Helpdesk Priorities

Confused on how to manage your priorites? Consult my handy guide!

P5.

Ignore this call at all costs. It isn't important and probably never will be. It was a waste of company resources actually typing this into the system in the first place. Decrease the loggers annual bonus by 1% and close the call automatically citing "User Error"

P4.

Shuffle this call to the bottom of the pile. User may have a valid point but nobody cares enough to fix it. It is assumed that if a call is logged as a P4 that the user isn't important enough to get his problem prioritised. Leave open until the user leaves the company.

P3.

You probably have to fix this sometime. 99% of calls are 3s. Use the following equation to decide how to resolve the call and consult chart:

Rank of User (1-5) * Rank of problem (1-5) * Time to fix (Hours).

<5 Demote to priority P5
<10 Demote to priority P4
<20 Do call
<40 Do call first, someone that matters is looking for it
>40 Query length of time call will take, Transfer to project list for resource allocation

P2.

Worry, there may actually be a problem. More likely is that somebody is throwing their weight around looking for call priority, if this is the case downgrade to P4. If there is a genuine problem, stop what you are working on and fix it. By stopping work on your P3s to fix a P2, the fix expectation needs to be adjusted on all your other calls.

P1.

Panic. If a P1 call is logged, try to avoid the entire issue by getting it transferred to one of your colleagues as soon as possible, this directly affects you and more importantly your bonus. If unable to pass the buck, start thinking of convenient lies on why the infrastructure under your control has failed. Start spreading the blame and roping other people into the issue so you can deflect the focus from yourself. It is a good idea to bring in external contractors and point the finger at them when unable to find a resolution. If there is a disaster recovery situation, or your building is on fire, make sure to leave the country as soon as possible. All calls from your boss, MD or CEO are P1.