customer Support: Serve as the contact and interface for customers regarding support, troubleshooting, and problem resolution.
  • Technical Resolution: Resolve technical support issues for supported products within identified timeframes, with a focus on first call resolution.
  • Product Opportunity Identification: Identify beneficial product opportunities for existing customers and communicate them to the sales team via the workflow process.
  • Activity Documentation: Document all activities with customers in the CRM system per defined processes and procedures.
  • Case Resolution: Resolve open cases within specified guidelines.
  • Issue Escalation: Elevate issues following the escalation procedure in a timely and appropriate manner.
  • Policy Compliance: Maintain compliance with policies, procedures, and the mission statement.
  • Confidentiality Compliance: Adhere to all confidentiality and HIPAA requirements as outlined within operating policies and procedures at all times and in all aspects of data handling and services rendered.
  • Operational Support: Fulfill responsibilities and duties reasonably provided to achieve the operational and financial success of the company.

9. Help Desk Support Specialist Roles

  • User Support: Provide telephone, desk-side, and one-on-one support to all users of the firm’s networked systems, with emphasis on Microsoft Office applications, document management, PDF creation and editing, redlining, and metadata scrubbing.
  • Floor Walks: Complete weekly floor walks.
  • IT Collaboration: Work closely with the IT Support Services Manager and other IT staff members when seeking answers to complex questions and issues.
  • Ticket Management: Track and document user support issues in the ticketing system.
  • Ticket Monitoring: Monitor and follow up on all assigned tickets, ensuring proper resolution, end-user contact, and satisfaction in line with agreed-upon SLAs.
  • Account Administration: Create, terminate, and modify user accounts.
  • Application Knowledge: Remain current with all network applications, software/template/macro changes, and enhancements.
  • On-Call Support: Participate in on-call coverage on a rotating basis.
  • Team Meetings: Participate in internal meetings with the Support Desk Team to discuss project statuses and current issues.
  • Device Configuration: Configure loaner laptops, wireless cards, and mobile devices for employees.

10. Help Desk Support Specialist Additional Details

  • Customer Support: Provide excellent customer support and timely responses, and solutions to all stakeholders in the organization.
  • Issue Escalation: Escalate issues and questions to ensure appropriate resolution.
  • Help Desk Support: Serve as the single point of contact for end users to receive support and maintenance within the organization’s technology environment through the help desk.
  • Team Collaboration: Collaborate and build strong working relationships with network administrators, network engineers, desktop administrators, application engineers, and DSA analysts to ensure the efficient operation of the organization’s technologies.
  • Vendor Communication: Communicate with school sites, testing services, and other outside vendors.
  • Department Support: Support DSA and IS departments, including local, state, and federal compliance data collection and reporting.
  • Application Support: Apply the best customer service and technical support practices to maintain the operations of applications.
  • Issue Resolution: Resolve customer issues and preemptively identify and resolve issues.
  • SQL Query Management: Create, update, and execute database queries using SQL.
  • Report Generation: Generate new reports and run existing reports.
Relevant Information
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