Once the issue is logged and tracked it is time to start the process of solving it. As you go through the process of solving an incident you should always use existing solutions. Many helpdesk systems have a tracking system in place that allows you to quickly find common incidents and solutions based on the categorization done during the logging of the incidents. Also, if there are open problems which are not registered with solutions or workarounds in the knowledge base yet, it is important to consider if your issue is related to one of the problems. If so, always link it to the problem. (See the next chapter: Problem Handling for more information on problems.)

Once you have used all available sources of information and have a clear understanding of the incident you can start work with the user to resolve it. When you get back in touch with the user, in case you do not go through the process of solving the incident as the user reports it, make sure to remind them of the incident reported and request additional information if needed based on your research. If you are responding through a medium such as e-mail, make sure to not just ask questions, but also make assumptions so you can provide the most likely solution. You can then first say what you believe the most likely solution is and ask them to answer your questions if that does not work. After further examination, you could discover that the cause of the incident is different from what you expected. In this case you should go back to gathering information about the actual cause, update the incident, and research again. You may need to go through these steps a few times for complex incidents, but always try to make sure the user can continue to work and be interrupted as little as possible.

If possible and you believe it will be faster in handling the incident, you can also transfer the incident to a second line of support or contact third party support such as a hardware supplier. Always track where the issue went and what the eventual solution was in the end, we learn most from things we do not yet comprehend after all.