What is the Help Desk?
The Help Desk handles:- Client support requests - Issues submitted by clients
- Internal escalations - Team-flagged concerns about clients
- Questions - Information requests from clients
Help Desk tickets are separate from tasks. Use tickets for reactive support work and tasks for proactive planned work.
Ticket components
Basic information
Every ticket includes:- Ticket ID - Sequential number (#1, #2, etc.)
- Title - Brief description
- Client - Associated client
- Type - Support, Escalation, or Question
- Origin - Client-submitted or Internal
- Priority - P1 (Critical) through P4 (Low)
- Status - Current workflow state
Additional details
Depending on ticket type:- Description - Full details (rich text)
- Stores affected - Which client sites/stores impacted
- Desired outcome - What resolution looks like
- Action taken - Steps already attempted (escalations)
- Contact users - Specific client contacts
- Escalation types - Nature of escalation
Workflow information
For scheduled tickets:- PM - Project Manager who accepted ticket
- Assignee - Team member working on it
- Estimate - Time estimate in hours
- Scheduled dates - Start and end dates
- Time logged - Actual hours spent
Who uses Help Desk
Clients
Clients can:- Submit support tickets through portal
- View their ticket status
- Add comments and attachments
- See resolution summaries
CSMs
Customer Success Managers:- Monitor client tickets
- Coordinate responses
- Ensure timely resolution
- Maintain client satisfaction
Project Managers
PMs can:- Accept new tickets
- Assign to team members
- Schedule work
- Mark tickets resolved
- Convert to quotes if needed
Delivery Team
Team members:- View assigned tickets
- Update status
- Log time
- Add resolution details
- Comment on progress
Managers
Full access to:- All tickets
- Activity logs
- Performance metrics
- Escalation monitoring
Ticket types
Support
Technical issues, bugs, and problems requiring fixes
Escalation
Internal concerns about client relationships or delivery
Question
Information requests that need answers, not work
Ticket priorities
| Priority | Description | Response Time |
|---|---|---|
| P1 - Critical | Site down, checkout broken, major revenue impact | Immediate |
| P2 - High | Major feature broken, significant user impact | Same day |
| P3 - Medium | Minor bug, workaround available | 1-2 days |
| P4 - Low | Cosmetic issue, nice-to-have fix | When capacity allows |
Ticket workflow
Support and Escalation workflow
1
New
Ticket submitted, awaiting PM acceptance
2
Accepted
PM accepted, ready for scheduling
3
Scheduled
Assigned with dates and estimate
4
In Progress
Team member working on it
5
Awaiting Review
Work complete, PM reviewing
6
Resolved
PM confirms resolution, client notified
Question workflow
Questions skip work statuses:1
New
Question submitted
2
Accepted
PM or CSM accepted
3
Resolved
Answer provided to client
Questions don’t need scheduling or assignment since they’re answered directly, not worked on.
Creating tickets
Internal tickets
Team members can create:- Support tickets - On behalf of clients
- Escalations - To flag concerns
- Questions - For information requests
Client tickets
Clients submit through portal:- Support requests
- Questions
- Cannot create escalations (internal only)
Converting to quotes
If ticket represents new scope:- PM can convert ticket to quote
- Preserves ticket details
- Links quote back to ticket
- Tracks origin of work request
Key features
Time tracking
Log time against tickets:- Track actual hours spent
- Compare to estimate
- Roll up to client budget
- Activity type: “Support”
Comments and collaboration
Discuss tickets:- Rich text comments
- Mention team members
- Attach files
- Track conversation history
Attachments
Support files:- Screenshots
- Error logs
- Reference documents
- Uploaded by clients or team
Activity log
Audit trail showing:- All field changes
- Who made changes
- When changes occurred
- Previous values
Access control
What you can see
Delivery Team:- Tickets assigned to them
- Own team’s tickets
- Cannot see all tickets
- All tickets
- Can accept and assign
- Can resolve tickets
- All tickets
- Full management capabilities
- Activity log access
Best practices
Triage quickly
Accept and prioritize new tickets promptly
Accurate priority
Set priority based on impact, not loudness
Estimate realistically
Include time for testing and verification
Log time promptly
Record time as you work on tickets
Clear resolution
Explain what was fixed and how
Convert when appropriate
Large scope items become quotes
Common scenarios
Scenario 1: Critical bug
1
Client reports
P1 ticket submitted - checkout broken
2
Immediate acceptance
PM accepts, assigns developer immediately
3
Start work
Developer starts work right away
4
Fix and test
Bug fixed and tested
5
Resolve
PM verifies fix, resolves ticket
Scenario 2: Feature request via support
1
Client submits
Support ticket requesting new feature
2
PM accepts
Reviews and accepts ticket
3
Convert to quote
Feature scope requires quote
4
Quote created
Ticket details transfer to quote
5
Quote workflow
Follows standard quote approval process
Scenario 3: Internal escalation
1
Team member creates
Developer flags scope creep concern
2
PM accepts
PM reviews escalation details
3
Investigation
PM discusses with CSM and client
4
Resolution
Issue addressed, ticket resolved
Troubleshooting
Can't see Help Desk
Can't see Help Desk
All authenticated users should see Help Desk. Check you’re logged in and have proper account access.
Can't create ticket
Can't create ticket
Verify you have permissions. Internal users can create any type, clients can only create support and questions.
Client says they can't submit ticket
Client says they can't submit ticket
Verify client has active portal access, valid email, and is logged in to portal.
Can't accept ticket
Can't accept ticket
Only PMs, CSMs, and Managers can accept tickets. Check your role permissions.
Ticket not appearing in list
Ticket not appearing in list
Check filters and search. Delivery team only see assigned tickets or their team’s tickets.