Chapter 6 A Guide to Computer User Support for Help Desk and Support Specialists

Authentication is an incident management step to determine whether it is

appropriate for a help desk to handle a user's incident

True

False

Selected Answer: True

An incident's priority code is based on the number of incidents in a queue ahead

of it.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

A service level agreement is a contract between a help desk agent and their

manager that specifies the percent of incidents the agent will handle correctly

during each work shift.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

LBE Helpdesk software contains many of the most common help desk software

features, but managing technology assets is an add-on module.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Help desk software that includes a client feedback capability can help measure the

level of satisfaction with a specific incident or with help desk services in general.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

In help desk jargon, ACD stands for ____.

a. Association of Computer Dealers

b. Automated Call Distributor

c. Association for Computer Documentation

d. Accelerated CD-ROM

Selected Answer: b. Automated Call Distributor

The incident management step in which a user's problem is satisfactorily dealt

with is called incident ____.

a. resolution

b. closing

c. archiving

d. assignment

Selected Answer: a. resolution

The academic version of LBE Helpdesk featured in the text book is a subset of the

features of the full commercial version.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Selected Answer: False

Even when an incident is escalated to a higher level tier in the multi-level support

model, the help desk agent who initiated the incident retains ownership of it.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

The Intranet is the new name for Web 2.0 technology.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

The incident management step in which a closed incident is stored for later use in

a knowledge base of solved problems is ____.

a. log the incident

b. track the incident

c. close the incident

d. archive the incident

Selected Answer: d. archive the incident

LBE Helpdesk software includes a knowledge base that can be searched for

problem resolutions.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

The ____ form of communication between a user and an agent is asynchronous.

a. online chat

b. email

c. telephone call

d. all are asynchronous

Selected Answer: b. email

The process of updating the information about an incident as it is processed and as

information is added to the incident record is called incident ____.

a. escalation

b. tracking

c. archiving

d. authentication

Selected Answer: b. tracking

Every help desk incident, no matter what kind, goes through the 12 steps of the

incident management process described in the book, even if some of the steps

don't always apply.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Some help desk operations use a script to guide an agent through the steps in the

incident management process.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Time management tools in a help desk software package probably have the

greatest impact on the productivity of ____.

a. a help desk manager

b. a help desk agent

c. a help desk client

d. any of these

Selected Answer: b. a help desk agent

An incident management step, in which an incident is transferred to a support

staff member who has greater experience or resources to handle difficult

questions, is incident ____.

a. priorities

b. escalation

c. resolution

d. screening

Selected Answer: b. escalation

The design of a help desk work area should reduce distractions, noise, and

interruptions to the extent possible.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Cloud computing is a new way to access software that uses satellite technology to

download applications to end users.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Which of these technology trends may permit a support agent to answer questions

about multiple operating systems from a single PC?

a. interactive voice response

b. remote access

c. virtualization

d. telecommuting

Selected Answer: c. virtualization

Job stress results from physical and emotional responses to a mismatch between

an agent's personal characteristics and their job requirements.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Help desk software tools are available for support agents and managers, but few

tools are available to help users access a help desk.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Help desk operations retain an archive of previously resolved incidents in a

knowledge base to document the steps to resolve each incident as an information

resource to help desk agents.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Web-based user support offers a cost-effective way to communicate support

information to end users.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Help desk software that includes asset management can help a support staff

control an organization's equipment inventory.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

During the ____ step in the incident management process an incident is

categorized as a request for information, a question, a problem, a complaint, or a

work order.

a. Incident assignment

b. Assigning a priority

c. Incident logging

d. Incident screening

Selected Answer: d. Incident screening

Call management is another term for incident management.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

A dashboard is a visual display to alert each help desk agent that incidents

assigned to them are waiting to be handled.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Which category of help desk incident is: "My PC runs slowly when I access the

Internet with a modem in the evenings"?

a. a work order

b. a problem

c. a question

d. a complaint

Selected Answer: b. a problem

Knowledge bases in help desk software are sometimes called smart databases.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

LBE Helpdesk, featured in this chapter, is an example of a(n) ____.

a. a freeware help desk package

b. an open source help desk package

c. a commercial help desk package

d. a shareware help desk package

Selected Answer: c. a commercial help desk package

____ is not a category of management issues covered by the ITIL (Information

Technology Infrastructure Library).

a. Problem management

b. Configuration management

c. Personnel management

d. Incident management

Selected Answer: c. Personnel management

The purpose of incident tracking is to document the complete history of activities

that occurred while handling an incident.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

The purpose of the screening step is to determine whether an incident is a request

for information, question, problem, complaint or work order.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Which of these help desk activities involves collecting, storing, updating and

sharing information among help desk workers?

a. Virtualization

b. Expert Systems technology

c. Archive management

d. Knowledge management

Selected Answer: d. Knowledge management

A help desk incident that is a simple question may get identified early and not go

through every step in the incident management process.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Escalation is an unfortunate incident management step that indicates lower level

tier help desk agents failed to perform their responsibilities.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Prescreening is an incident management step where incidents that a help desk

cannot handle are rejected.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Help desk software often includes tools to help agents manage their time, such as

calendars, reminders, scheduling, collaboration tools and project management

tools.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Help desk software is intended primarily for internal help desk use and do not

usually include email or Internet access capabilities.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Commercial help desk software packages are available for large help desk

operations, but are too expensive for small-scale help desks.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

The goal of the multi-level support model is to handle most support incidents at

____.

a. any level that can handle support incidents

b. It doesn't make any difference as long as each incident gets

handled eventually

c. the lowest support level

d. the highest support level

Selected Answer: c. the lowest support level

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a collection of best

practices in the user support industry based on experiences of successful help desk

operations.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

Tools to manage service level agreements (SLAs) in a help desk software package

probably are of greatest use by ____.

a. a help desk manager

b. a help desk agent

c. a help desk client

d. any of these

Selected Answer: a. a help desk manager

In a help desk that uses a multi-level support model, the highest level of support is

the most knowledgeable and experienced, so it usually handles most of the

incidents.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Ergonomic problem that apply to technology users do not necessarily apply to

help desk support agents.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

The ____ help desk position is normally staffed by an entry-level employee.

a. Support Manager

b. Technical Support

c. Product Specialist

d. Incident Screener

Selected Answer: d. Incident Screener

A telephone system that can answer calls, greet callers, provide menus, and route

calls is a(n) ____.

a. incident dispatcher

b. computer telephony system

c. hotline

d. automated call distributor

Selected Answer: d. automated call distributor

The goal of incident logging in the incident management process is to begin to

document the incident and the problem.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

The purpose of prescreening an incident is to ____.

a. identify difficult incidents early in the process

b. determine the type of incident and how the help desk staff will

c. assign a priority to the problem

d. All of the above

Selected b. determine the type of incident and how the help desk staff will handle it

Which of these help desk positions is often staffed by an employee with

programming or product development experience?

a. Product Specialist

b. Incident Screener

c. Technical Support

d. Support Manager

Selected Answer: c. Technical Support

The principle concept in the multi-level support help desk model is ____.

a. lower level help desk staff can refer difficult problems to higher

levels

b. lower level help desk staff can handle difficult problems when

experienced staff are not available

c. lower level staff can, with training and experience, become higher

level staff

d. None of the above

Selected Answer: a. lower level help desk staff can refer difficult problems to higher

levels

One way to organize user support services that provides a single point of contact

for an organization's workers or customers uses a(n) ____.

a. automated call distributor

b. help desk

c. queue

d. artificial intelligence

Selected Answer: c. queue

Help desk software often includes tools to help support managers measure user

satisfaction.

True

False

Selected Answer: True

The usual sequence of incident escalation during help desk incident management

is ____.

a. from incident screener to product specialist

b. from technical support to product specialist

c. from support management to incident screener

d. from incident screener to technical support

Selected Answer: a. from incident screener to product specialist

An automated incident tracking procedure is primarily useful in a large help desk

operation, but of limited use in a small help desk operation.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Job stress in a help desk position often indicates that an agent has worked in the

support industry too long.

True

False

Selected Answer: False

Time management tools in a help desk software package probably have the

greatest impact on the productivity of ____.

a. a help desk manager

b. a help desk agent

c. a help desk client

d. any of these

Selected Answer: b. a help desk agent

The purpose of prescreening an incident is to ____.

a. identify difficult incidents early in the process

b. determine the type of incident and how the help desk staff will

handle it

c. assign a priority to the problem

d. All of the above

Selected Answer: b. determine the type of incident and how the help desk staff will

handle it

____ is not a common source of job stress among user support workers.

a. Inadequate training

b. Abusive users

c. Inadequate resources

d. all of these are common sources

Selected Answer: d. all of these are common sources

Help desk software packages often include a report generator to prepare custom

reports, but they do not include anything as powerful as a programming language.

True

False

Selected Answer: False