Employee Handbook

General Information

Hours of Operation and Contact Methods

Technology Services Help Desk standard hours of operation are:

• Monday-Thursday: 8:00AM-7:00PM
• Friday: 8:00AM-5:00PM

Contact Methods:

• Online: https://it.tamu.edu/help/
• General IT Request Form: Request Form
• Phone: 979-862-PVFA (7832)
• Email: helpdesk@tamu.edu
• In-Person: PAV 237, Map

Opening the Office

• Turn on the lights
• Open front door
• Ensure that the front desk area is clean, organized, and ready for operation
• Check for after-hours tickets

Closing the Office

• Ensure all computers are stored away and not left out
• Ensure that the front desk area is clean, organized, and ready for the next day
• Take any large trash, boxes etc. out to the dumpster
• Turn off the lights
• Ensure both doors are closed and locked

Front Desk Staffing

The expectation is the front desk will always be staffed during Hours of Operation. All PTE's should not be out of the office at the same time. If a critical, or high priority situation arises which necessitates immediate action, inform a supervisor so that the front desk can be monitored.

Start of Shift Tasks

• Check that your workspace is clean and organized
• Sign in to Outlook, Teams, and TeamDynamix (TDX)
• Check for notes from the outgoing shift and review active, unassigned tickets

End of Shift Tasks

• Use the last 10-15 minutes of your shift to update/close any ticket that you were working on
• Unassign any tickets that you were not able to complete during your shift, so that the oncoming shift can take over
• Post a message in Teams for the oncoming shift for any scheduled tickets with a customer
• Make sure that your workspace is clean and organized

Dress Code

The purpose of the dress code is to contribute to a positive department image. The university expects all employees to dress appropriately. Those who do not follow the dress code are subject to reprimand and will be sent home to change. The following dress code shall be enforced by Technology Services for both staff and student workers. The dress and appearance principles are intended to establish minimum standards for Technology Services employees.

• When staff or student workers meet with people outside Technology Services or attend university meetings as a Technology Services representative, business or business casual clothing should be worn.
• When staff or student workers are working within their office and not attending scheduled meetings in an official capacity with people outside Technology Services, it is acceptable to wear jeans with a collared shirt or an office-appropriate collarless shirt.
• Student workers may wear knee-length business casual shorts. Staff are NOT allowed to wear shorts at any time unless given pre-approval.
• Whether within the office or attending meetings outside of the office:
  • Clothing shall be free of emblems, lettering, or pictures pertaining to drugs, alcohol, sex, profanity, or discrimination.
  • Clothing shall be in a condition that is free of tears, holes, or frayed material.
  • Clothing shall provide coverage appropriate for an office setting. No off-the-shoulder tops, tank tops, crop tops or halter tops.
  • No yoga pants, pajama pants, wind pants or sweatpants.
  • No plastic or rubber "flip-flops." No house shoes/slippers.
• In Zoom, Teams or other virtual meetings, staff should present themselves according to the dress code and have an appropriate and professional background, Zoom Icon, and Display Name. The background can be a clean, clear, and well-lit space or an appropriate Zoom or Teams background. Appropriate TAMU branded video call backgrounds are available as an option at tamu.edu/zoom.

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Customer Interaction and Etiquette

Customer Interaction

When communicating with a customer whether by phone, email, or in person always be professional and polite. If you say a person will be stopping by shortly, do ensure that a person will be there.

Avoid communication pitfalls

Avoid making promises or using definitive words such as: - "Will", "Make sure", "Absolutely", "Definitely", "Promise", etc.

Phone Etiquette

When answering the phone, greet the caller with:
"Howdy, this is Technology Services – PVFA. May I have your name, UIN and a good contact number in case we get disconnected?" After receiving this information, ask "Hello <person's name>. How may I assist you today?"

• If you need to place the caller on hold for any reason, ask them if it is ok beforehand and wait for a response. After you take the person off hold, thank them for waiting.

• If you need ask a question to anyone other than the caller either place them on hold or mute the microphone. Covering the receiver with your hand is not sufficient.

• Engage in active listening. Take notes to make documenting the ticket easier. Empathize with the caller and if possible, resolve their issue over the phone.

• When ending the call, summarize their issue, and document in the ticket. When ending the call use one of the 2 following:

  • For issues resolved over the phone:
    "Thanks again for contacting Technology Services – PVFA, feel free to contact us again if you run into any other issues."

  • For issues that will require additional support:
    "Thanks again for contacting Technology Services – PVFA, we have created a ticket regarding your issue. You will receive updates via email, the ID Number is <give ID number> and we will update you as progress is made." :::

Walk-in Etiquette

When an end user walks in, greet them with: "Howdy, how may I assist you?"

A ticket should be opened, making sure to set the Source to Walk-In. Gather as much information as possible including their name, office location, contact information, and a detailed description of their problem.

If immediate assistance is warranted make sure that the front desk is staffed, or notify an FTE. Otherwise, let the customer know that our technicians are busy, and that we will address their issue(s) as soon as we can.

Computer Intake

Before bringing a computer back to the office, or before receiving a computer that is brought to us, confirm that it is a Texas A&M Asset, usually this will be indicated by an asset tag sticker somewhere on the device. If no sticker is found note the serial number and ask a FTE to look it up in the inventory.

Process:

• All computers brought to the office must have a ticket associated with it. Print out the ticket and tape it to the computer.
• If the bench is available set up the device as needed and perform the necessary fixes or actions to resolve the request. If the bench is not available place the device on the appropriate shelf on the storage racks.
• Before returning the device ensure that it is cleaned, and any USB's or other devices belonging to Technology Services are removed.
• If a computer must be re-imaged make sure you notify the customer before doing so, and get confirmation that they understand what that means, and that they agree to it. Once the re-imaging process starts it cannot be undone.

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Ticket Handling, SLA, and Escalation

Ticket Handling

Creation

When creating a ticket, make sure to include the following information:

• Person's Name
• Preferred Contact Information (Phone number, email, team, etc.)
• Location of the Incident
• Source (walk-in, phone, email, etc.)
• Detailed description of the problem

Some additional Information that may be helpful, but is not necessary:

• How long has the issue been occurring?
• What is the frequency of the occurrence?
• Ask for screenshots of any error messages or pop-ups
• Ask for their availability

Updates

After a ticket is created or is assigned to our queue, we must follow the SLA's outlined in the next section. As a general guideline, tickets should not be active more than a day (excluding weekends and holidays) without some kind of update.

Additionally, any work performed on a ticket, no matter how minor, should be documented. This includes attempts to contact the customer, contact with any vendors or external support, or work performed either in-person or remotely.

In the case where you are waiting for a response from the customer or a vendor, the ticket status should be updated to indicate this. When placed in these statuses, the ticket should be set to go off hold before the SLA timer expires.

Escalation

When a ticket requires escalation enter the troubleshooting steps taken and attempted fixes in the ticket and notify the appropriate person that you will be escalating a ticket to them. If the ticket requires escalation to an external team notify the helpdesk supervisor.

Immediately notify a supervisor if a customer is acting in an overly rude or unprofessional manner, or if they indicate that they will be talking to college leadership that they are unhappy with the service received. If you ever feel uncomfortable or unsafe you are authorized to remove yourself from the situation.

Resolution

When the issue has been fixed to the satisfaction of the customer, update the ticket status to resolved and enter a summary of the steps taken. Make sure that the ticket is assigned to the individual that performed the fix.

Priority Matrix

SLA Targets

For any tickets that are unable to be resolved in the expected resolution time, please update the end user to keep them informed. For each of the ticket states, respond according to the expected response time matrix below. This is the maximum time; tickets will need to be responded to before the time set for each of the ticket statuses.

Priority	Initial Response Time	Incident Update (Recurring)	Expected Resolution Time
High	30 Minutes	1 Hour	8 hours
Medium	1 Hour	4 Hours	48 Hours
Low	2 Hours	8 Hours	72 Hours

These figures represent operational hours, so tickets submitted after hours, during a weekend, or on a university holiday will not count towards the SLA.

Escalation

1. Tier 1 Support

   • Serves as the first point of contact for all IT-related issues in the help desk
   • Responsible for initial troubleshooting and issue resolution

2. Knowledge Issue Escalation

   • If a technician encounters an issue beyond their expertise or requires additional resources, they escalate the issue to Tier 2 support
   • Tier 2 support consists of specialized technicians or subject matter experts (SMEs) who possess advanced knowledge and skills in specific areas of technology
   • Escalation to Tier 2 occurs when:
     • The issue requires specialized knowledge or expertise
     • The resolution requires access to privileged systems or resources
     • The resolution timeline exceeds defined SLAs for Tier 1 support

3. End User Issue Escalation

   • If an issue involves challenges with the end user or requires managerial intervention, the escalation process follows specific guidelines:
     1. Tier 1 support technicians attempt to resolve the issue through effective communication and troubleshooting techniques
     2. If the issue persists due to user error, lack of cooperation, or other non-technical factors, it is escalated to Tier 2 support or a designated supervisor
     3. Supervisors or designated escalation points engage with the end user to address concerns, provide additional training or guidance, and ensure a positive resolution
     4. Issues related to policy violations, misconduct, or security breaches are escalated to appropriate management and security teams for investigation and resolution.

4. Escalation Procedures

   • Escalation of issues follows predefined procedures to ensure consistency, efficiency, and accountability
     • Help desk technicians document all interactions, troubleshooting steps, and escalation details in the ticketing system
     • Escalation paths and contact information for Tier 2 support, supervisors, and management are clearly defined and accessible to help desk staff
     • Escalation triggers, such as unresolved issues, critical incidents, or breaches of SLAs, are monitored and tracked to facilitate timely intervention and resolution
     • Regular review meetings and performance evaluations assess the effectiveness of the escalation process and identify areas for improvement