User Interaction Overview

The level of detail required for answers and the amount of time a user interacts with a help desk can vary depending on the complexity of their question, the type of issue they’re experiencing, and the level of support required.

Level of detail for answers

The level of detail required from a data help desk will depend on the user’s needs and the complexity of their question. Here are some guidelines:

  1. Basic information: Provide a brief explanation, point to relevant resources, or offer general guidance (e.g., “Check our Resources for more information.”)
  2. Step-by-step solutions: If you have knowledge about the user’s question, you can give a detailed explanation, including specific steps and troubleshooting tips (e.g., “To resolve this issue, follow these steps: [insert steps].”)
  3. Customized solutions: Some users have specific domain questions that may not be part of the resources provided. Examples are locating a data repository that contains specific data the user asked about. In this case, you can refer the user to a slack channel or a data expert if you don’t have an answer.

Average user interaction time

  1. Simple questions: 1-5 minutes (e.g., clarifying a question and pointing to a resource, communication channel, or data expert)
  2. Moderate issues: 5 minutes to 20 minutes (e.g., overview explanation of how to resolve the issue)
  3. Complex problems: More than 30 minutes (e.g., in depth explanation of the solution). In this case set up a future time to interact with an expert.