Helpdesk Questions

The IT Department’s main goal is to ensure that all district systems are functioning properly to be utilized to their utmost potential. When an issue arises, the IT Department would like to resolve it as quickly as possible. If the issue goes beyond your building technician and the Helpdesk is called, the Helpdesk secretary will be asking the caller a variety of questions. So that the caller can prepare themselves ahead of time, I have included the standard questions below:

• Have you rebooted?
• Is it only your computer or a building problem?
• When did the problem first start?
• Are there any error messages?  If so, what?
• Has the system ever worked properly?
• What was the last thing done (to the system) prior to failure?
• Is the issue intermittent or ongoing/constant?
• Has any (new) hardware been added to the system?
• Has any (new) software been added to the system? Is that software approved or not?
• Has anything changed with the system (e.g. has it been moved) since the issue presented istelf?
• Has anyone else had access to the system?
• Are there any environmental factors that could be causing the issue>
• Have you done any troubleshooting on the system on your own?
• Have you checked all the cables and connections for a tight fit?

Granted, all of these questions do not apply to every situation, but a caller should be prepared to answer any that would be relevant to their situation.  This will allow the IT  Department to handle several problems over the phone.  This process benefits both the user (less waiting time) and the IT Department!