Service desk L2: taking an escalation and reproducing the fault
For service desk level 2 technicians, and level 1 technicians preparing for L2, who already work tickets with a structured troubleshooting method (see 'Hypothesis-driven troubleshooting'). Covers what to check when a ticket arrives from L1, the order to work an L2 queue, reproducing a fault under the same conditions the user has, choosing a data-collection tool (browser trace, Process Monitor, clean boot, Microsoft's TSS toolset) and handling what it captures, and writing a handoff that L3 or a vendor can act on. Examples are Windows and browser based; your company's escalation procedure, priority matrix and data-handling rules apply on the job.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 85 minutes
- Contents
- 5 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Check an incoming escalation for completeness and choose whether to accept it, return it with specific questions or reroute it
- Choose the order to work an L2 queue from priority, impact and time left on each SLA
- Reproduce a reported fault under the user's conditions and record numbered reproduction steps with expected and actual results
- Choose a data-collection tool that fits the fault and handle captured traces as sensitive data
- Write an escalation or hand-back note with environment, reproduction steps, evidence and what has been ruled out
Course outline
- 1.Checking an incoming escalation: accept, return with questions, or rerouteLesson · 14 min
- 2.Choosing the order to work the L2 queueLesson · 12 min
- 3.Reproducing the fault under the user's conditionsLesson · 18 min
- 4.Choosing a data-collection tool and handling what it capturesLesson · 16 min
- 5.Writing the escalation or hand-back noteLesson · 10 min
- 6.Service desk L2: taking an escalation and reproducing the fault: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 7.Service desk L2: taking an escalation and reproducing the fault: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 8.Final exam10 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- Atlassian: Understanding the 5 IT support levels (roles and responsibilities)
- Microsoft Learn: Capture a browser trace for troubleshooting (Azure portal)
- Microsoft Learn: Process Monitor (Sysinternals)
- Microsoft Learn: Introduction to TroubleShootingScript toolset (TSS)
- Microsoft Support: How to perform a clean boot in Windows
- Microsoft Learn: Deprecated features in the Windows client (Steps Recorder entry)
See it with your own jobs and topics
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