Handling Customer Support Requests
This article needs organizing when time permits.
This is for current customers. For new customers, see “New Client Intake Instructions”
Much of this info is intended for the office admin, but it is important for techs to know how to manage customers on the phone, create tickets and prioritize when the office admin is not available.
FIRST AND FOREMOST: CREATE A TICKET.
Our ticketing system is how we communicate about technical issues with each other and with customers. Every communication and bit of information about an issue should be in the ticket!
When a (current) customer calls with a new problem, CREATE A TICKET.
When you discover a problem that needs fixing, CREATE A TICKET.
FIRST SET THE CATEGORY. Then use a ticket template when possible.
WAYS TICKET CAN BE CREATED
- Customer calls. Log into Autotask and click “+” sign to create new ticket. (Customer is not automatically notified that a ticket has been created.)
- Customer sends email to support@geekgirlsit.com address. Office admin (and customer) automatically receive a notification that a new ticket has been created.
- Customer creates a ticket through Autotask's client portal (rarely used).
If a support request is emailed to an individual team member, that team member should reply with a polite request for the sender to send an email to support@geekgirlsit.com or call the office to create a ticket. (Our signatures always include the office phone number so you can say "at the number below".) Here's more detailed verbiage you can use.
For tickets that are emailed in:
If the contact is not in AT, the correct customer will not be set in the ticket. (In this case, Geek Girls will be set as the “customer.”) When this happens, a ticket must be created to add the contact to the customer account. If the contact already exists but is using a different email address, you can add that email address to the existing Autotask contact as a second or third email, but verify that this is not a scam and that the person emailing us really is the contact they say they are and really works for this customer.
Tips for creating tickets based on user phone requests:
- When possible, create ticket while speaking with customer so you can use correct ticket template and view questions to ask to get relevant info. Take your time to record the information accurately.
- Always start with the Ticket Category!
- Continue with a ticket template if one is applicable.
- Next add a contact. This will make it easier to fill out other fields such as configuration item. (Click silhouette icon next to Configuration Item field to choose a config item already associated with the ticket contact.)
- Get DETAILS on the issue the user is experiencing before sending the user a scheduling link.
Support Request Intake (phone or email):
1. Nature of issue. Get an idea of problem.
- DETAILS: Get specifics. For example, if they say, “my computer won’t turn on”, that can mean many things. Ask exactly what happens when they press the power button. Do they see the black screen with white writing? Do they see the Windows logo? Do they see their desktop? Can they open Internet Explorer? If it is a laptop, is it charging?
- Is it a problem with a specific application? If so, what are the symptoms?
- How often is problem happening? When did it start?
- Is it affecting more than one computer?
2. If customer asks, don't be too specific as to when the issue will be resolved. Just say ASAP. You cannot commit.
3. When you create a new ticket, choose a contact from the contact dropdown box (because this “contact” receives the appointment reminder and external ticket notes.) If the person who contacted us isn’t listed as a contact, you will need to contact an authorization contact on the account (listed in customer's IT Glue Site Summary) to get that person added as a verified contact before we can provide support for them.
4. Following the above, save the ticket and then use TimeZest to send an appointment scheduling link to the contact with whom the appointment should take place. It's important to save the ticket and not be in "edit" mode if you use TimeZest to send the scheduling link. If you do this correctly, TZ will set the status of the ticket to "scheduling link sent."
Generally. the more information you provide in the ticket, the better. Background is important if it is not obvious from the context. For example, who requested the ticket? What's the reason? Why was the ticket opened? Who made the request. Anyone looking at the ticket should have enough questions answered to move forward with the ticket either administratively or technically.
Scheduling
For Onsite Assignments
1. Once onsite appointments are scheduled, clients are emailed a confirmation at informs them that there is an hour range for tech arrival. So if they schedule a tech for 1pm arrival, the client is informed the arrival will actually be between 12:30 and 1:30. This is because the tech may be coming from another assignment or may encounter transportation issues.
2. Morning on-site jobs for regular techs should ideally scheduled for arrival between 9 and 10am or earlier. You can set a limit on the avaailble times in the TimeZest panel's options. (Coming soon: We will eventually build these limits into the TZ Appointment Types.
3. When possible, wait to schedule an onsite until you can schedule two onsite jobs in the same general location for the same day - one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This will depend on urgency, which we determine, not the customer. (Expedited service is also available for a fee. Please see: Policies for Expedited Service for Managed and non-Managed Customers
For REMOTE Assignments:
Customer books a specific time via a TimeZest scheduling link. Customer is instructed in the confirmation email to call into the office at the scheduled time. We do not call the client. (The only exception to this is the Help Desk team. They have separate policies and they will call the customer within an hour of the scheduled appointment time.)
updated by RP 4/6/23
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