IT support and technical support are closely related; however, they refer to slightly different aspects of the business.
It’s important to understand the differences between IT support vs technical support so that your organization can provide the best possible solutions for its employees as well as customers.
In this guide, we’ll break down the key differences between each and delve into why getting both areas right is essential for product-driven businesses to operate smoothly.
What Is IT Support?
IT support is a general term that refers to the maintenance and upkeep of computer systems, networks, and other technology within an organization.
IT support professionals are responsible for making sure that the organization’s technology infrastructure is functioning properly, and they provide assistance to employees or customers who are experiencing problems with technology.
The scope of IT support can include hardware and software troubleshooting, network administration, and managing the organization’s overall technology strategy.
IT support also involves providing training to employees within an organization on how to use IT systems, and how to configure them for business use.
What Is Technical Support?
Technical support is more focused on providing assistance to customers or end-users who are having problems with a specific product or service.
Technical support representatives are typically the first point of contact for customers who are experiencing technical issues, and their primary goal is to help the customer resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
Technical support may include answering questions about how a product works, providing troubleshooting steps, or escalating more complex issues to higher-level support staff. This is generally done via live chat, email conversations, or cloud phone systems.
IT Support Vs Technical Support
In short, IT support is focused on maintaining and troubleshooting the organization’s technology infrastructure, while technical support is focused on providing help to customers or users who are having problems with a specific product or service.
When comparing IT support vs technical support, there are a few key differences and areas to consider. Let’s break these down.
1. Users
One of the key differences in IT support vs technical support is who each role serves. IT support serves users within a specific organization (internal support), while technical support serves customers and users outside of the organization (external support).
This means that it’s important for technical support professionals to possess customer service skills, as they’re not just helping with technical issues but are also representatives of a brand.
2. Technology Skills
While both roles require technical skills, there is a key difference between IT support and technical support in terms of the skillset needed.
IT support is a more general role that involves a deep understanding of IT systems. IT support professionals have a core knowledge base of software and hardware and know how to work with various systems and software.
They also tend to advise businesses on the best IT systems to use depending on the business requirements.
Technical support, on the other hand, is focused more on the specific products a company offers. These professionals need an intricate understanding in order to adequately assist with problems and advise customers on a product.
3. Working Environment
When comparing IT support vs technical support, there is a key difference in terms of the work environments.
IT support is generally more of an in-house position. It’s usually an in-office role, as IT support technicians often need to work on hardware and computer systems.
Technical support, on the other hand, can often be outsourced. Because the role involves customer communication via remote channels, technical support is usually performed in a remote environment.
Solutions like telecoms and SIP trunking are often utilized for technical support.
Benefits Of Each
In comparing technical support vs IT support, it’s important to establish the varying beneficiaries of each.
IT support is focused on helping an organization internally. It benefits the members of an organization and helps them access the best possible IT systems and practices, maintain strong web security, and ensure everyone works as efficiently as possible with their technology. This can help organizations become more productive.
Technical support is focused on benefiting the customer, or end user. With strong technical support systems in place, customers can feel more secure in their product purchase and gain more value from the product. Especially when they have an issue and require assistance.
This can help businesses attract more customers, improve retention, and add more value to assist with the buying decision. In today’s competitive environment, offering solid technical support is a must.
IT Support Vs Technical Support: Tiers
In both IT support and technical support, there can be different tiers, or levels.
This is more commonly seen in IT support, where lower tiers can involve self-help guides, videos, or tutorials set up by the IT support team. As the tiers progress, the level of specialized, personalized, expert support increases.
For example, you don’t need an expert IT specialist to help a user set up their work email account. This would be a low-tier level of support (or, “first line”). However, switching a business’s website to a new server is a more advanced IT task and would involve a high support tier (3rd line).
In technical support, tiers can also be used based on how complex the support issue is. Many businesses will have an FAQ page on their site, as well as videos and tutorials to help customers with common technical issues and questions. More unique support requirements will involve a higher technical support tier.
Conclusion
Both IT support and technical support make up key functions of how a business operates. Both are necessary for ensuring internal members of the organization work efficiently, and that customers and end users enjoy the best possible experience with their products and services.
Investing in these areas is essential for smooth business operations and a positive customer experience. It’s important that businesses understand their specific requirements for each role, as some businesses may experience more demand for certain support areas.
