Help Desk Software Help Desk Support Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A user reports they cannot access a shared drive after a password reset. What should the technician check first?
- Reboot the user's workstation
- Verify the new credentials are synced across all systems (Correct answer)
- Reinstall the network driver
- Replace the user's network cable
Correct answer: Verify the new credentials are synced across all systems
After a password reset, credentials may not immediately sync to all connected systems, so verifying synchronization is the first logical step.
Question 2: Which active listening technique involves restating what a user said in your own words to confirm understanding?
- Summarizing
- Paraphrasing (Correct answer)
- Mirroring
- Clarifying
Correct answer: Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing means restating the user's message in different words to confirm comprehension and show engagement.
Question 3: A ticket has been sitting in the queue for 3 hours beyond its SLA deadline. What is the correct action?
- Close the ticket and reopen it to reset the timer
- Escalate the ticket according to escalation policy (Correct answer)
- Reassign the ticket to a junior technician
- Wait for the user to follow up before acting
Correct answer: Escalate the ticket according to escalation policy
SLA breaches require immediate escalation per defined escalation procedures to ensure accountability and resolution.
Question 4: What is the primary purpose of a knowledge base in a help desk environment?
- To store user personal data securely
- To enable self-service and reduce repetitive ticket volume (Correct answer)
- To track technician performance metrics
- To manage software licensing records
Correct answer: To enable self-service and reduce repetitive ticket volume
A knowledge base empowers users to resolve common issues themselves and reduces the number of tickets technicians must handle.
Question 5: When should a help desk technician avoid using technical jargon with a user?
- When the issue is hardware-related
- When communicating with non-technical end users (Correct answer)
- When writing internal ticket notes
- When speaking with another technician
Correct answer: When communicating with non-technical end users
Non-technical users may not understand jargon, so plain language ensures clear communication and reduces user frustration.
Question 6: A user is extremely frustrated and raising their voice on a call. What is the best immediate response?
- Transfer the call immediately to a supervisor
- Remain calm, acknowledge their frustration, and reassure them you will help (Correct answer)
- Ask them to call back when they are calmer
- Place them on hold until they settle down
Correct answer: Remain calm, acknowledge their frustration, and reassure them you will help
Staying calm and validating the user's frustration de-escalates tension and builds trust before moving to problem resolution.
Question 7: Which metric measures the percentage of issues resolved on the first contact without requiring a follow-up?
- Mean Time to Resolution (MTTR)
- Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)
- First Call Resolution (FCR) (Correct answer)
- Average Handle Time (AHT)
Correct answer: First Call Resolution (FCR)
First Call Resolution (FCR) tracks how often issues are fully resolved during the initial interaction, a key help desk efficiency metric.
A user reports they cannot access a shared drive after a password reset.
What should the technician check first?