Legacy Service Desk - Ticketing overview

Introduction

One of the many ways of creating tickets in PSA is within the UI otherwise known as manual ticketing. Tickets are created in Service Desk > Tickets using the new ticket button and all the form details are filled in manually or using ticket template. This guide describes the various fields available when working with tickets. 

Creating/Editing Tickets

You can set any of the header fields of a new ticket when it isNewor when youeditthe ticket.

Creating New Tickets

  1. Select the Service Desk >Ticketspage OR New ticket button on the landing page. 
  2. ClickNew.
  3. You can pre-populate field values in the header of the ticket by selecting aticket template (Home > My Templates)using theFrom Templatedrop-down list.
  4. Enter the following in the Ticket Details >Customer Infopanel.
    • Client
    • Site
    • Contact
    • Contact Phone- Defaults to the selected contact's phone number.
    • Contact Email- Defaults to the selected contact's email.
    • Source- The default source is maintained using the Admin > My Company >Service Desk Settingstab > Default Ticket Source.
  5. Enter the following fields in the Ticket Details >Ticket Propertiespanel.
    • Ticket Type
    • Issue Type
    • Sub-Issue Type
    • Service Contract- The contract selected will determine how the labor is tracked on this ticket. If there is a default contract for tickets, it will automatically appear in this field. The default service contract is created using the Finance >Contractspage.
    • SLA- Displays the default service level agreement, if one is set, and allows you to assign one.
    • Work Type
  6. Enter the following fields in theTicket Detailstab.
    • Ticket Title- A one-line summary. Used to search for tickets by title.
    • Ticket Priority
    • Status- New, Waiting for Customer, In Progress, Escalated, Assigned, Completed, Defaults to New.
      • Customize using the Admin > Service Desk Settings >Ticket Statuses page.
    • TTR- Estimated time to resolution, in hours or minutes.
    • Details- Enter an expanded description of the support issue.
    • Primary Assignee- The primary employee assigned to work this ticket.
    • Open Date- The date/time this ticket was created.
    • Queue- Assigns a ticket to the queue. Employees assigned to a queue will see tickets assigned to the same queue displayed on their Home >My Queuespage.
    • Due Date- The date/time the ticket is scheduled to be resolved.
    • Secondary Assignees- One or more employees also assigned to work this ticket. Secondary assignees can enter time and notes.
    • Affected Hardware Asset- Identifies a hardware asset affected by this issue. Records of a client's hardware assets are maintained using the Service Desk > Asset Management >Hardware Assetspage.
    • Affected Software Asset- Identifies a software asset affected by this issue. Records of a client's software assets are maintained using the Service Desk > Asset Management >Software Assetspage.
    • Select or Drag and Drop Files- Select files to attach to the ticket.
  7. ClickSave.

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NOTE   Tip! New ticket button is a special feature available in Admin > Security > Roles > Service Desk > Quick Add Ticket.

Working with Tickets

Processing Tickets

Statuses

Each ticket typically progresses through one or more statuses.

  • A new install of BMS provides the following statuses: New, Waiting for Customer, In Progress, Escalated, Assigned, Completed, Customer Responded.
  • You can customize the list using the Admin > Service Desk Settings >Ticket Statusespage.
  • Three "system" statuses cannot be made inactive:
    New, Waiting for Customer and Completed.
  • Tickets default to New.
  • TheTicketsandMy Ticketslist pages do not display Completed tickets by default. Clicking theSearchbutton without specifying any parameters includes Completed tickets.

Actions

Tickets support the following types ofactions. Each action displays a dialog of additional settings.

  • Audits
    • Ticket Logs tab - Displays a log of all changes to a ticket, by bothusersandworkflows.
    • Workflow Log tab - Shows actions performed on a ticket by a workflow.
  • Assign Ticket
    • Status - Changes the status of the ticket.
    • Queue - Assigns the ticket to a group of employees responsible for the ticket.
    • Primary Technician - Assigns an employee to the ticket.
    • Comments
  • Resolve Ticket
    • Status
    • Comments
    • Publish to Knowledge Base - Yes or No
  • Print Ticket - Displays a printable PDF of the ticket.
    • With Notes
    • With Time Entries
    • With Expenses

Business Processes

Use the Admin > Business Process:

  • Email Templatespage to customize ticket email notifications.
  • Workflowpage to automate the processing of tickets.

Customer Info

When you first open a ticket, theTicket Viewtab displays. Below the ticket title is the customer's name with a link. Click this link to show theCustomer Infowindow with the following information:

  • Name
  • Location
  • Account Type
  • Address
  • Locate on Google Maps
  • Phone
  • Fax Number
  • Contact Person
    • Name
    • Phone
    • Email

SLA Status

On theTicket Viewtab, you will see both anSLAfield and anSLA Statusfield. For tickets assigned anSLA, theSLA Statusfield shows a link. Click this link to see the estimated and actual times specified for resolving the ticket by the SLA. The workflow assigned to a ticket can be used to specify when employees or customers should be notified, based on SLA benchmarks. The Waiting SLA Stateis time spent waiting for the customer to respond. SLA timers are paused while waiting for the customer to respond.

Adding Notes to Tickets

When you add notes to a ticket you can:

  • Change the status of a ticket.
  • Notify others of the note you're adding.
  • Include an attachment with the note.

Adding Notes to Tickets

  1. Select the Service Desk >Ticketspage.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Click theActivitiestab.
    • This same tab can be used toAdd Timeto a ticket.
  4. ClickAdd.
    • From Template- Pre-populate field values in the note by selecting aticket note template.
    • Note Date
    • Type- Theticket note type.
    • Status- Optionally change the status of the ticket when this note is saved.
    • Internal Note- If Yes, this note is hidden from clients.
    • Details
    • General Notes- Optionally enter a note for this labor time entry that will display on the invoice.
    • Internal Notes- Optionally enter a hidden not that will not display the invoice.
    • ClickSave.

Adding Time to Tickets

TheTime Logstab adds time to a ticket.

  • Time log entries can be created with or without using atimer.
  • Time entered on tickets automatically updates the user's timesheet.
  • If linked to an active contract, time entered on a ticket can:
    • Create billable events forTime & Materialscontracts
    • Deduct prepaid hours forRetainer by Hourscontracts
    • Deduct prepaid amounts forRetainer by Amountcontracts.
    • Track but not bill time forRecurring Servicescontracts.

Adding Ticket Time Without Using a Timer

  1. Select the Service Desk >Ticketspage.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Click theTime Logstab.
  4. ClickAdd.
    • From Template- Field values can be pre-populated by selecting aticket time entry template.
    • Date Started- The date this labor time started.
    • Start Time- The time this labor time started.
    • Time Spent (hrs)- The duration of hours worked.
    • Role- Therolebest describing the person performing this work. The role, and optionally the work time, determine the rate charged for billable hours.
    • Work Type- Thework typebest describing the work itself.
    • Status- Optionally change thestatusof the ticket when this time entry is saved.
    • General Notes- Optionally enter a note for this labor time entry that will display on the invoice.
    • Internal Notes- Optionally enter a hidden not that will not display the invoice.
    • ClickSave.

Adding Ticket Time Using a Timer

You can start, stop, and reset a timer when you open or edit a ticket. You can see the elapsed incrementing while you work the ticket. The elapsed time of a running timer populates the time log entry window when you open it and continues to update it while it runs.

You can configure the timer to start automatically whenever a ticket is opened by setting an Enable Stopwatch Autostart option to Yes. This option is located on the Admin > My Company > Company Settings >ServiceDesktab.

  1. Select the Service Desk >Ticketspage.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Optional start, stop, reset the timer in the upper right corner.
  4. Click theTime Logstab.
  5. Enter the following:
    • From Template- Field values can be pre-populated by selecting aticket time entry template.
    • Date Started- The date this labor time started.
    • Start Time- The time this labor time started.
    • End Time- The time this labor time ended.
    • Time Spent (hrs)- The duration of hours worked.
    • Role- The role best describing the person performing this work. The role, and optionally the work time, determine the rate charged for billable hours.
    • Work Type- The work type best describing the work itself.
    • Status- Optionally change the status of the ticket when this time entry is saved.
    • General Notes- Optionally enter a note for this labor time entry that will display on the invoice.
    • Internal Notes- Optionally enter a hidden not that will not display the invoice.
    • ClickSave.

Adding Expenses to Tickets

Expenses entered on tickets automatically update the user's expense sheets. Alternatively, users can enter an expense on an expense sheet and link it to a ticket. These can include:

  • Expenses billed to customers.
  • Expenses reimbursed by your company to the employee.

You can use pre-configured expense types to save time. You can also adjust the default amount for each expense.

Adding Expenses to a Ticket

  1. Select the Service Desk >Ticketspage.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Click the Expenses tab.
    • You can also add expenses using the Expenses & Charges tab. The same dialog displays either way.
  4. Click Add.
  5. Enter the following in the Expense Info tab.
    • Expense Type
    • Date - The date the expense was incurred
    • Amount Spent
    • Mark Up / Down - Adjust up or down by amount ($) or percent (%).
    • Payment Types - Cash, Check, Debit Card, Credit Card, Other, Company Credit Card.
    • Classification - Reimbursable or Non-Reimbursable
    • Billable - Yes or No
    • Available Expense Sheets - Select an existing expense sheet or add a new one.
    • Add New Expense Sheet - If checked, the following display:
      • New Expense Sheet Name
      • New Expense Sheet Date
    • General Notes - Optionally enter a note for this labor time entry that will display on the invoice.
    • Internal Notes - Optionally enter a hidden not that will not display the invoice.
  6. Enter the following in the Receipts tab.
    • Upload a new file
    • Have Receipt - Yes or No
    • Notes
  7. Enter the following in the Notifications tab.
    • Contact
    • Resources
    • Email template to use
    • Other Emails
  8. Click Save to save the expense.
  9. Click Save to save the ticket.


Adding Charges to Tickets

You can add charges to tickets that optionally:

  • Are billable or not billable.
  • Sells—or provides at no charge—products to your client, decrementing them from your inventory.
  • Transfers the products to the client's hardware assets or software assets.

Adding Charges to Tickets

  1. Select the Service Desk > Tickets page.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Click the Expenses & Charges tab.
  4. Click Add.
  5. Enter the following in the Charge Info tab.
    • Product
    • Charge Name
    • Status - Pending, Need to Order / Fulfill, Ready to Deliver / Ship, Cancelled. For reporting purposes only.
    • Price Level
    • Purchase Date
    • Purchase Order
    • QTY
    • Price
    • Billable Amount
    • Description
    • Unit Cost
    • Total Cost
    • Billable - Yes or No
    • Create Multiple Items - Yes or No - Selecting Yes for this option splits the total quantity into individual lines, each with a quantity of 1.
    • Optional review the Stock Info tab.
  6. Enter the following in the Receipts tab.
    • Upload a new file
  7. Click Save to save the charge.
  8. Click Save to save the ticket.

Adding Service Calls to Tickets

The Service Calls & To-Dos tab adds service calls to a ticket.

  • Each service call is added to the timesheet of the employee assigned that service call, for tracking purposes.
  • Service calls are always non-billable.
  • Service calls are first scheduled, then marked as complete after the service call has occurred.
  • You can also manage service calls using the Service Desk > Service Calls page and within project tasks.
  • You can see any unassigned service calls you to create on your My Service Calls page.

Adding Service Calls to Tickets

  1. Select the Service Desk > Tickets page.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Click the Service Calls & To-Dos tab and click Add.
  4. On the Service Call tab:
    • Resource
    • Start Date
    • End Date
    • Description - The description is populated with some basic info.
      • Client
      • Location
      • Ticket Number
      • Ticket Title 
  5. On the Notification tab optionally enter:
    • Resources - Employees to be notified.
    • Email template to use
    • Other Emails - Other email recipients to be notified.
  6. Click Save.

Adding To-Dos to Tickets

The Service Calls & To-Dos tab adds to-dos to a ticket. To-dos can be assigned to yourself or any other employee. To-dos provide each user with his or her own system-wide checklist of reminder tasks to perform, with due dates and completion status. Each user's entire to-do list displays on module dashboard pages.

Adding To-Dos to Tickets

  1. Select the Service Desk > Tickets page.
  2. Click an existing ticket.
  3. Click the Service Calls & To-Dos tab click Add.
    • Client
    • Location
    • Complete - Yes or No
    • Start Date
    • End Date
    • Description
    • Click Save.

Adding Related Tickets

The Related Tickets tab links other tickets with the current ticket. Clicking a related ticket opens the related ticket in a new window or tab, enabling you to work on both tickets in tandem. When you add a related link, links are created in both tickets.

Custom Fields, Attachments for Tickets

  • Custom Fields
    • Enter values in the custom fields, as appropriate for this record.
    • Custom fields are maintained using the Admin > My Company > Custom Fields page.
  • Attachments
    • Lists all attachments for the ticket.
    • Click Upload a new file to upload files to this record. For example.

Batch Actions for Tickets

The Batch Actions button on ticket search pages enables you to perform actions on multiple tickets at the same time. When you click the button, two options display:

  • Current Page - Performs batch actions on tickets on the current page only.
  • All Pages (max 500) - Performs batch actions on tickets in the current search context, up to 500 tickets at a time.

Batch Tickets Wizard

Clicking either of the options above displays a Batch Tickets wizard that steps you through the following choices:

  • Choose Tickets
  • Choose Operation
  • Operation Details
  • Confirmation

Step 1 - Choose Tickets

  1. Select one or more tickets in the list to batch process.
  2. Click Next Step.

Step 2 - Choose Operation

  1. Select one of the following options.
    • Update Tickets - Updates selected fields in the tickets.
    • Assign Tickets - Assigns the tickets to an assignee and/or queue.
    • Delete Tickets - Deletes the tickets.
  2. Click Next Step.

Step 3 - Operation Details

  1. Complete the following, depending on the choice you made in step 2.
    • If Update Tickets was selected, you can update the following ticket fields.
      • Status
      • Priority
      • Source
      • Issue Type
      • Sub Issue Type
      • Ticket Type
    • If Assign Tickets was selected, you can change who the ticket is assigned to:
      • Change Primary Assignee
      • Change Queue
    • If Delete Tickets were selected, no detailed choices are required.
  2. Click Next Step.

Step 4 - Confirmation

  1. Review the list of tickets that are about to be batch processed.
    • For Update Tickets and Assign Tickets, a list of the fields selected for updating shows the new values that will be assigned.
    • For Delete Tickets, a warning message displays before the final confirmation.
  2. Click Confirm.

Unknown Tickets

Service Desk > Unknown Tickets

An Unknown Tickets page displays in the Service Desk module when an Admin > Service Desk > Email Parser receives an email from an email address that is not recognized as belonging to any CRM contact. Use the Unknown Tickets page to manually assign tickets to the appropriate customer account or delete them.