what is a 1st line support?
As a 1st line support, you are the technical support engineer. Your job is to provide technical support and customer service to clients using a particular product. Most technical support and customer services companies use a tiered tactic to provide prompt assistance to customers. While some companies have zero line support for self-service, others have up to four tiers of support, where the 1st and 2nd line support are for customer queries. The 3rd and 4th lines usually deal with issues requiring management-level expertise or external consultancy.
When you work in first line support, you are the frontline customer support agent. That means you have to be a generalist with a broad understanding of technical procedures and products. Your job is to handle customer inquiries on daily support issues like time-sensitive queries, customers' common challenges and FAQs. You aim to rectify a problem promptly for the customer.
As a 1st line support agent, you need to collect sufficient information about a customer's issue. If you cannot solve a problem, you pass along the ticket to the 2nd line support, who handles time-consuming and technical issues arising from the first support. Usually, first line support receives queries from social media channels, live chats and emails.
Would working as a 1st line support suit your interest in helping people and problem-solving ability? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a first line support role.
1st line support jobsaverage 1st line support salary
According to ONS, the average salary of 1st line support agents is £23,050 per year or £11.82 per hour. New 1st line support technicians earn a salary of £21,923 annually, while skilled professionals have a compensation package of over £30,000 per year. As a 1st line support, your hourly rates are higher when you work overtime. You can also increase your earnings with bonuses.
Apart from bonuses, first line support agents enjoy multiple benefits, including paid holidays and various allowances like medical and transport allowances.
what factors affect the salary of a 1st line support?
As a 1st line support agent, your salary depends on your skills and the organisation you work for. When you have experience in providing IT support to clients, you will have a higher compensation package than entry-level 1st line support agents. Your qualifications can also increase your salary and career prospects.
When you work in a large organisation that provides 24-hour support, you enjoy higher hourly rates than in new start-ups. Working in-house for an IT company pays more than call centres due to their specialised services. Location can also influence your pay since urban centres have higher pay structures.
types of 1st line support
Some types of 1st line support include:
- helpdesk technician: your role is to provide technical support to clients remotely, in person or through the phone related to computer systems. You also respond to customer queries and assist them.
- helpdesk operator: as a helpdesk operator, you are the 1st line of support for the company's in-house staff and remote workers. Your job is to deal with technical issues, recommend the best applications for company use and install and upgrade computer systems.
working as a 1st line support
Working as a first line support revolves around helping people resolve technical issues. You provide assistance through live chat, email or phone support. Let's check out the role's daily activities and career progression options.
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1st line support job description
Some of the duties of a 1st line support agent include:
- taking customer inquiries: as a 1st line support, your primary role is to handle incoming queries by receiving phone calls. You also receive help requests through emails and live chats. Your job is to direct the flow of incoming queries and ensure clients are served promptly. You can determine clients' problems from phone conversations and book them a ticket.
- dealing with hardware or product problems: as a first line support agent, you troubleshoot technical issues related to hardware components of a computer system. You help customers deal with their computers, printers, servers and software issues. Your job is to isolate a problem and identify resolutions.
- explaining possible solutions to clients: as a first line support, you have to ask questions related to a client's problem and identify the issue. When you figure out the source of the problem, you can go through your technical support manual to find a solution. You also work your clients through the resolution steps and ensure they are satisfied with the results.
- running automated diagnostic programmes on a client's device: some problems are challenging to identify, especially if the client doesn't know the cause of the malfunction. Your job is to run an automated diagnostic programme to identify the problems in the computer hardware and recommend solutions.
- logging in descriptions of client's problems and progress: when handling a client's problem, it is important to keep detailed records of the conversation and write a report on the user's problems and recommended solutions. That means you need to ask users questions to determine the full scope of the issues and prepare detailed notes. You also need to update the knowledge base on common issues faced by users.
- escalating complex problems to 2nd line support: when a problem requires technical expertise, you escalate it to 2nd line support. You also follow up on unresolved issues and update the users until a resolution is achieved.
- arranging for a technician to visit a client: when you cannot resolve a user's problem over email or phone, you can arrange for a technician to visit the client's home or office.
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work environment
As a 1st line support, you may work in an IT consultancy firm or in-house for a technology company that provides hardware products to users. You also work in call centres for IT support. You usually work from a desk in an open-plan office with other IT helpdesk analysts. The closely-knit work environment makes it easy to assist customers since you can consult other support agents on a user's issue. You spend many hours on the phone and a computer. Since you have customer service targets to meet, the work environment can be fast-paced.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on your employer, you may work alongside IT helpdesk analysts, 2nd line support agents and IT support technicians. You may also be working with customer service representatives, as well as other specialists that could include service desk analysts, systems administrators and field technicians.
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work schedule
A 1st line support agent works the traditional office hours from 9 am to 5 pm in full-time positions. Standard work hours for 1st line support agents are over 40 hours weekly. However, some companies provide 24/7 support to users, which means you work 8 to 12-hour shifts. When you work shift schedules, you are likely to work late nights, early mornings and weekend shifts. You often work during public holidays to assist users. 1st line support agents enjoy flexible schedules, from part-time work to short-term contracts and remote work opportunities. You can help users from any location and log reports to the company helpdesk software.
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job outlook
As a first line support agent, you have a great career outlook in the IT department. You can follow the tier support system and work your way up to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th line support as you improve your skills. Alternatively, specialise in providing support to an in-house staff of banks, educational institutions and retail businesses and become the lead IT support technician. You can also focus on other fields like programming or software engineering with further training.
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job outlook
As a first line support agent, you have a great career outlook in the IT department. You can follow the tier support system and work your way up to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th line support as you improve your skills. Alternatively, specialise in providing support to an in-house staff of banks, educational institutions and retail businesses and become the lead IT support technician. You can also focus on other fields like programming or software engineering with further training.
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advantages of finding a 1st line support job through randstad
Finding your 1st line support job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a first line support is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
Although a 1st line support agent role doesn't have any formal educational requirements, the following post-secondary qualifications can get you into the role:
- college course: you can pursue a higher national certificate in computing or a higher national diploma in technical support. The HNC and HND courses require at least 4 GCSEs in maths and English.
- apprenticeship: you can join the profession with an apprenticeship in digital applications or pursue a foundation degree in IT, hardware and system support. Apprenticeships usually require between 3 and 5 GCSEs.
- additional training: most employers provide on-the-job training to prepare you for the role. However, you can build your skills with helpdesk qualifications or introductory courses in modern desktop administrator associate or information technology infrastructure library (ITIL).
1st line support skills and competencies
Some skills of a 1st line support include:
- customer service skills: as a 1st line support agent, you provide support to users. Customer service skills like empathy and patience help you execute your responsibilities and provide the best support to users.
- analytical skills: resolving complex technical issues requires exceptional analytical skills. You have to identify the cause of the problem and develop solutions. Analytical skills help you study the information provided by a user and make an informed decision on the resolution.
- multitasking skills: as a first line support agent, you handle multiple issues simultaneously. Sometimes, you have to answer customers' questions on the phone while drafting an email on how to fix an issue or escalating tickets to 2nd line support.
- organisation skills: you need to keep accurate records of the types of problems, support and resolutions to be handled. You also have to keep track of escalated tickets and follow up on their progress. That requires exceptional organisation skills.
FAQs
FAQs about working as a 1st line support
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what is the difference between 1st and 2nd line support?
A 1st line support agent handles users' general problems, while a 2nd line support deals with complex issues escalated by 1st line support.
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what is a 1st line support analyst?
A 1st line support analyst is the first contact point for users who provides possible solutions to common technical difficulties.
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what does 1st support do?
1st line support receives calls from users, records hardware issues and troubleshoots the problems. They also escalate difficult issues to other technicians.
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what does front line support mean?
Front line support is the first port of call for customers with hardware-related issues. Users can access the support through phone calls or live chat.
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how much does a first line support earn per hour?
1st line support earns an average hourly rate of £11.82 per hour. However, the rate varies depending on the employer and experience level.
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how do I apply for a 1st line support vacancy?
Applying for a 1st line support job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our 1st line support jobs. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
