Most everyone at Carolina knows of the ITS Service Desk. What typically comes to mind is using walk-in, chat, phone or online tickets to request service for universal, straightforward things like password resets and software installations. But there’s another Service Desk team you’ve likely never heard of that plays an equally vital role within UNC’s support network.
The Business Systems Help Desk (BSHD) supports both employees and administrative users of ConnectCarolina, one of UNC’s most essential services.
ConnectCarolina experts
Whether you’re a student, a staff member or a faculty member, you’ve probably used ConnectCarolina for something important like requesting a transcript, accessing a W2 for taxes or registering for classes.
Most campus members don’t realize that there are hundreds of administrative employees across the University who work within a deeper level of the ConnectCarolina system to manage the backend business of Carolina. They spend all or much of their workday entering and reconciling data — think of all the human resources, payroll and finance reporting that’s necessary for the University to operate.
These administrative users of ConnectCarolina need their own technicians with ConnectCarolina expertise. They rely on the talented Business Systems Help Desk team.
The BSHD’s nine team members bring a diverse range of skills. They primarily support ConnectCarolina’s HR payroll and finance functions, provide training for HR representatives, and resolve issues related to BuyCarolina purchasing and payroll discrepancies.
Team members support users via phone, chat and web tickets. In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, the BSHD closed 13,170 tickets.
The Business Systems Help Desk’s leader is Theresa Silsby, who has been with BSHD since it formed in 2014 to support the launch of ConnectCarolina Finance and HR/Payroll. Silsby has a passion for and talent in customer service and satisfaction.
Friendly and skilled professionals
Silsby describes her team as personable and skilled and firmly believes that excellent customer service is innate.
“The consultants on the BSHD are the best,” Silsby said. “I repeatedly get great feedback from customers regarding their patience, knowledge and empathy. I am very lucky to have a dedicated team that cares about the roles they play in the support structure.”
Joey Ware-Furlow and Rhonda Leary are the team leads. They keep things running smoothly.
Ware-Furlow and Leary assign help tickets to the team, whether the tickets come in directly or from Tier 1 of the Service Desk, ensuring that each issue is addressed quickly and efficiently. They are also key resources for security and reporting needs of the division and campus users.
“My two leads, I have to say, are my right hands and left hands. I couldn’t do it without them. They make it happen,” Silsby said.
About Theresa Silsby
- Native of Chapel Hill
- A state employee for 34 years, including 28 years at UNC
- One of ITS’ Employee Forum delegates since 2020
Customers’ detailed explanations and screenshots are crucial for enabling the BSHD team members to quickly find a solution. Here’s a tip for administrative users of ConnectCarolina: When you need help, take a screenshot to attach to your help ticket. A clear description of what the problem is and when it happened, accompanied by related screenshots, lets the team determine the best strategy to solve your issue.
Despite the complexity of some help tickets, Silsby said she and the team “roll with the punches” and try resolve requests and satisfy customers.
The Business Systems Help Desk is one of three teams that make up the ITS Service Desk. The other two teams are Tier 1 and Tier 2.
Tier 1 is at the forefront of the Service Desk’s support system. That team handles initial inquiries and diagnoses technical issues.
Tier 2, meanwhile, receives escalations from Tier 1 if customers need technicians who have more specialized knowledge. Together, the three groups ensure seamless support for the University, addressing a wide range of technical issues effectively.