What does a service desk agent do?
The service desk agent is the point of contact for customers in any business or company. The service desk agent caters to all technical concerns of the customer and provides fast and effective service to inquiries. Aside from this, the service desk agent collates all customer concerns and reports every transaction to management for evaluation and improvement of its service and products. The service desk agent also caters to phone and email inquiries. The service desk agent must have good conversation skills and be able to handle the pressure.
Service desk agent responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real service desk agent resumes:
- Manage OS re-imaging and data recovery for rent equipment.
- Monitor tickets to ensure SLA response and resolution.
- Create tickets in a proprietary environment using ITIL.
- Image Lenovo tablet PCs and add users to company domain.
- Process e-mails from assign in-boxes throughout the day while maintaining e-mail SLA.
- Interface directly with end-users to accurately troubleshoot and correct hardware / software issues.
- Communicate with customers to diagnose and repair servers, PCs, and software systems.
- Used virtual private network, (VPN), daily for remote access to client's computer.
- Use remedy client to create tickets and distribute them to the proper support team in order to get issue resolve.
- Refresh life cycle of current laptops going out of warranty with replenishment of new laptops being image using SCCM process.
- Assist Siemens employees with VPN dial up and wireless connections when working remote to allow them access to the Siemens network.
- Create and maintain active directory information and maintain individual access through group membership and comply with security policies and ITIL standards.
- Book reservations verify availability and reconfirm accommodations.
- Configure new users on workstations as well as archiving email, configuring data files and rebuilding profiles.
- Provide desktop repair services for in house workstations needing component replacement.
Service desk agent skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of Service Desk Agents are proficient in Customer Service, Service Desk, and Technical Support. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Integrity, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Service Desk Agents that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 17%
Provide excellent customer service for internal/external users directly via phone and email.
- Service Desk, 15%
Follow standard Service Desk operating procedures; accurately log all Service Desk Incidents utilizing the Incident management software.
- Technical Support, 6%
Documented all technical support communications in Hill-Rom ticketing system and exercising proper ticket handling per company procedures.
- Data Entry, 6%
Packaged review data and performed Data Entry DE1 and DE2.
- Troubleshoot, 3%
Maintain and troubleshoot access to terminal and mainframe systems for end users and escalate unresolved issues using ITSM Remedy.
- Phone Calls, 3%
Answered phone calls from customers regarding various computer issues; assisted customers in resolving computer issues according to Knowledge Base Articles.
Most service desk agents use their skills in "customer service," "service desk," and "technical support" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential service desk agent responsibilities here:
Communication skills. One of the key soft skills for a service desk agent to have is communication skills. You can see how this relates to what service desk agents do because "information clerks must be able to explain policies and procedures clearly to customers and the public." Additionally, a service desk agent resume shows how service desk agents use communication skills: "applied technical principles and concepts to troubleshoot network and communications equipment providing updates to the gsd knowledge base. "
Integrity. Many service desk agent duties rely on integrity. "information clerks, particularly human resources assistants, have access to confidential information," so a service desk agent will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways service desk agent responsibilities rely on integrity: "administered network access, staff profiles, and security protocols utilizing entrust vpn. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of service desk agents is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday service desk agent duties, as "information clerks who work with the public and customers must understand and communicate information effectively to establish positive relationships." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "maintained superior customer service levels through technical expertise and interpersonal skills on a daily basis. "
Organizational skills. For certain service desk agent responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "organizational skills." The day-to-day duties of a service desk agent rely on this skill, as "information clerks must be able to retrieve files and other important information quickly and efficiently." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what service desk agents do: "organized the integration of five sharepoint sites into a single organizational site. "
The three companies that hire the most service desk agents are:
- SAIC14 service desk agents jobs
- Curacao13 service desk agents jobs
- Stanford Health Care7 service desk agents jobs
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Compare different service desk agents
Service desk agent vs. Information technology/support technician
An information technology (IT) support technician is an individual who is responsible for providing support and troubleshoots software and hardware problems faced by customers. As for larger organizations that have their own IT department, technicians must work together internally with their IT staff members. IT support technicians are involved in inspecting and resolving minor local area network and wireless network issues, which include TCP/IP, DHCP, and VPN. They are also required to obtain an associate's degree in computer science or related field.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a service desk agent are more likely to require skills like "service desk," "technical support," "data entry," and "strong customer service." On the other hand, a job as an information technology/support technician requires skills like "desk support," "network printers," "user support," and "database." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Information technology/support technicians tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $53,210. In contrast, service desk agents make the biggest average salary, $30,607, in the automotive industry.The education levels that information technology/support technicians earn slightly differ from service desk agents. In particular, information technology/support technicians are 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a service desk agent. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service desk agent vs. Junior technician
A junior technician is responsible for supporting senior technicians on maintaining the efficiency and optimal performance of various hardware and software systems and applications. Junior technicians assist the end-users and employees on troubleshooting inconsistent programs, identifying its complexities, and reporting findings to the management for resolution. They also update the systems' features to increase its operational productivity and maintain system recoveries. A junior technician must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a strong command on programming language and system codes, especially on conducting system analysis and installing applications.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real service desk agent resumes. While service desk agent responsibilities can utilize skills like "service desk," "data entry," "troubleshoot," and "phone calls," junior technicians use skills like "hvac," "fall protection," "jr," and "level ii."
Junior technicians may earn a higher salary than service desk agents, but junior technicians earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $43,067. On the other hand, service desk agents receive higher pay in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $30,607.junior technicians earn similar levels of education than service desk agents in general. They're 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service desk agent vs. Systems support
A systems support agent is responsible for resolving system applications and network issues, performing technical configuration, and upgrading systems infrastructure. A systems support representative conducts regular maintenance and diagnostic tests on the computer applications to ensure its optimal performance and efficiency to support business operations and avoid delays in deliverables. They also assist the technology team in designing backup systems and improve existing networks according to business requirements and specifications. They write resolution reports for reference to prevent the reoccurrence of system malfunction and inconsistencies.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a service desk agent is likely to be skilled in "service desk," "data entry," "strong customer service," and "phone calls," while a typical systems support is skilled in "pc," "end user support," "system support," and "pc support."
Systems supports earn the best pay in the professional industry, where they command an average salary of $72,760. Service desk agents earn the highest pay from the automotive industry, with an average salary of $30,607.systems supports typically earn similar educational levels compared to service desk agents. Specifically, they're 4.1% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Service desk agent vs. Software support technician
A software support technician is responsible for resolving software application issues, diagnosing related system failures, and writing resolution reports for reference. Software support technicians must be highly-familiarized with the system's infrastructure and interface to immediately diagnose malfunctions and identify maintenance techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of downtimes and delays. They also assist the system engineers in the configuration and optimization of networks, including the installment of upgrades and patch updates. A software support technician must have excellent organizational and communication skills, especially in navigating computer tools and applications to create support tickets and fix the customers' issues efficiently.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between service desk agents and software support technicians, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a service desk agent might have more use for skills like "service desk," "technical support," "data entry," and "strong customer service." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of software support technicians require skills like "java," "database," "sql server," and "desk support. "
Software support technicians enjoy the best pay in the finance industry, with an average salary of $86,283. For comparison, service desk agents earn the highest salary in the automotive industry.software support technicians reach similar levels of education compared to service desk agents, in general. The difference is that they're 4.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of service desk agent
Updated January 8, 2025
