This course accompanies the Service Desk Analyst Professional Standard and is designed to equip analysts with the skills and knowledge essential to delivering excellent customer support experience.

Aligned with ITIL4, it compliments most service management frameworks and support models while focusing on building relationships to ensure customer needs are met within agreed service levels.

Who is this course for?

While the principles are relevant to all service and support staff, the SDA qualification course is primarily aimed at first and second-line IT service and support analysts with some experience of the service desk environment. The course is ideal for analysts looking to grow in their role and gain a recognized qualification within their profession. It enables them to gain a deeper understanding of the impact their role has on business efficiency and empowers them to identify opportunities for improvement.

Module 1: Roles and Responsibilities
To identify and understand the role and responsibilities of the professional Service Desk Analyst
To identify and understand the role and responsibilities of the Service Desk
To determine the attributes, skills and knowledge of a successful Service Desk Analyst
To develop an understanding of Relationship Management from the Service Desk perspective
To identify and agree the key requirements for delivering customer satisfaction

Module 2: Effective Communication
To identify and understand the principles of effective communication in customer support
To understand the differences between face to face, telephone and written communication
To identify ways to enable us to communicate more effectively
To understand how our attitude and approach can influence and affect others

Module 3: Customer Service Skills and Competencies
To understand how to ask questions skillfully
To determine the importance of good listening skills
To understand the importance of customer service skills in the IT environment

Module 4: Determine the importance of effective cross-cultural communication
To understand that assertiveness and confidence are necessary qualities for the SDA
To determine methods of dealing with conflict
To determine the causes, symptoms and ways to manage stress

Module 5: The Service Desk Environment
Examine issues, both internal and external, that can affect our motivation
Understand the importance and relevance of ethics within the workplace
Determine the importance and benefits of effective teamwork

Module 6: Effective Process Management
To understand the ITSM processes most closely linked to the Service Desk
To identify the responsibilities, the Service Desk has within those processes
To understand the importance of effective incident, problem, change, escalation and asset management processes

Module 7: Managing, Meeting and Maintaining Service Levels
Determine the value and benefits of Service Level Agreements
Determine the need for and benefits of metrics and objectives within the support environment
Understand the importance of effective Customer Satisfaction surveys

Module 8: Problem Solving
To determine the steps taken during the problem solving process
To understand the benefits of using a creative problem solving approach
To identify techniques for creative problem solving
To practice some problem solving techniques

Module 9: Tools and Technologies
Develop a clear understanding of the support tools and technologies available to Service Desk Analysts
To understand and use the terminology of the support industry
Determine the benefits of the tools and technologies we use
To determine methods for implementing Self-Help and Self Service for end-users