Without the right IT staff training, your MSP risks inefficiencies, miscommunication, and service delivery issues. These are real risks that can have serious consequences. With the decrease in the quality of service, loss of accountability, and delays, you can see your clients become dissatisfied which can result in losing them.
Therefore, it is important to prevent these issues by following the tried and true IT staff training best practices, from experts in the field. As a company that has worked with hundreds of MSPs, we have all the best tips.
The goal is to create a structured training plan. This not only ensures that your team is equipped to handle technical challenges but also fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Continue reading to get the actionable steps you can implement to successfully train MSP helpdesk staff, improve workflow, and increase customer satisfaction.
Why is Proper Basic IT Staff Training Essential?
Whether your MSP is growing in staff or wants to improve help desk workflow, it’s important to stop and do a front-line health check once in a while.
- MSPs can lack a clear strategy for training their help desk staff efficiently.
- A structured training plan is crucial for achieving the best results.
Proper staff training on documentation keeping, correct ticketing, communication, and escalation is crucial for a help desk that excels in productivity. Working with MSP staff for more than 6 years, we at Support Adventure have successfully identified some common mistakes MSPs make in training their staff.
What are the Common Mistakes in MSP IT Staff Training?
- Assuming Knowledge in Their Staff:
Many MSPs believe that once they hire someone, that individual will automatically know how to use tools like PSA, RMM, and documentation platforms. This assumption can lead to inefficiencies.
- Relying on Vendor Training:
Platforms like ConnectWise University might offer training, but they often don’t align with the specific needs of an MSP’s staff. It’s essential to train staff based on the company’s unique requirements.
- Shadowing Without Structure:
Simply having a new employee shadow a senior technician can lead to the transfer of bad habits. It’s vital to have a structured shadowing process.
- Lack of Documentation:
Proper ticket notes and technical documentation are crucial. New staff should be trained to contribute to and update documentation effectively.
- Unstructured Communication:
Instead of just telling new hires to “ask Johnny” whenever they have a question, MSPs should have regular mentoring sessions and clear communication channels.
How to Improve MSP IT Staff Training?
By using a comprehensive approach, we can elevate the training process. The goal is to ensure that every team member is equipped with the right skills and knowledge.
Let’s delve into some proven strategies and best practices that can transform your MSP staff training from good to exceptional:
Customize Tool Training for your MSP Help Desk Staff:
Train your staff on how you would like them to use these tools.
Instead of relying on generic training modules, MSPs should create custom training resources that reflect how the company uses specific tools.
By giving unambiguous directions and making sure these guidelines are documented on an easily available Google sheet, for example. This way you avoid miscommunication that can come from solely passing it on through talking. Your techs will have the document to refer to when they are in doubt!
Structured Communication:
Regular mentoring sessions and clear communication channels can ensure that your staff are on the right track.
Recorded calls, reverse-escalating tickets, and conquering milestones are good practices in MSP staff training.
Reverse-escalation is a good process for mentoring junior staff. It allows the junior technicians to see the steps taken by a senior technician in solving a problem they found too difficult to fix themselves.
Documentation:
Encourage new hires to contribute to and flag missing documentation. This involvement ensures that they feel part of the team and understand the importance of keeping accurate documentation.
Using auditing tools can prevent disasters that can come from human error and keep your staff accountable.
Accountability Checklists:
Provide your staff with a clear list of daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. This clarity ensures they know what’s expected of them. Use ticketing systems or other project managing tools to track progress.
Walkthroughs:
Use videos or detailed guides to walk new hires through essential tasks. This hands-on approach can be more effective than just telling them what to do. It will be a valuable resource for future staff onboarding.
Train IT Staff on How to Communicate and Escalate Correctly
Effective communication and proper escalation are paramount in keeping any MSP helpdesk productive. We at Support Adventure understand the intricacies of these processes and have witnessed firsthand the difference they can make in the overall efficiency and client satisfaction of an MSP. Some of the MSP help desk staff training best practices include the following:
Clear Communication Among MSP Help Desk Staff:
- Foster an environment where staff members feel comfortable discussing issues, asking questions, and seeking guidance.
- Encourage regular team meetings to discuss ongoing challenges and share best practices.
- Ensure that senior staff and managers are approachable and open to feedback.
Effective Communication with MSP Customers:
- Always keep the client in the loop. Whether it’s a minor update or a major breakthrough, timely communication can set the right expectations and build trust.
- Use clear, concise language, avoiding technical jargon when communicating with non-technical clients.
- Offer multiple communication channels for clients to reach out, ensuring they always have a way to get in touch. Depending on the urgency, you can prioritize communicating via email, chat, calls, and more.
MSP Help Desk Escalation Best Practices for Staff:
- Define clear escalation paths. Knowing when and how to escalate an issue, ensures it reaches the right person or team capable of resolving it.
- Implement a well-defined escalation policy that outlines the steps to be taken during emergencies. This transforms panic into order, by making the procedures documented and easily accessible to staff.
- Train staff to discern between urgent and non-urgent requests. For instance, not all tickets require immediate attention so knowing which ones do is crucial.
This table provides a concise overview of the key points related to communication and escalation best practices for MSPs:
| Aspect | Key Points |
| Clear Communication Among Staff | – Foster an environment for open discussions. – Hold regular team meetings for challenges and best practices. – Ensure senior staff and managers are approachable. |
| Effective Communication with Customers | – Always update the client, regardless of the issue’s size. – Use clear language, avoiding technical jargon. – Provide multiple communication channels for client accessibility. |
| Escalation Best Practices | – Establish clear escalation paths. – Have a well-defined escalation policy for emergencies. – Educate staff on discerning between urgent and non-urgent requests. |
Why Is It Important to Keep IT Staff Training Documentation?
Ensure that all communication and actions taken are well-documented! This not only aids in accountability but also serves as a reference for future similar issues as well.
Utilize the best MSP documentation templates that cover everything from ticketing system note procedures to escalation procedures. This ensures clarity and consistency across the board.
Download our Free MSP Ticket Note Writing Guide
This guide will make ticket note-keeping at your MSP helpdesk more reliable and efficient. It will bring enhanced clarity by ensuring the ticket is easy to understand, reducing the time spent deciphering notes.
Efficiency will be improved by streamlining the troubleshooting process with well-documented steps and solutions.
The result will be increased accountability within your MSP staff by maintaining a clear record – also great for further training! By fostering trust and transparency communication and collaboration within your helpdesk will benefit greatly.
All of these steps are naturally aimed at boosting your clients’ confidence in your MSP, increasing their satisfaction.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to refine your helpdesk operations and elevate your service delivery.
Get the BEST Remote IT Staff for your MSP Service Desk
Training is not just about showing someone the ropes. It’s about integrating them into the company’s culture, ensuring they understand their role, and providing them with the resources they need to succeed.
At Support Adventure, we believe that with the right approach, every MSP can have the best staff on their help desk, ensuring top-notch IT service delivery by following these and more MSP best practices.
Our subtle but powerful contribution to your MSP helpdesk comes in the form of years of developing impeccable staff testing and training. Technically competent, creative, and culturally compatible staff will be a great addition to every MSP helpdesk. We ensure easy onboarding and seamless integration, making sure you are always satisfied with our staff.
Check out our MSP Staffing page and see how your helpdesk can benefit from our unique services!
For more insight into Support Adventure’s MSP IT staff training best practices, you can listen to our podcast, MSP Mountain with our founder Eric, here.
Support Adventure’s Client Review
At Support Adventure, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with Genuine Technology Group in Portland, Oregon, to enhance their helpdesk operations. Faced with the challenge of expanding their team and optimizing service delivery, they turned to us.
If you’re looking for great staff, we offer our premium outsourced MSP staffing services.
We provided dedicated staff from diverse backgrounds, trained specifically for their unique needs. This collaboration not only addressed a wide range of technical issues but also streamlined ticket allocation, ensuring each problem was tackled by the right expert.
Ernest Murray of Genuine Technology Group lauded our team’s dedication, integration, and the value we added, emphasizing the seamless experience and administrative ease we brought to their operations.
Our partnership stands as a testament to our commitment to excellence in MSP staffing and support. Watch the testimonial below.
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