The term tiered support refers to the way that a support center is organized, in order to handle incoming support issues in the most effective and efficient way possible. The tiered support structure has been around for more than 30 years and has been applied in internal support centers (help/service desks) as well as externally facing customer support centers (serving customers that buy an organization’s products/services). HDI courses teach on tiered support, and you can find good documentation and guidance on this in the ITIL^® Service Operation manual and training in the ITIL Foundation and Service Operation courses.

It’s important to note that ALL support tiers should abide by and support a common support center vision, mission, and goals and conduct their activities in a coordinated fashion—in line with an agreed set of policies and procedures (SOPs). Note also that the number of tiers, and who the teams report to, can vary depending on the organization, its management style, and its culture. No one scheme need fit every support center; the structure should be tailored to fit and work with your particular organization.

To read the full article in HDI’s SupportWorld magazine, click here.