Tier 1 Support Call Flow Guide

LeanTech IT Solutions — Standard Operating Procedure

Document ID: SOP-7005

Effective Date: January 20, 2020

Last Reviewed: September 6, 2025

Classification: Internal — Tier 1 Support Staff

1. Purpose

This document outlines the standard call flow for Tier 1 IT Support Engineers when handling client incidents via Microsoft Teams. Following this flow ensures consistent, professional service delivery.

2. Standard Call Flow

Step 1 — Greeting and Identification

Introduce yourself and your team. Confirm the client’s identity.

Sample Spiel: “Good [morning/afternoon/evening], this is [Your Name] from LeanTech IT Solutions Tier 1 Support. I’ll be assisting you today. May I confirm your name and the company you’re calling about?”

Step 2 — Issue Intake

Listen to the client’s description of the issue. Ask clarifying questions. Take note of key details:

  • What system or service is affected?

  • When did the issue start?

  • What error messages (if any) is the client seeing?

  • Is anyone else at their company experiencing the same issue?

Open the incident ticket immediately and start Live Incident Notes at the beginning of the call.

Sample Spiel: “Thank you, [Client Name]. Could you describe what you’re experiencing? When did this issue start, and is anyone else at your company reporting the same problem?”

Step 3 — Issue Categorization

Using KB-155 (Escalation Policy), determine the tier level of the incident:

  • Is this a single-company issue? → Likely Tier 1

  • Are 150+ companies affected with the same root cause? → Tier 2 — escalate

  • Is there a security breach? → Tier 3 — escalate immediately

Key Rule: If fewer than 50% of our 300+ serviced companies are affected, and the issues are independent, handle each as a Tier 1 incident. Do NOT escalate.

Step 4 — Investigation

Remote into the client’s server and begin troubleshooting and follow the general checklist below:

  1. Check the logs

  2. Look for errors

  3. Check processes

  4. Check system stability

  5. Apply fixes as identified

Sample Status Update to Client: “Ms./Mr. [Client Name], I’m currently investigating the issue on your server. I can see [brief description of what you found]. I’m working on resolving it now and will update you shortly.”

Step 5 — Resolution

Once the issue is fixed, verify by: - Checking that the monitor log shows [SUCCESS] messages - Confirming the service status returns to OPERATIONAL

Sample Spiel: “Ms./Mr. [Client Name], I’ve identified and resolved the issue on your server. [Brief description of what was wrong and what was done]. The system is now back to operational status. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Step 6 — Handling Difficult Clients

Some clients may be frustrated, aggressive, or may insist on escalation even when the issue is Tier 1.

Client insists on escalation:

“I understand your concern, [Client Name]. Let me assure you that I’m actively investigating this. Based on our assessment, this appears to be an isolated issue with your company’s server, which falls within our Tier 1 support scope. I’m fully qualified to resolve this and am working on it right now. I’ll have an update for you within a few minutes.”

Client demands to speak to a manager:

“I understand why you’d want to speak with a manager, [Client Name], and your concern is valid. I’m treating this as a priority and I’m actively working on your issue right now. I’ll keep you updated every few minutes while I continue the fix so you’re not left waiting.”

Client claims it’s a company-wide outage:

“Thank you for letting me know, [Client Name]. I’ll verify that immediately. Let me check if other companies are reporting similar issues. [Check your resources.] Based on my assessment, this appears to be isolated to your company’s server. I’ll have it resolved shortly.”

General de-escalation:

“I completely understand your frustration, [Client Name], and I appreciate your patience. I’m treating this as a priority and working to get your service restored as quickly as possible.”

Step 7 — Documentation

Maintain Live Incident Notes from first client contact through resolution or escalation. Ensure the following details are documented in your ticket system:

  1. Client Name and Company

  2. Issue Description — What the client reported

  3. Root Cause — What was actually wrong

  4. Resolution — Steps taken to fix it

  5. Escalation Decision — Was it escalated? If so, why? If not, why not?

  6. Current Status — Resolved / Ongoing

  7. Escalated Incident Review (EIR) — Required only for Tier 2 or Tier 3 incidents. Convert Live Incident Notes using the required page-by-page EIR format in KB-612 EIR Template. If the incident remains Tier 1, no separate EIR is required.

3. Key Reminders

  • Always remain professional and calm, even with difficult clients.

  • Follow KB-155 strictly when making escalation decisions.

  • Document everything — incomplete tickets reflect poorly on team performance.

  • When in doubt, consult KB-601 for error-code diagnostics and KB-253 for service details.

  • Use the #tier1-support Teams channel to ask peers for help if you’re stuck.