3.1 Providing Service

Basics​

It’s time to get to work! Service requests have been reviewed and assigned and now the technicians, specialists, and others in your department can get down to the work they’ve truly been hired for. To improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the IT Department, staff should be well versed in a systematic troubleshooting model, even when working on routine issues they’ve come across in the past. A troubleshooting model is focused on resolving customer service requests brought to the IT Department

You should know the following terms:

  • Troubleshooting model
  • Remote access tool
  • User issue
  • Error message
  • Service manuals
  • Theory of probably cause
  • Root cause
  • Escalate
  • Plan of action
  • Documentation

The following is a description of the eight steps in the Troubleshooting Model used for the CompTIA IT Fundamentals+ certification. If you ever plan to take the exam for this certification, you should memorize the steps of the Troubleshooting Model and be able to implement each step in order. Knowing the steps in order is an important part of the exam. Even if you aren’t planning on seeking certification, this troubleshooting model is a helpful framework for anyone who provides customer service in your department.

1. Identify the Problem

Gather as much information as necessary to understand the situation as completely as possible. Avoid  jumping to conclusions and applying an incorrect resolution that can just make the matter worse. When working on a service request with a customer or other member of the department, gather information by asking them questions. The staff member charged with assigning the ticket may have completed this step for you. 

Document when the issue first occurred and what, if anything, might have changed that initiated the problem. Also determine how many people are impacted by the problem. Is it just one person or one device, or is this symptomatic of multiple devices? Remember to keep the long view in mind.

If charged with providing customer service to someone at a distance, you might use technical means to learn more about the problem, like using a remote access tool to log in to the user’s device. You might be able to view files like the system, application or network log files that might give you further information. 

Another common strategy is to try to duplicate the problem. If you can’t replicate the problem with the same system, you may be facing a user issue or complications from other devices or the network. You need to identify the symptoms of the problem without making your customer feel wrong or inadequate and tackle complex problems in parts. If you determine that the issue is a part of multiple problems, break them down into individual problems that you can identify and diagnose. In many software-based errors, the language of an error message offers clues that you can use to identify the problem.

2. Research the Knowledge Base

After you’ve gathered as much information as you can, your IT Department’s Knowledge Base is the first place to look for information on resolving a problem. If you can’t find your issue in your Knowledge Base, you can turn to service manuals from hardware and software vendors or support sites. Many of these are now online and searchable. If you’re still not having luck, you may be able to find others that have posted this issue on an online help site along with some suggestions for resolution. Many of the issues IT Departments run into have already been faced by someone somewhere, and sometimes new issues often show up online before they can appear in a service manual.

3. Establish a Theory of Probable Cause

A theory of probable cause is your determination of the most likely situation that is causing the issue. You can do this by testing different parts of the system and eliminating those that don’t seem to be related or cause the issue. 

It can be tempting to jump to a conclusion and try a solution, but CompTIA suggests that you “question the obvious,” because there may be several problems that have similar symptoms or underlying issues. 

CompTIA also suggests you “divide and conquer” by breaking the issue down into different problem areas. For example, if you’re working on a computer problem, isolate issues related to the power supply, cables and connectors, storage, the hard drive, the network, peripherals, or other areas depending on the problem you are trying to resolve. Test the different systems and cross those off of your list of potential causes if they don’t contribute to the issue. Your Knowledge Base could include a checklist of common issues and the systems you should check to better isolate potential causes.

4. Test Your Theory

After you’ve determined a probable cause, test your theory to determine if you have truly identified the root cause. The root cause is the primary fault or problem that you believe is causing the issue. 

One simple rule of troubleshooting is to test only one solution at a time. When you combine actions, you can mask the real solution or cause additional problems. If your theory doesn’t pan out, you can revise your theory, or in some cases you will escalate the problem. Escalate simply means to request that someone else look at the problem, someone that may have more time or different specialty areas of expertise than you do.

5. Establish a Plan of Action

Once you or someone on your team has been able to diagnose the problem and its root cause, you might have some choices. The next step in the troubleshooting model is to establish a plan of action to resolve the problem, but you have to consider possible outcomes that might occur beyond just repairing a device. There could be hidden costs or unwanted consequences from repairing an issue. You can suggest whether the issue should be repaired, replaced, or ignored. 

If the cost of repair is substantial, or a device can’t be upgraded to a state that the problem will be resolved consistently, you may recommend replacing the device(s) on which the problem is occurring. You should weigh the costs of repair versus replacement. Sometimes, you may be advised to develop a workaround for the problem. This is sometimes an option when there are incompatibility issues between different applications on a device or your department is planning to replace the device in the not-too-distant future. You might be able to install a software patch, but that can result in incompatibility issues with more critical software on the system.

6. Implement your Solution

Your plan should include clear steps to implement your solution or to escalate the request, if necessary. As you are implementing your solution, be sure to clearly document the steps you are taking, because if you run into an issue, you have to be able to reverse the steps you took to put things back to the way it was before you started. If you don’t document your steps clearly, you may not remember how to do that. 

7. Verify System Functionality

After you’ve implemented your plan, verify that the full system is functional. Make sure you actually fixed the problem and that the rest of the system--the device, the lab, the network, whatever “the system” entails--operates as expected. For example, if you resolve an issue with a shared printer, be sure the other devices that use that printer can still access it. If you’re working with a customer, be sure they don’t encounter the issue any longer and, if necessary, get them to sign off on the work.

This is also where you should use some systems thinking and use proactive support, by considering whether there is a deeper issue going on that may cause the problem to occur again. The issue may be an indication that a software patch or an upgrade to the system or virus software is necessary on additional devices, or it could mean there is a system component that is failing but hasn’t reached a critical point yet. There may also be issues in the way people are using the system that may require informing or even retraining people. If you can identify and resolve a deeper issue, you will save the IT Department time, physical resources, and--ultimately--money.

8. Document Your Work

One of the most important rules of the Help Desk is to clearly and accurately document your work. This can’t be overstated. The final step in the Troubleshooting Model emphasizes this point: clearly and accurately document your findings about the issue, the actions you took to resolve it, and any lessons learned that can help others in the future. You are most likely to do this in the ITMS system or you might also update the Knowledge Base. 

Here are additional resources you may find useful:

Complete the following task or self-assessment:

  • How might this review of the CompTIA Troubleshooting Model inform or improve your Department’s current practice?
  • What are the steps your Department requires for documenting work on a service request? How are you assuring your entries result in documentation that is clear, succinct, and helpful?

Regardless of how simple or complex a service request is, it’s good practice to quickly run through the steps of a model to make sure the most accurate diagnosis is made and the best solution is proposed.