Logsheet Helpdesk

What is a Helpdesk Logsheet?

Helpdesk logsheets are an online form that we use to record all calls to the Helpdesk. We use them to have a centralized database of user issues and actions taken both at the Helpdesk and by the staff who receive referrals.

How do I access the Log Sheets?

Find the log sheets by:

1. Open Internet Explorer.
2. Go to the Helpdesk Binder.
3. Click on the Helpdesk logs link.
4. Click on the Open Login page link. If you are on a Windows computer, a window will appear saying that the web page you are trying to view wants to close the window. Click Yes.
5. A new login window will appear. Enter the Helpdesk password.
6. The Helpdesk logsheets will automatically appear and do a search for that day's logs. The logs will be listed with the most recent log on top.
   
   

 

How to Create a New Log

Click on the New Log button to create a new log. This will automatically generate the date and time and a unique log #. The background will change to yellow when you are in the log. Click the Done button on the left so that others can access the log when you are done.

If you hit the New Log button accidentally:

• write delete me in the description,
• check the delete me box. The background will change to a dark orange color.
  
  
  
• enter your name as the Helpdesker
• leave the log unresolved.

How To Quickly Record Basic User Information

You should get a user's information as early as possible during a call. You can do this with the standard Helpdesk greeting.

1. Enter the username.
• It should only be 8 characters long.
2. Press the Tab key.
• Doing so should bring up all additional user information, such as their extension, first and last name, and the building and office where they are located.
• If no information appears, make sure to ask the user for their information. It is also important to double check at what extension the user would like to be reached at and also what building and office number he/she is at.

Note: If a student is calling for the faculty/staff, enter the faculty/ staff's name and note the student's name and extension in the description.

Helpful Hints on Getting User Information!

1. Always review crucial user information with caller.
   • Verify a phone extension before putting the user on hold or attempting to transfer the phone call.
   • Make sure the user information is correct.
2. If the information doesn't fill in automatically, ask the user for the required information.
3. Be Bold!
   • Ask the user to repeat information if you can't understand it the first time around.
4. Ensure that all the fields are filled.

Why do we want all this information?

• To make sure that the call is from a faculty or staff member.
  • Remember, we're the Faculty/Staff Helpdesk. Students have ResNet consultants to help them with their computer problems.
• Location is important
  • The user's location may be a factor in the issue that they are having, especially if it's network-related.
• For contacting or visiting the user
  • If the log is referred or the user needs to be contacted, having the correct location and extension is crucial!
• To compile statistics
  • The logs are a record of all the computing issues on campus, and are important for predicting types of calls we receive, checking our effectiveness as a service, and archiving computer information.

What to Do With Calls From "Outsiders"

ALL CALLS MUST BE LOGGED

• Student calls
  • Log the call
  • Direct her to the ResNet problem report form, First Aid, or Cluster consultant
  • Exceptions:
    • E-mail password problems
    • Norton Disk Doctor needs to be run on a disk.

    
    These are the only student problems we handle.

• A student calling for a faculty or staff member
  • Username = Supervisor's username
    • Record the name of the person they are calling for in the username section and the student's name in the Description. Then handle the call as a Faculty/Staff call.
• Questions from parents, alumnae, or others
  • Username = unknown
    • Try to figure out who they should contact for assistance if it is non-computer related. We don't provide computer support for "outsiders." Pass the call to staff if needed. Record the content of the call in the description section.

NOTE: Phone Operator

• Transfer the call to the appropriate extension
• Answer any questions the best you can.
• No log needed.

 

College vs. Personal Computers

• We only support college owned computers.
  • If you aren't sure if a computer is college owned, the staff member on duty will help you figure it out.
• Personal laptop or desktop computer
  • If a user is calling about a problem with their home computer - we can't help.
  • Exceptions for personal computer
    • We do provide limited support for personal computers in installing virus software and in establishing connection to college e-mail. However, if the problem appears to be with an outside vendor (the ISP) or the computer hardware, we provide no support.
• We don't want to be liable.
  • This is serious: if someone brings a personal laptop to the Helpdesk, don't touch it. We cannot be responsible for computers not purchased by the college since we are unable to replace them if something occurs.

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What's wrong? Getting a Problem's Description

• Be an active listener
  • Prompt the user for useful information and describe the dilemma within the "Description of Problem" box.
    • When did the problem start?
    • New computer/type of computer?
    • Possible causes?
    • What steps did you take to solve the problem?
    • Get lots of details!
• Be sure to fill out the radio button indicating how the user contacted us.
  

The Dos and Don'ts of Completing a Description

Rule of thumb: Too Much is Better than Too Little.

• DO provide complete information
  • If the log ends up referred, a staff member will be trying to understand the problem based on your description. Even if it is not referred, the log will be reviewed to compare your solution to the problem described.
• DO write in complete sentences!
  • This will make it easier for staff checking the logs to follow your logic and what you did.

Computer Information! Remember this important section!

Be sure to record the type of computer the user has (Mac or PC), and also select the hardware (printer/computer model type). Be sure that the user reads the model off the CPU rather than the monitor.

It is also helpful to find out what operating system the user is using, and if applicable the software application they were using when the problem arose.

Immediate Steps Taken

In the "Immediate Steps Taken" box, write in detail how you solved or attempted to solve this problem.

• You're creating a story, so make sure you don't just say "problem solved".
• If a staff member informs you to do something out of the norm, make a note of it in the log.

Printer Queue:

If the user is having printer problems, be sure to find the queue name of the printer and record it in the "Printer Q #" box.

Drop #:

Always record the drop number in the "Drop #" box when referring a log concerning a specific computer to CABLE

The Hold Button: Useful, but Dangerous...

• Put a caller on hold if you need to check something or confer with someone else.
  • Hold is better than the caller hearing you conferring, laughing, or screaming...
    

 

• BUT be careful about leaving the caller on hold for a long period of time or too frequently.

• Give them the option of either holding or having you return their call.
• Remember to double check their extension and say you will call them back after checking out the solution for them!!

Referrals Section

• If you find that you cannot adequately help the user:
  1. Refer the log onto a specialist
  2. Check the Referral List in the Helpdesk Binder
  3. Select the "Referred" field and choose the correct person.
• Every log must either be resolved or referred in the "Resolved" section

• Callback logs must be referred
  • You can always refer to the staff on duty or to Marge while awaiting a call back.
    
    
• Helpdeskers can only select Yes, Immediately or No buttons.
• If you have resolved the problem by the end of your shift, check Yes, Immediately.
• If you haven't resolved the log by the end of your shift, check No and make sure it is referred to staff and e-mailed

Remember to select your name in the "HDesker" field, which is also a pull down menu.

Sending Referrals

To send referrals via FirstClass:

1. Click the Copy for e-mail button.
2. Open FirstClass.
3. Click on New Message in the Message menu.
4. Send to the appropriate staff member. In the subject field, include the log number as well as a brief description of the problem.
5. Edit > Paste the log. Include any extra comments, if necessary.
6. Send.

Other Important Tidbits:

• HD Online Binder. This page has a link to the list of primary, secondary, and tertiary referrals who handle logs on particular applications or issues.
• Always check the whiteboard. The staff members listed on the whiteboard are out that day. Before referring a log, check to see if the person is in. Refer logs to the secondary only if the primary is not in.
• Do not tell callers to whom you are referring their log. Always assure them that a staff member will call them back as soon as possible.

Adding to Existing Logs

If you receive a call in reference to a previous call:

1. Search for the original log (either ask the user for the log number or do a find on their username)
2. Add to the existing log. Note the date, your initials, and last name. For example: //hkim ( 3/20/04) User called back to say that...

Repair: add the new info at the top of the comments section

• DO NOT e-mail logs to Repair! If it is time sensitive you can give them a call (ie. If they are heading to an office to do something.)

Others: add the new info to the log

• RE-EMAIL the log to the referred person.
  • If the new info leads to a referral change:
    • E-mail the old and new referral.
  • If it resolves the log
    • Re-email to inform staff of the change.

Comments and Solutions

Solutions Section - Do NOT fill out. This is reserved for staff use only

Comments section - Fill in this section only if you are following up on a referred log, or if the user calls back and has more information to add to the comments already in this section. (Remember to re-email the log to the staff member!)

The Find Feature

1. Click on the green "Find" button at the top of the log and complete the field(s) you want to search. Note that the background changes to green when you are in find mode.
   
2. Press the gray "Find" button from the vertical toolbar on the left.

• Use the Find feature to check your logs at the end of the shift to make sure all of them have been referred or resolved.
• Check your old logs to see how a problem you referred was eventually resolved.
• Make sure duplicate logs haven't been created.

There are also search scripts at the top of the Helpdesk logsheet with the most common searches. These will quickly bring up searches for that day's logs, all logs, unresolved/unreferred logs and so on.

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Urgent Logs

• A log may be urgent if the user has no other method to complete an important task.
  
  
• If you suspect that a log is urgent or a users insists that it is and you can't solve it over the phone:
  • Ask the staff member on duty to determine if it should earn a rating of URGENT.
    • If it does, the staff member will take over the call and find someone to address the problem immediately.
    • If it does not rate as officially urgent, follow the usual procedures and note in the logs "the user feels that this issue is urgent."

Epidemics

• If you suspect that there is an epidemic:
  • Consult with the staff member on duty or check the white board to see if this problem is worthy of epidemic status. Usually, epidemics are network or server problems.
    
    
• If it is an epidemic, do the following:

  Take very brief notes about the problem in the description section. Check the epidemic box. This will automatically mark the log as resolved Yes, Immediately and refer the log to Marge. Do not email to the log to her! Ask the caller is she wants to know when the epidemic is over and record preference in comments section. Then make a note when the user is called back, if they wanted to be.

If the Helpdesk systems are down, then record calls on epidemic paper pads located in the Helpdesk cabinet.

Cable vs. Repair vs. Media

• CABLE: network connection problems
  • Refer to CABLE and e-mail log to cable@wellesley.edu
  • State in "Immediate Steps Taken" section that you e-mailed the log to cable.
    • Times to refer to Cable:
      • Absolutely no network connection
      • Drops to turn on
      • Additional drops
      • Ethernet cords
        
• REPAIR: hardware problems
  • Refer to REPAIR, but DO NOT e-mail them, as they constantly monitor the database for new logs.
  • Include all hardware information.
    • Times to refer to Repair
      • Computer unlocking
      • Computer moving
      • New mouse
      • Broken hardware
      • Printer upgrade request
      • Printer printing badly/jams
        
• MEDIA: multimedia equipment (projectors, etc)
  • CRISIS: Inform staff to call the appropriate Media crisis person. Refer the log to that person and mark as unresolved
  • Non-crisis: Refer the log to Jim Turbert and cc: Henry Ordway. Mark unresolved and e-mail them.
    • Times to refer to media
      • Classroom emergency
      • Issues with media equipment: LCD projectors, document cameras, TVs, VCRs...

Make sure you choose the correct referral for the problem! If in doubt, refer the log to the staff member who usually receives logs for the operating system of the computer rather than Repair or Cable, but not for Media. The staff member will decide who to send it to.

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FirstClass Password Problems

• Faculty/Staff - handle the issue over the phone. No ID is necessary. Identity will be verified by the referral.
• Students - must come to the Helpdesk and show their IDs. The ID # should be recorded in the log and as well as the statement that it was seen. Only then can the log be processed.

Student and Faculty/Staff Information

• Student Information
  • DO NOT give any personal information (e-mail, phone, or address) over the phone.
  • Transfer the call to the student's extension.
• Faculty/Staff Information
  • We can give out faculty/staff extensions and e-mail since this is their workplace and not their residence. Faculty and staff expect to receive outside calls here.
  • Transfer the call and give the person's extension for future reference.

Freebies For Faculty/Staff

• Checking out hardware
  • If needed, faculty and staff can check out Mac or Windows laptops, zip drives, and digital cameras from Knapp and the Science Library.
    
• Free anti-Virus software
  • The college has a license to provide all members of the community with free anti-virus software for Windows and Macs. This can be downloaded from the college website or a CD can be checked out from Knapp, the Science Library or the Helpdesk.
    
• Microsoft Office at a discounted rate
  • The college has a license to provide all faculty and staff with a copy of Microsoft Office to use on his/her home computer. They need to go to the Helpdesk and fill out a form with the staff member on duty.
    
• Free computer training
  1. Element K
  • An online learning center which provide a wide variety of training tutorials
  2. Deskside Coaching
     • Can be set up by the HD Staff member
  3. Trainings on various software throughout the semester.
  • More information can be found on the Computing Training website
  4. New User Orientation/Technology Training

What happens when I make an error on a log?

• You will be notified.
  • Marge, Erin, or Han Su will e-mail you and ask that you to correct the log and reply back with an explanation. This is a way to learn - no one is perfect! Don't worry about it, just respond promptly and try to remember in the future.

  
  We don't expect perfection. However, we do expect you to try you best to be detail-oriented and to be willing to learn from your mistakes.

Improving Your Ability to Resolve Logs

• Keep up with the HD/SA conference
• Read Computing Questions regularly
• Read past logs
• Review logs that you had to refer to see how they were resolved
• Make a point to read the Quick Fixes documentation when you have time between calls
• Go to training.

  ASK QUESTIONS!!!

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• Marge Rowell, Information Services
• Date Created: June 11, 2002
• Last Modified: November 2, 2006
• Page Expires: July 1, 2005