How can I get instant IT support with the click of a button?

It’s Monday morning going on 11 a.m. Your computer desktop is cluttered with several open windows as you scramble to finalize a report due to your boss in an hour.

Adrenaline pumps as you put the finishing touches on the report. You’re getting closer, but there’s still one key piece of information you need. As you navigate to the system dashboard to grab that data, you panic when the system suddenly times out. After several frenzied attempts at logging out then logging back in, you realize you’re in trouble and you need help ... fast.

But you don’t have time to stop everything and make a phone call to the Service Desk or file a Help ticket. You need to multitask and get this issue resolved quickly while you continue chipping away at the report.

Jon Russell, director of the UIT Service Desk.

Well, you’re in luck. Thanks to the Live Chat feature within the new Services Portal, instantaneous IT support is now just a click away — and it’s available seven days a week. You can chat with in-house support staff at the University IT (UIT) Service Desk while simultaneously continuing your work.

“We are very excited to launch chat support for the Stanford community,” said Jon Russell, director of the UIT Service Desk. “It’s something that members of the community have been asking for for a long time.”

Of course, the way that you choose to communicate with the Service Desk is entirely up to you. Whether you prefer a live chat option as described in the example above, or your preference is filing a Help ticket, calling, or even exploring the new Knowledge articles, support is available in a way that’s most convenient for you.

“It’s great to be able to give our customers options on how they can interact with us,” Jon said. “If they prefer to use chat to interact, then we are all for it. We’re happy to meet their needs using whichever method works best for them.”

Accessing Live Chat

To access Live Chat, simply go to the Services Portal at https://stanford.service-now.com/services/stanford.edu. Click the red “Log In” button in the top right.

Once logged in, you’ll see a Live Chat button at the bottom of the screen on every page. Simply click the button and type your question. Your message will be instantly routed to a team of Stanford IT specialists available to assist you.

Support is offered Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Future state of Live Chat

For now, Live Chat through the Services Portal is available for IT requests only. In the future, as the Portal expands to other services beyond IT (such as Payroll or Human Resources), Live Chat may be available for these services as well.

Additionally, it may become available to users external to Stanford, such as conference attendees, visiting professors, and others who need assistance before and during their visit to campus.

Learn more

To learn more about the Services Portal or Live Chat, check out the following resources:

• Services Portal
• December news article: HelpSU is Changing
• December news article: Two News Ways to Get IT Help: Live Chat and Knowledge Articles