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Support+ · Tickets & SLAs

Help Desk Glossary

Complete Dictionary of Help Desk Terms

Help desk terminology reference: 75+ essential terms every support professional should know. Pair with our What is a Help Desk? guide and Support+ module guide for the full picture on T1U.

Found 79 term(s)

A

Agent

General Terms

A support team member who handles and resolves customer support tickets and requests.

Asset Management

Technical

Tracking and managing IT assets including hardware, software licenses, and equipment lifecycle.

Auto-Assignment

Features

Automatic distribution of tickets to agents based on predefined rules, availability, or expertise.

Automation

Features

Use of technology to perform tasks without human intervention, such as ticket routing and response templates.

B

Backlog

Metrics

Accumulation of unresolved tickets or tasks waiting to be addressed by the support team.

Bug Tracking

Technical

System for recording, monitoring, and managing software defects and issues.

Business Hours

General Terms

Operating hours during which support services are available to users and customers.

Business Intelligence

Analytics

Data analysis tools and reporting that provide insights into help desk performance and trends.

C

Case Management

Features

Comprehensive tracking and management of customer issues from initial contact to resolution.

Change Management

Processes

Structured approach to implementing changes in IT systems to minimize risk and disruption.

Chat Support

Features

Real-time messaging system for immediate customer assistance and quick issue resolution.

Closed Ticket

General Terms

Support request that has been resolved and marked as complete by the support team.

Configuration Management Database (CMDB)

Technical

Repository containing information about IT infrastructure components and their relationships.

CSAT (Customer Satisfaction)

Metrics

Metric measuring customer satisfaction with support interactions, typically on a 1-5 scale.

Customer Portal

Features

Self-service interface where users can submit tickets, track status, and access knowledge base articles.

D

Dashboard

Features

Visual interface displaying key metrics, ticket statistics, and performance indicators in real-time.

Documentation

General Terms

Written materials including procedures, troubleshooting guides, and system information.

Downtime

Metrics

Period when a system or service is unavailable or not functioning properly.

Duplicate Ticket

General Terms

Multiple tickets created for the same issue, which should be merged or closed to avoid redundancy.

E

Email Integration

Features

System capability to convert emails into tickets and manage email-based support communications.

Emergency Change

Processes

Urgent modification to IT systems required immediately to resolve critical issues.

End User

General Terms

Person who uses the IT systems and services supported by the help desk.

Escalation

Processes

Process of transferring a ticket to higher-level support when initial resolution attempts fail.

F

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Features

Collection of common questions and answers available for user self-service.

Feedback

Processes

User input about service quality and satisfaction collected after ticket resolution.

Field Service Management

Features

Coordination of on-site support visits and mobile technician activities.

First Call Resolution (FCR)

Metrics

Percentage of issues resolved during the initial contact without requiring follow-up.

H

Hardware Asset

Technical

Physical IT equipment tracked and managed by the help desk system.

Help Desk Software

Technical

Application designed to manage, track, and resolve customer support requests and IT issues.

Hot Fix

Technical

Quick software patch or update applied to resolve critical issues immediately.

I

Incident

General Terms

Unplanned interruption or reduction in quality of an IT service requiring immediate attention.

Incident Management

Processes

Process of restoring normal service operation as quickly as possible after an incident.

Integration

Technical

Connection between help desk system and other business applications for data sharing.

IT Service Management (ITSM)

Processes

Strategic approach to designing, delivering, managing, and improving IT services.

ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library)

Processes

Set of best practices for IT service management and delivery.

K

Knowledge Base

Features

Centralized repository of information, solutions, and documentation for self-service and agent reference.

Knowledge Management

Processes

Process of creating, sharing, and maintaining organizational knowledge and information.

KPI (Key Performance Indicator)

Metrics

Measurable values that demonstrate how effectively help desk objectives are being achieved.

L

Level 1 Support

General Terms

First tier of technical support handling basic issues and initial customer contact.

Level 2 Support

General Terms

Second tier providing more complex technical expertise for escalated issues.

Level 3 Support

General Terms

Highest tier of technical support with specialized knowledge for complex problems.

License Management

Technical

Tracking and management of software licenses to ensure compliance and cost optimization.

Live Chat

Features

Real-time text-based communication system for immediate customer support.

M

Major Incident

General Terms

High-priority issue causing significant business impact requiring immediate attention.

Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)

Metrics

Average time taken to resolve support tickets from creation to closure.

Mobile Help Desk

Features

Mobile application allowing agents to manage tickets and provide support from mobile devices.

Multi-Channel Support

Features

Support delivery through multiple communication channels like email, chat, phone, and portal.

O

On-Call Support

General Terms

After-hours support availability for critical issues requiring immediate attention.

Open Ticket

General Terms

Active support request that has not yet been resolved or closed.

Outage

General Terms

Period when a system or service is completely unavailable to users.

P

Patch Management

Technical

Process of managing software updates and security patches across IT infrastructure.

Performance Metrics

Metrics

Quantitative measures used to evaluate help desk effectiveness and efficiency.

Priority

General Terms

Classification system determining the order and urgency with which tickets should be addressed.

Problem Management

Processes

Process focused on identifying and resolving root causes of incidents to prevent recurrence.

Q

Quality Assurance

Processes

Systematic monitoring and evaluation of support interactions to ensure service quality.

Queue

General Terms

List of tickets waiting to be assigned or worked on by support agents.

R

Remote Support

Features

Technical assistance provided to users without physical presence at their location.

Request Fulfillment

Processes

Process of handling user requests for standard services or information.

Resolution Time

Metrics

Time taken to completely resolve a support ticket from initial submission.

Root Cause Analysis

Processes

Investigation method to identify the underlying cause of recurring problems.

Routing Rules

Features

Automated system for directing tickets to appropriate agents or departments.

S

Self-Service Portal

Features

User interface allowing customers to find solutions and submit requests independently.

Service Catalog

Features

Directory of available IT services that users can request through the help desk.

Service Desk

General Terms

Evolved help desk providing broader IT service management beyond technical support.

Severity

General Terms

Classification indicating the business impact and urgency of a support issue.

SLA (Service Level Agreement)

Processes

Contract defining expected service levels and response times for support services.

Status

General Terms

Current state of a ticket in its lifecycle (new, assigned, in progress, resolved, closed).

T

Ticket

General Terms

Record of a user request or issue that needs to be tracked and resolved.

Ticket Lifecycle

Processes

Complete journey of a ticket from creation through resolution to closure.

Time Tracking

Features

Recording of time spent by agents working on tickets for productivity analysis.

Triage

Processes

Initial assessment and prioritization of incoming tickets based on urgency and impact.

U

Unassigned Ticket

General Terms

Support request that has not yet been assigned to a specific agent or team.

Uptime

Metrics

Percentage of time that systems and services are available and functioning properly.

User Portal

Features

Web interface where end users can access support services and track requests.

V

VIP Support

General Terms

Premium support level provided to high-priority users or customers.

Virtual Agent

Features

AI-powered chatbot that can handle basic support queries automatically.

W

Work Order

General Terms

Formal request for work to be performed, often for maintenance or installations.

Workaround

General Terms

Temporary solution that allows users to continue working while permanent fix is developed.

Workflow

Processes

Sequence of steps and processes that tickets follow from creation to resolution.

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