A help desk technician is an IT support specialist who helps customers or users troubleshoot software and hardware problems. As a help desk technician, your responsibilities and duties include receiving technical support tickets, phone calls, or emails, contacting the user or customer, listening to their issue, diagnosing the problem, and walking them through the solution. You must be patient with often upset customers and explain how to resolve their computer issues in a step-by-step manner that is understandable to a layperson.