Tier 1 Support Triage SOP

Standard procedure for identifying, categorizing, prioritizing, routing, and escalating Tier 1 support requests.

Steps

• Receive and log the support request
  The Tier 1 Support Agent records the request in the ticketing system and captures the minimum required details: requester name, contact method, request summary, time received, affected service, and any stated business impact. The agent assigns a unique ticket identifier and confirms the request is traceable as documented information.
• Verify the request is within Tier 1 scope
  The Tier 1 Support Agent reviews the request against the Tier 1 support scope, knowledge base, and escalation matrix to determine whether the issue can be handled without specialized authorization or advanced technical intervention.
• Categorize the request
  The Tier 1 Support Agent assigns the request to the correct category and subcategory using the approved taxonomy, such as access, hardware, software, network, account, or service request. The agent records any relevant error messages, impacted systems, and user-reported symptoms.
• Assess priority and impact
  The Tier 1 Support Agent evaluates impact, urgency, number of affected users, and business criticality to assign the correct priority level. The agent uses the approved priority matrix and applies the same criteria consistently across similar requests.
• Route the request to the correct queue or resolver group
  The Tier 1 Support Agent assigns the ticket to the appropriate queue, resolver group, or named owner based on category, priority, and service ownership. The agent adds concise notes that summarize the issue, troubleshooting already performed, and any relevant context for the next handler.
• Perform Tier 1 troubleshooting and confirm resolution
  The Tier 1 Support Agent performs approved troubleshooting steps within scope, documents each action taken, and confirms whether the issue is resolved. The agent verifies the requester can resume normal work and records any remaining limitations or follow-up actions.
• Escalate the request when required
  The Tier 1 Support Agent escalates the request when the issue is outside Tier 1 scope, exceeds the defined time threshold, meets a high-priority or major-incident trigger, or requires specialist access. The agent includes a complete summary, troubleshooting history, and the reason for escalation.
• Communicate status and next steps to the requester
  The Tier 1 Support Agent informs the requester of the current status, expected response time, and any actions needed from the requester. The agent uses approved communication templates and avoids promising resolution times that are not supported by the service level agreement.
• Document closure and non-conformance details
  The Tier 1 Support Agent updates the ticket with the final resolution, closure code, and any follow-up actions. If the request was miscategorized, repeatedly escalated, or delayed beyond the expected tolerance, the agent records the deviation or non-conformance for review.