What is the ITS Service Desk, and more specifically, Tier 2?
The ITS Service Desk provides support for students, staff and faculty, serving as the front door for technical requests across campus.
Whether you forgot your password or are experiencing a software glitch, you can contact the Service Desk for assistance via live chat in the Help Portal, calling 919-962-HELP (4357), emailing support@help.unc.edu or visiting in person in room 1506 of the Frank Porter Graham Student Union.
A group called Tier 1 answers and starts the process of understanding your issue and figuring out how to support you. In fact, Tier 1 can solve tech issues on first contact nine times out of 10.
When campus members need more advanced support, Tier 1 escalates the issue to Tier 2.
Managed by Lyndon Joyce, Tier 2 has specialized technicians ready to solve trickier technical needs.
Joyce manages a team of eight technicians. Each technician has a specialty, ranging from Microsoft 365 to Zoom administration.
Tier 2’s typical workday
Tier 2’s workload is substantial, with its volume coming from escalations and web submissions. Tier 2 receives escalations from Tier 1 and other local support groups on campus. Between April 21 and May 21, the team successfully resolved more than 800 incidents.
Tier 2 handles mostly Microsoft 365 administration, Duo, Adobe and Zoom and solves other technical requests. If your ticket is escalated to Tier 2, Tim Grant, the queue manager, will review it and assign it to the most suitable person for assistance.
“I constantly get different comments from people within my team to say, ‘thank you’ to Tim Grant, because managing that queue and all of this volume that is submitted through the web is a very big job,” Joyce said.
The team receives a diverse range of technical issues. Every day brings a new challenge.
“When you come to Tier 2 you get exposed to a lot of things,” Joyce said.
That enables employees to grow their skill set and prepares them to advance in their career at the University and beyond.
Lyndon Joyce
- Has worked for UNC for 15 years and started as a Tier 1 employee
- Originally from Detroit, Michigan
- Married to wife, Keosha, and has two children, Peyton and Langston
- Has practiced martial arts since age 7
- His leadership philosophy: “Take care of your people and they’ll take care of the business.”
Championing efficiency
In July, Tier 2 collaborated with the ITS Customer Experience & Engagement (CE&E) division to migrate 300 articles to the TeamDynamix website. Thanks to Tier 2’s efforts, ITS completed the project ahead of schedule on July 8.
Riaz Ahmed, an IT project analyst and manager for CE&E, expressed his gratitude for Tier 2. The team, he said, “approached this project with seriousness, enthusiasm and a collaborative spirit, always ready to help each other when needed.”
Looking to the future
Joyce and his team are enthusiastic about the newly implemented TeamDynamix, the University’s new ticketing and support tool. They expect the tool will enhance workflows and metrics.
“My team is so excited about TeamDynamix,” Joyce said. “I am excited about TeamDynamix. I’m looking forward to what it will bring to the table for us.”
As for other new tools, Tier 2 is piloting Copilot for Microsoft 365. The team expects the AI tool can improve documentation and communications.
Despite the demands and challenges of Tier 2’s work, Joyce said, “As crazy as it is, I love it. I love my job and the people I work with.”