The term “front office” is used to distinguish this department from behind-the-scenes IT staff who have little or no direct contact with system users or business customers.
Information technology (IT) employees are responsible for managing the collection, transmission, and storage of data on computers and telecommunications devices. An IT help desk deals directly with members of the public or employees of a specific company. The term “front office” is used to distinguish this department from IT staff who are involved in programming and maintaining systems, but have little or no direct contact with system users or business customers.
Many large companies have an IT office, and some companies may have an office at each workplace in which they operate. Employees of large companies often need access to computer systems, telephones, fax machines, and other telecommunications devices. If a system or software fails, employees may not be able to complete their basic job functions. In such cases, affected employees contact the main IT office and an IT representative creates a case file and attempts to discover the cause of the problem.
Frontline IT representatives often contact company employees or customers by phone or email. Some issues are related to user error and can be easily resolved by providing the user with simple instructions. If a problem cannot be easily resolved, an IT representative may need to physically inspect the malfunctioning computer terminal or phone system. IT employees are trained to perform minor mechanical repairs, such as securing lost cables or replacing damaged components, but when faced with major mechanical issues, IT reps often have to send the equipment back to the manufacturer to fix the issues.
Large companies sometimes have to deal with network-wide computer viruses or software problems that can severely affect productivity. While frontline IT representatives are not always equipped to resolve these issues, these representatives act as first responders and diagnose problems so that a distinction can be made between a localized problem and a major network problem. IT representatives often act as intermediaries between system users and behind-the-scenes IT administrators when investigating key issues.
In addition to providing internal support to company employees, an IT help desk can also handle external clients. Satellite TV providers and Internet companies are among the companies that employ full-time IT support technicians. These employees answer customer calls and try to resolve minor problems over the phone. IT help desk technicians can hire outside contractors to visit customers’ homes and fix mechanical issues. In complex cases, IT staff in the front office escalate issues to programmers and technical consultants who don’t have direct interactions with customers.