> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.charle.agency/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Tickets

> How to submit help desk tickets

Tickets can be created by clients through the portal or by internal team members on behalf of clients or for internal escalations.

## Who can create tickets

### Clients

Through the client portal:

* Submit support requests
* Ask questions
* View and track their tickets
* Add comments and attachments

### Internal team members

All team members can create:

* Support tickets (on behalf of clients)
* Internal escalations
* Questions (on behalf of clients)

<Note>
  Internal escalations can only be created by team members, not clients.
</Note>

## Creating internal tickets

### Starting a new ticket

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Help Desk">
    Click "Help Desk" in main navigation
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click New Ticket">
    Button in top right of page
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose ticket type">
    Select Support, Escalation, or Question
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill in details">
    Complete the ticket form
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit">
    Create ticket
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Ticket type selection

Choose the appropriate type:

**Support:**

* Technical issues
* Bugs or problems
* Something broken
* Need a fix

**Escalation:**

* Client relationship concerns
* Delivery issues
* Quality problems
* Service complaints

**Question:**

* Information requests
* How-to questions
* Clarification needed
* No work required

<Tip>
  Use the right type from the start - it affects the workflow and who gets notified.
</Tip>

## Support ticket fields

### Required fields

**All support tickets need:**

* **Client** - Which client this affects
* **Title** - Brief, clear description
* **Priority** - P1 through P4 based on impact

### Recommended fields

**For better context:**

* **Description** - Full details of the issue
* **Stores affected** - Which client sites/stores impacted
* **Desired outcome** - What resolution looks like

### Optional fields

**Additional information:**

* **Attachments** - Screenshots, logs, references
* **Contact users** - Specific client contacts to involve

### Priority guidelines

Choose priority based on impact:

| Priority | When to Use                                      |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| **P1**   | Site down, checkout broken, major revenue impact |
| **P2**   | Major feature broken, significant user impact    |
| **P3**   | Minor bug, workaround available                  |
| **P4**   | Cosmetic issue, nice-to-have                     |

<Warning>
  P1 and P2 tickets create immediate notifications. Don't overuse high priorities or teams become desensitized.
</Warning>

## Escalation ticket fields

### Purpose

Internal escalations flag concerns:

* Scope creep
* Delivery delays
* Quality issues
* Service complaints

### Required fields

**All escalations need:**

* **Client** - Which client this concerns
* **Title** - Brief summary of concern
* **Escalation type** - Select one or more types
* **Priority** - Severity of concern
* **Description** - Full context
* **Action taken** - Steps already attempted

### Escalation types

Select all that apply:

**Scope Creep:**

* Client requesting work beyond retainer
* Unclear boundaries
* Expanding requirements

**Delivery Delay:**

* Work falling behind schedule
* Missed commitments
* Unrealistic expectations

**Quality Issue:**

* Work not meeting standards
* Repeated bugs
* Client dissatisfaction with output

**Service Complaint:**

* Communication problems
* Relationship concerns
* Client expressing frustration

<Note>
  Escalations are internal only - clients don't see these tickets. They're for team awareness and coordination.
</Note>

## Question ticket fields

### Purpose

Simple information requests:

* How does X feature work?
* Where can I find Y?
* What is the status of Z?
* Can you clarify something?

### Required fields

**All questions need:**

* **Client** - Who is asking
* **Title** - The question
* **Priority** - Urgency of answer

### Recommended fields

**For context:**

* **Description** - Additional details
* **Contact users** - Who to respond to

### Quick workflow

Questions have a simplified workflow:

* New → Accepted → Resolved
* No scheduling or assignment needed
* Answer provided directly
* Resolution summary contains the answer

<Tip>
  Questions are the fastest ticket type to resolve. Use them for simple information requests that don't require work.
</Tip>

## Client portal submission

### How clients submit

Through the client portal:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Client logs in">
    Access client portal
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Help Desk">
    Click Help Desk in portal menu
  </Step>

  <Step title="New Ticket">
    Click button to create ticket
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose type">
    Support or Question (no Escalation option)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill form">
    Title, description, priority, attachments
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit">
    Ticket created, team notified
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Client ticket fields

Clients provide:

* Title (required)
* Description (optional but recommended)
* Priority (required, P1-P4)
* Stores affected (optional)
* Desired outcome (optional)
* Attachments (optional)

### After submission

When client submits:

* Ticket created with "New" status
* Origin marked as "client"
* CSM for that client notified
* Managers notified
* Appears in Help Desk list

## AI Time Suggestions

When a support ticket is created, Alan automatically generates a time estimate suggestion based on:

* **Ticket content**: Title and description analysis
* **Client history**: Similar tickets and their actual completion times
* **Help desk score**: Whether this client's tickets typically take longer or shorter than estimated

### How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Ticket Created">
    Support ticket is submitted (client or internal)
  </Step>

  <Step title="AI Analysis">
    Alan analyzes the ticket and client history (runs automatically in background)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Suggestion Available">
    When PM views the ticket, AI suggestion is displayed
  </Step>

  <Step title="PM Decision">
    PM can accept the suggestion or enter a different estimate
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Viewing Suggestions

On the ticket detail page, PMs see:

<Info>
  **Alan suggests: 30 minutes** (Medium confidence)

  "Based on similar content update tickets for this client and their typical completion times, 30 minutes is recommended."
</Info>

### Confidence Levels

* **High**: Clear ticket scope with good historical data
* **Medium**: Reasonable information available
* **Low**: Limited data - use as a starting point only

### Using Suggestions

PMs can:

1. **Accept** by entering the suggested time when scheduling
2. **Adjust** based on their judgment and additional context
3. **Override** completely if they disagree with the suggestion

<Tip>
  AI suggestions improve over time as more tickets are completed. The help desk scoring system tracks estimated vs actual times to calibrate future suggestions.
</Tip>

### When Suggestions Are Generated

AI suggestions are generated for:

* ✅ Support tickets (technical issues, bugs, fixes)

AI suggestions are **not** generated for:

* ❌ Questions (no work required)
* ❌ Escalations (internal management, no scheduled work)

## Notifications

### Who gets notified

**New client ticket:**

* CSM assigned to client
* Managers
* On-call PM (if configured)

**New internal ticket:**

* Depends on type and priority
* High priority → broader notification
* Escalations → management team

**Ticket assigned:**

* Assigned team member
* PM who assigned it

**Ticket resolved:**

* Client (if client-submitted)
* Relevant team members

### Notification channels

Notifications sent via:

* Email
* In-app notifications
* Visible in notifications panel

## Best practices

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Clear titles" icon="heading">
    Write descriptive titles that explain the issue
  </Card>

  <Card title="Complete context" icon="file-text">
    Provide full details in description
  </Card>

  <Card title="Accurate priority" icon="flag">
    Set priority based on impact, not urgency
  </Card>

  <Card title="Attach evidence" icon="paperclip">
    Include screenshots and error messages
  </Card>

  <Card title="Right type" icon="tags">
    Choose support vs question vs escalation correctly
  </Card>

  <Card title="Specific stores" icon="store">
    List which sites are affected
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Common mistakes

### Mistake 1: Wrong ticket type

**Problem:** Creating support ticket for a question

**Impact:**

* Goes through full workflow unnecessarily
* Takes longer to get answer
* Wastes scheduling capacity

**Solution:** Use Question type for information requests

### Mistake 2: P1 for everything

**Problem:** Marking all tickets as P1

**Impact:**

* Teams ignore priority
* Real emergencies not recognized
* Boy-who-cried-wolf effect

**Solution:** Reserve P1 for true emergencies only

### Mistake 3: Insufficient detail

**Problem:** Title only, no description

**Impact:**

* PM can't understand issue
* Back-and-forth in comments
* Delays resolution

**Solution:** Provide context upfront in description

### Mistake 4: Creating task instead

**Problem:** Creating ticket for planned work

**Impact:**

* Loses scheduling benefits of tasks
* Not integrated with roadmap
* Harder to track against quotes

**Solution:** Use tickets for reactive support, tasks for proactive work

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can't find New Ticket button">
    Ensure you're on the Help Desk page and have permissions to create tickets. Button appears in top right.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Client dropdown is empty">
    You may not have access to any clients. Contact your administrator to verify client access.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can't set P1 priority">
    All users can set any priority. If the option is missing, try refreshing the page or check for browser errors.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ticket created but no notification sent">
    Notifications may be delayed. Check spam folders. Verify CSM is assigned to client and has valid email.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Need to edit ticket after submission">
    Open the ticket detail page to edit. Most fields can be updated after creation.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Ticket Types" icon="tags" href="/user-guide/help-desk/ticket-types">
    Understand different ticket types in detail
  </Card>

  <Card title="Ticket Workflow" icon="git-branch" href="/user-guide/help-desk/ticket-workflow">
    Learn about status progression
  </Card>

  <Card title="Resolving Tickets" icon="check-circle" href="/user-guide/help-desk/resolving-tickets">
    Close and resolve tickets
  </Card>

  <Card title="Help Desk Overview" icon="headset" href="/user-guide/help-desk">
    Back to Help Desk overview
  </Card>
</CardGroup>