Effective Monday, April 6th, the Onsite Help Desk will no longer offer onsite troubleshooting and laptop pickup. We will still provide distance support and checkouts via shipments. Please consult HD - Customer Onsite Desk and Repair Support for more information.

Why does the Help Desk take customer contacts for DoIT Repair?

Repair staff are often away from their work stations and unable to answer incoming customer contacts immediately. The Help Desk is better staffed as a support organization to take the incoming contacts for Repair, while still providing value to customer. For example, the Help Desk can inform a customer with a broken laptop monitor to come to a Service Desk without having to send that customer through Repair for approval or validation.

Handling Repair Customers

Repair customers will not necessarily mention they are requesting Repair support. They will contact us for support in the following ways:

• They have an obvious hardware issue.
• They have a potential hardware issue.
• They have an existing repair case.
• They have a desktop support contract through Departmental Support.

Obvious Hardware Issues

Please note that per HD - Customer Onsite Desk and Repair Support, the DoIT Help Desk will not service personal hardware repairs for the foreseeable future.

Obvious hardware issues like cracked laptop screens, loud clicking noises from within the computer, or a computer that won't power on should be referred to our Service Desk location on campus where it can be checked in for repair local vendors as shown in DoIT Repair - Departmental Repairs or Referrals for Personal Repairs. Please consult the HDQA about departmental repairs.

Customers that have questions about the repair of an obvious hardware issue will need to have their case forwarded to Repair. Repair will respond within 2 business hours. If the customer requests an immediate response, consult with HDQA.

Potential Hardware Issues

Customers with potential hardware issues should receive standard troubleshooting from the Help Desk. It will difficult to determine initially whether a computer is suffering from a software or a hardware issue. Potential hardware issues include things like:

• A Windows computer that receives frequent blue screens.
• A Windows or Mac computer that powers on but does not load the operating system.
• A Windows or Mac computer that boots normally but randomly restarts or powers down.

Troubleshooting should lead you to one of three results:

• Software Issue: Attempt to resolve; forward to Help Desk Level 2 with appropriate handling if resolution can't be achieved over the phone.
• Hardware Issue: Once determined to be a hardware issue, follow the instructions in Obvious Hardware Issues above.
• Undetermined: If you are unable to determine if the customer has a hardware or software issue, the customer should be referred to scheduling a virtual consultation appointment (use doc 106450 for more information).

Existing Repair Cases

Customers with existing repair cases should be transferred to DoIT Repair. Depending on how the customer contacts us, they should be referred in the following ways:

• Phone: Refer the phone call to Repair following these steps. Please note the repair line hours are 9am to 5pm Mon-Fri.
  
  • Verify the customer's case number and that the repair is being handled by DoIT Repair.
  • Let the customer know they should call the repair line at (608)263-7237.
  • Tell the customer that when Repair picks up the phone, they should give their case number to Repair immediately.
  • If no one answers, leave a voice mail with their case number and inform them that Repair will contact them as soon as possible.
• Email: Respond to customer's email and cc: repair@doit.wisc.edu.
• Chat: Provide customer with contact information for DoIT Repair.
• Walk-in: Verify the customer's case number and speak with Repair in-person for an update.

Departmental Support Contracts

Customers with Departmental Support Contracts should be supported as outlined by their contract. DoIT Departmental Tech Support - Handling Information (Contract Partners) details every Departmental Support contract and lists any special support conditions.