Issue Resolution Workflow - Example (Using Novo Mail Service)
- Incident Sources
- Email
- Ensure the customer is a Contact in the Novo Help Desk Site and that the Contact email address matches the customer's sending address
- Forward the email to the monitored email account
- Set the from address in the forwarded email to the customer's email address
- This action will generate an auto confirmation to the customer.
- Web Request Interface on the Novo Help Desk Site.
- This action will generate an auto confirmation to the customer.
- Telephone Request
- Call is Transferred to a Customer Support Rep (CSR). The company name and person's name should be mentioned in the transfer of the call.
- Responding to Incidents
- 1st Touch - GOAL: Quickly validate, take incident information and release
- When a new incident is received, the CSR will:
- Create a Request if one is not created (i.e. a phone call)
- Punch into the Request to start the timer
- Validate the company's support status by
- checking the "Paid through" date (<-a custom field) on their Account record. If support is current, procede to step 2.
- If not, check with bookkeeping to see if any recent payments have been received for this customer. If none have been received, notify the customer with a statement like the one below in a note to the Request. If the customer is on the phone with you, you may relate these options verbally:
Dear Xxxx,
Annual technical support for this product has expired. In order for us to support you, please contact our office with a credit card number that can be billed for this incident. Billing rates are $200.00 (USD) per hour.
By the way, you always have the option of bringing your support contract up to date. Annual support includes email and telephone support for up to 3 administrators and all software upgrades and updates (excluding new modules). There are typically many enhancements in each version.
Please let us know how you would like to proceed.
Thank you,
Customer Support
My Company, Inc.
- Support will not be rendered until payment is received
- If there is not a Request yet, create a new Request and collect the following information:
- Problem/Issue
- Complete Description of the issue including a step by step procedure to recreate the behavior
- Environment/platform information:
- OS
- Service pack
- DB - version and SP
- Product version
- If the customer sent an email to the monitored account or submitted a Request through the Novo Help Desk Site, they have already received an automatic confirmation and Request number of the incident. If they are on the phone, verbally tell them you will research the issue and will get back to them if you need more information. Then send them a confirmation of the new Request.
Note: Unless the issue is an easy fix, do not try to troubleshoot the issue on the 1st call!
Note: If the issue is an easy fix, indicate Resolved 1st call on the Request.
Note: Even if the issue is a very easy fix, create a Request for the customer's reference.
- Punch out if the issue will not be investigated immediately. Otherwise move on to the Research and Resolve phase.
- Research and Resolve - GOAL: Provide a Fix or a Workaround
- Punch into the Request to start the timer (if not already started)
- Prioritize the issue as detailed below
Priority | Meaning |
| 1 - Severe | - Software fails to activate or run
- Software contains or produces system errors such as:
- application failures
- inability to perform data transfers
- failure to access a database
- inability to display information to the user
- will not accept data input
- produces erroneous or doubtful output or results
- otherwise significantly impacts the usage of the Software.
|
| 2 - High | - An important or material Software feature or function described in the Documentation produces erroneous or doubtful results
- does not meet Software availability or performance standards
- experiences stalls or lock-ups
- requires excessive restarts
- generates graphic displays which are incorrect, of poor resolution, or not readily comprehensible
- experiences slow or delayed loading, restart, operation, data processing, or data display
- otherwise negatively impacts important or material functionality of the Software, feature or function
|
| 3 - Medium | - A Software feature or function described in the Documentation operates in a manner which does not conform to the Documentation and such non-conformance negatively impacts significant functionality of the Software feature or function.
- Software administration and user Documentation lack clarity.
|
| 4 - Low | - A Software feature or function described in the Documentation operates in a manner which does not conform to the Software Documentation but the nonconformance has a minor impact on the Client’s use of the Software.
|
Note: All Customer Service Requests should be prioritized
Note: Research & resolve Requests in the order of their priority and then in the order in which they were received.
Note: Any Customer Service Request should not remain with a status of "New" longer than 30 minutes
- Research & respond to the incident using the steps below
- Research the following resources:
- KB Articles - Use the following KnowledgeBase search tools from the Edit Request window:
- Search in Articles using the Problem/Issue text
- Search in Articles using the Relate Articles interface
- Search in Articles using the Basic and Advanced Article searches (upper left)
- Requests - Use the following Help Desk search tools:
- Search Requests using the Problem/Issue text
- Search Requests using the Relate Requests Interface
- Search Requests from Manage Requests
- Microsoft MSDN & Google depending on the affected system
- Add any Notes or supply a Resolution as needed.
Note: Log everything in Request Notes! Even attempted calls resulting in a voicemail.
- Escalate - If there is no resolution found using the resources above, escalate the incident to:
- Tier II
- Tier III
- Vendor - If Tier III cannot resolve the issue, input is sought from either the Development team or the 3rd Party software providers (Tier IV); Tier III maintains resposibility for the incident until a resolution is found or developed; at which point, Tier III will either reassign the incident back to Tier II or respond directly to the customer as the situation dictates.
- Add any Notes or supply a Resolution as needed.
Note: Always update the Request with meaningful resolutions!
- Select the appropriate Status as detailed below:
| Customer Services Statuses (custom statuses can be added) | Condition | Additional Required or Automatic Actions | Next Step is Required from |
| Open | if the issue is being tested or otherwise responded to by the Help Desk | A DUE DATE SHOULD BE SET | Help Desk |
| Response Required | if you request more information | A custom rule can update the status to Response Received when the Customer responds | Customer |
| Response Received | if a customer has responded to a Request with a status of Response Required or Conditional Close | Custom Rule notifies admin user | Help Desk |
| Conditional Close | if you have offered a probable resolution | A custom rule can update the status to Closed if the Customer does not respond within a number of days | Customer |
| Awaiting Delivery | if the fix is to be delivered in an update | Should indicate the version of the awaited version in a custom field | Help Desk |
| Awaiting Payment | if the customer owes support or consulting fees and has agreed to pay | support is not delivered until payment is received | Customer |
| Closed | if the issue is resolved or a question is definitively answered | | Help Desk |
- Save and Notify
- The Send Request button is used to notify the customer of the status of their support request along with any related notes or Knowledge Base articles. The Send Request option should use "Include Notes"/Exclude Internal and "Include Related Articles" as Links. A message (in the Send Request Message block) similar to the following should be used:
Hello,
Your Request has been updated. Please see the information below regarding your issue. If you would like to reply to this email:
(Please enter your reply below this line)
(Please enter your reply above this line)
This will update the Request with your reply. Because your reply will be automatically processed, you MUST enter your reply in the space provided. Text entered into any other part of this message will be discarded.
Sincerely,
Customer Support
My Company, Inc.