Difference between revisions of "Support Tickets"

From WHMCS Documentation

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The support ticket system is a fully featured ticket desk that allows you to handle all communication with your clients. Featuring threaded discussions, private notes, ticket flagging, varying priority levels, auto inactive ticket closing and much much more...  Admins can be assigned on a per department basis so they have access only to the area they are meant to be dealing with.
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The '''Support Ticket''' system is a fully featured ticket desk that allows you to handle all communication with your clients. It features threaded discussions, private notes, ticket flagging, varying priority levels, and automatic inactive ticket closure. You can assign Admins to specific departments, so that they only have access to their designated areas.
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{{:Support_Departments}}
 
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==The Ticket List==
 
==The Ticket List==
 
[[File:Support-tickets-view.png|thumb|The support ticket list]]
 
[[File:Support-tickets-view.png|thumb|The support ticket list]]
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When a client submits a support ticket the appropriate members of staff assigned to that department will receive a New Support Ticket Opened email. To view the ticket navigate to '''Support > Support Tickets''' and the ticket list is displayed.
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When a client submits a support ticket the appropriate members of staff assigned to that department will receive a '''New Support Ticket Opened''' email. To view the ticket, navigate to '''Support > Support Tickets'''.
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This page displays all tickets that are in status '''Awaiting Reply''' by default. The ticket order can be changed by clicking the table headings. To view only those tickets with a certain status, department or to search click the Search/Filter tab. The most commonly used status lists can accessed directly from the Support menu in the main admin navigation bar.
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This page displays all tickets that are in the '''Awaiting Reply''' status by default. The ticket order can be changed by clicking the table headings. To view only those tickets with a certain status, department or to search click the '''Search/Filter''' tab. The most-commonly-used status lists can accessed directly via '''Support''' in the navigation bar.
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The Auto Refresh feature reloads the ticket list automatically at frequencies ranging from every 1 minute to 15 minutes. This is configured via the Auto Refresh tab.
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The '''Auto Refresh''' feature reloads the ticket list automatically at frequencies ranging from every 1 minute to 15 minutes. This is configured via the '''Auto Refresh''' tab.
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There are several bulk tools on this page; Close and Delete are self-explanatory. Merge will merge two tickets together, the newer ticket is merged into the older ticket. Block Sender & Delete not only deletes the ticket but also adds the sender's email to the Banned Emails list.
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There are several bulk tools on this page.
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* Click '''Close''' to close tickets.
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A ticket starts life in the 'Open' status. This indicates a new ticket where the client has not yet received a reply from a member of staff. Once you've replied the status automatically changes to 'Answered'. The status can also be changed manually from the view ticket screen, using the dropdown menu next to the ticket subject - a change in selection here is saved immediately using ajax without any need for a page reload. Custom statuses can also be created to help with management of tickets, please refer to the [[Support Ticket Statuses]] section for more info on this.
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* Click '''Delete''' to delete tickets.
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* Click '''Merge''' to merge two tickets, with the older ticket merging into the newer ticket.
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* Click '''Block Sender & Delete''' to delete tickets and add the sender's email to the '''Banned Emails''' list.
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A ticket starts in the '''Open''' status. This indicates that the client has not yet received a reply from a member of staff. After a reply, the status automatically changes to '''Answered'''.
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The status can also be changed manually from the view ticket screen, using the dropdown menu next to the ticket subject. A change in selection here is saved immediately using AJAX, without needing to reload the page. Custom statuses can also be created to help with management of tickets. See the [[Support Ticket Statuses]] section for more information.
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==Merging Tickets==
 
==Merging Tickets==
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When using the merge ticket functionality, the following behaviors should be noted:
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When using '''Merge''':
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* A ticket will always merge into the "earliest" opened ticket. This is the one with the lowest ID in the database. This is the same whether merged inside a ticket or from the ticket list.
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* A ticket will always merge into the earliest-opened ticket. This is the one with the lowest ID in the database. This is the same whether you merge from inside of a ticket or from the ticket list.
 
* Unless it already appears in the subject, the subject of the ticket will have '''[MERGED]''' appended in the client's language.
 
* Unless it already appears in the subject, the subject of the ticket will have '''[MERGED]''' appended in the client's language.
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* The ticket status will take the status from the ticket that has received the latest reply.  
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* The ticket status will take the status from the ticket that has received the latest reply.
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* A ticket that has been merged will not appear in the ticket list anymore but accessing an old ticket URL will redirect to the appropriate ticket.
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* A ticket that has been merged into another ticket will not appear in the ticket list, but accessing an old ticket URL will redirect to the appropriate ticket.
 
* Replying to an old ticket via email will also redirect the reply to the appropriate ticket after the merge.
 
* Replying to an old ticket via email will also redirect the reply to the appropriate ticket after the merge.
 
* If you are merging tickets from multiple clients together, the client that had the oldest ticket would see the merged ticket in their client area.
 
* If you are merging tickets from multiple clients together, the client that had the oldest ticket would see the merged ticket in their client area.
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==Splitting Replies==
 
==Splitting Replies==
 
[[File:Split-replies.JPG|thumb|Split Selected Ticket Replies]]
 
[[File:Split-replies.JPG|thumb|Split Selected Ticket Replies]]
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Sometimes it may be necessary to move specific replies out from one support ticket and into a new one. If the message contains an attachment, this will be carried across into the new ticket too. To do this; tick the checkboxes in the top-right corner of the message(s) you wish to split into a new ticket, scroll to the bottom of the page and click '''Split Selected Replies'''.
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Sometimes it may be necessary to move specific replies out from one support ticket and into a new one. If the message contains an attachment, this will be carried across into the new ticket too.
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A prompt will appear where you may choose the department, priority and subject of the new ticket into which the messages will be moved. There is also a checkbox to send a new ticket notification email to the client if desired. Click Submit to perform the split. You will then be taken to the newly created ticket.
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To do this:
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'''TIP:''' To quickly return to the original ticket, click the "Other Tickets" tab.
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#Check the checkboxes in the top-right corner of the messages you wish to split into a new ticket.
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#Scroll to the bottom of the page and click '''Split Selected Replies'''.
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#In the prompt that appears, select a department, priority, and subject for the new ticket, and whether to send a new ticket notification.
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#Click '''Submit'''.
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To quickly return to the original ticket, click '''Other Tickets'''.
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==Admin Notes==
 
==Admin Notes==
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The '''Add Note''' tab allows private staff-only messages to be recorded against a ticket. Clicking the tab provides a new text area into which the note can be typed, which upon submission will add the note and display it to all other admins viewing the ticket along with the staff member's name and date/time of adding. Customers do not get any notification of notes being added, and cannot see them.
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The '''Add Note''' tab allows private staff-only messages to be recorded against a ticket. Clicking the tab provides a new text area to enter the note. When you submit it, will add the note and display it to all other admins viewing the ticket along with the staff member's name and date and time. Customers do not get any notification of notes being added and cannot see them.
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===Staff Mentions===
 
===Staff Mentions===
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Staff Mentions allow you to "tag" other administrative users and trigger an email notification to them as a quick and easy way to alert them to the note you have just added. To use a staff tag in a ticket note, just type the @ followed by the staff member's name.
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Staff mentions allow you to "tag" other administrative users and trigger an email notification to them as a quick and easy way to alert them to the note you have just added. To use a staff tag in a ticket note, just type the <tt>@</tt> followed by the staff member's name.
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For more information refer to the [[Staff_Mentions|Staff Mentions page]].
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For more information, see [[Staff_Mentions|Staff Mentions]].
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==Changing Associated Service==
 
==Changing Associated Service==
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<div class="docs-alert-info"><i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i> This section describes features available in version 7.10 and above</div>
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<div class="docs-alert-info"><i class="fa fa-info-circle"></i> This section describes features available in version 7.10 and above.</div>
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A client opening a ticket can select a related service which will be highlighted when viewing the ticket via the admin area. Clicking on '''Change Associated Service''' will provide an interface to allow an admin user to change the service that a ticket is associated with. This will be useful when a client doesn't choose a service on ticket open, or if a client chooses the wrong service. A change of associated service will be logged to the ticket log so all changes can be seen.
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A client opening a ticket can select a related service, which will be highlighted when viewing the ticket via the admin area. Click '''Change Associated Service''' to change the service that a ticket is associated with. This is useful when a client doesn't choose a service when opening the ticket, or if a client chooses the wrong service. A change of associated service will be logged to the ticket log so all changes can be seen.
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[[File:AdminTicketRelatedServiceManagement.png]]
 
[[File:AdminTicketRelatedServiceManagement.png]]
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When clicking the Change Associated Service button, an ajax call will fetch, if appropriate, the remaining services for a client should the services not all be displayed. On save or cancel, the view before the button being pressed will be returned. If an admin user is already viewing all the services of a client on a ticket, an ajax call will not take place.
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When clicking '''Change Associated Service''', an AJAX call will fetch, if appropriate, the remaining services for a client if they aren't all displayed. If an admin user is already viewing all the services of a client on a ticket, an AJAX call will not take place.
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[[File:AdminTicketRelatedServiceManagementEdit.png]]
 
[[File:AdminTicketRelatedServiceManagementEdit.png]]
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==View Security Question==
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<div class="docs-alert-warning">
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<span class="title">WHMCS 8.0</span><br/>
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We added '''View Security Question''' in WHMCS 8.0.
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</div>
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To access a user's security question information, click '''View Security Question''' in the top-right corner of their reply to the ticket. This allows you to view, but not change, the user's '''Security Question''' and '''Security Answer'''.
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If the user has not configured a question and answer at '''Hello, Name! > Security Settings''' in the Client Area, '''View Security Question''' will not display in their replies. Users cannot configure security questions until you add one or more questions at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > [[Security Questions]]'''.
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==Custom Fields==
 
==Custom Fields==
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Support departments can have custom fields setup on a per department basis should a department have specific needs. And so if any have been setup they will be displayed on the '''[[Custom Fields]]''' tab within the ticket.
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You can set up custom fields for support departments on a per department basis. Use this to suit a given department's specific needs. These fields display on the '''[[Custom Fields]]''' tab within the ticket.
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==Options==
 
==Options==
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The options tab allows the attributes of the ticket to be modified. The department, subject, status and priority can all be changed.
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The '''Options''' tab allows the attributes of the ticket to be modified. The department, subject, status, and priority can all be changed.
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Sometimes it may be useful for additional people to receive copies of the email messages in this ticket, to achieve that enter their email addresses in the '''CC Recepients''' field. Multiple recipients can be entered in a comma separated list eg. jeff@example.com,bob@example.com
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Sometimes it may be useful for additional people to receive copies of the email messages in this ticket. To do this, enter their email addresses in the '''CC Recepients''' field. Multiple recipients can be entered in a comma separated list (for example, <tt>jeff@example.com,bob@example.com</tt>).
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To change the client a ticket is assigned to adjust the '''Client ID''' value. If the client's name, company or email address is known start typing this into the field, an ajax list of the search results will appear. Click the appropriate client from the list to automatically fill in their Client ID.
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To change the client a ticket is assigned to, adjust the '''Client ID'''. If the client's name, company, or email address is known, start typing this into the field. An AJAX list of the search results will appear. Click the appropriate client from the list to automatically fill in their '''Client ID'''.
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Two tickets can be merged together into one, the messages from both tickets will be arranged chronologically. In the '''Merge Ticket''' field enter the Ticket ID of the ticket to be combined, the newer ticket is merged into the older ticket.
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When two tickets are merged, the messages from both tickets will be arranged chronologically. In '''Merge Ticket''', enter the '''Ticket ID''' of the ticket to be combined. The newer ticket is merged into the older ticket.
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Flagging a ticket to another admin is useful if you want to bring the ticket to the attention of another staff member. Flagged tickets appear in a separate section at the top of the support ticket page to ensure they stand out from the main queue. The 'Support Ticket Flagged' email will also be sent to the user. N.B. Flagging a ticket to oneself will not send the flag email.
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Flagging a ticket to another admin is useful if you want to bring the ticket to the attention of another staff member. Flagged tickets appear in a separate section at the top of the support ticket page to ensure they stand out from the main queue. The '''Support Ticket Flagged''' email will also be sent to the user. Flagging a ticket to oneself will not send the email.
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==Ticket Tags/Tag Cloud==
 
==Ticket Tags/Tag Cloud==
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The Ticket Tags/Tag Cloud functionality is designed to link tickets that have a common item (for example: all reporting the same issue). For example, this could be used to save a case ID from an external system for example in case you wish to follow up with those tickets once it is marked as resolved. To find all the tickets linked to the tag, please use the same name for the tag and then search by tag from the Search/Filter option on the ticket list page. It should bring up the list of tickets linked to the tag and the results can be used as desired.
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'''Ticket Tags/Tag Cloud''' is designed to link tickets that have a common item (for example, tickets that all report the same issue). You could use this to save a case ID from an external system (for example, if you wish to follow up with those tickets once it is marked as resolved). To find all the tickets linked to the tag, use the same name for the tag and then search by tag from '''Search/Filter'''. It should bring up the list of tickets linked to the tag.
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==Log==
 
==Log==
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The ticket log displays an audit trail of all the actions applied to this ticket such as department changes, tickets flaggings, adding of notes, changes of ownership and status changes.
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The ticket log displays an audit trail of all the actions applied to this ticket. This includes department changes, tickets flaggings, adding of notes, changes of ownership, and status changes.
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==Opening a New Ticket==
 
==Opening a New Ticket==
 
[[File:Open-new-ticket.JPG|thumb|The open support ticket page]]
 
[[File:Open-new-ticket.JPG|thumb|The open support ticket page]]
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Staff can open support tickets from within the administration area by navigating to '''Support > Open New Ticket'''. On the following page enter the details of the recipient, if they are not a client fill their name in the "To" field and the "Email Address" field. If they are a client use the Client Search field to search by name, company and email addresses, clicking the client's name will automatically fill in the recipient's details.
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Staff can open support tickets from within the administration area by navigating to '''Support > Open New Ticket'''. There, enter the details of the recipient.
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If the client has contacts or sub-accounts configured an additional dropdown menu will be displayed named "Contacts". If you wish the ticket message to be emailed to the sub-account/contacts select their name from the menu, leave this dropdown at "None" for it to be delivered to the master account.
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*If they are not a client, fill their name in the '''To''' field and the '''Email Address''' field.
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*If they are a client, use the '''Client Search''' field to search by name, company, and email addresses. Clicking the client's name will automatically fill in the recipient's details.
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If the client has contacts or sub-accounts configured, a '''Contacts''' menu will appear. If you wish the ticket message to be emailed to the contact, select their name from the menu. Select '''None''' to deliver it to the master account.
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==Automated Knowledgebase Article Suggestions==
 
==Automated Knowledgebase Article Suggestions==
 
[[File:Knowledgebase-suggestions.JPG|thumb|Suggesting Knowledgebase Articles]]
 
[[File:Knowledgebase-suggestions.JPG|thumb|Suggesting Knowledgebase Articles]]
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As a user enters a message for submission as a support ticket, WHMCS can lookup and display relevant articles that match keywords in the submission text and display them to the user in an attempt to answer a clients question without them needing to ever submit the ticket. This is designed to help reduce common support questions. To turn this feature on or off, go to '''Setup > General Settings > Support tab > Knowledgebase Suggestions'''
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As a user enters a message for submission as a support ticket, WHMCS can lookup and display relevant articles that match keywords in the submission text. This can provide an answer to a user without them needing to ever submit the ticket. This is designed to help reduce common support questions. To enable or disable this, use '''Knowledgebase Suggestions''' in the '''Support''' tab at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > General Settings''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > General Settings'''.
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There needs to be at least 5 articles with 30 words in each before the suggestions start working as it uses MySQL full text searching for likeness matches.
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You will need at least 5 articles with 30 words in each before the suggestions start working. This uses MySQL full text searching for matches.
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==Ticket Reply Ratings==
 
==Ticket Reply Ratings==
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[[File:Ticket_reply_rating.png|200px|thumb|right]]
 
[[File:Ticket_reply_rating.png|200px|thumb|right]]
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Ticket reply ratings allow your customers to rate responses they receive on tickets in the ticket system and allows you to monitor how pleased your customers are with the support they are currently receiving from your staff. To enable the ticket rating feature, go to Setup > General Settings > Support and tick the box for "Support Ticket Rating"
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Ticket reply ratings allow your customers to rate responses they receive on tickets in the ticket system. They also allow you to monitor customers' reactions to the support they receive from your staff. To enable the ticket rating feature, go to the '''Support''' tab at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > General Settings''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > General Settings'''. Then, check '''Support Ticket Ratings'''.
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[[File:Ticket_reply_stars_admin.png|200px|thumb|right]]
 
[[File:Ticket_reply_stars_admin.png|200px|thumb|right]]
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When enabled, each reply in the client area will show a row of stars for the user to choose from in rating the response. They range from 1 being Poor to 5 being Excellent. Rating a reply is optional so not every reply will get a rating. Those that do will be shown when viewing the ticket in the admin area and there is also a report in the Reporting section that allows you to monitor these ratings:
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When enabled, each reply in the client area will show a row of stars for the user to choose from in rating the response. They range from 1 being poor to 5 being excellent. Rating a reply is optional, so not every reply will get a rating. Ratings display when viewing the ticket in the admin area and there is also a report in the Reporting section that allows you to monitor these ratings:
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*Ticket Ratings Reviewer - Allows you to filter based on specific star ratings and within a given date range
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'''Ticket Ratings Reviewer''' allows you to filter based on specific star ratings and within a given date range.
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==Feedback Request==
 
==Feedback Request==
 
<div class="docs-alert-info">
 
<div class="docs-alert-info">
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*Location of this functionality was changed in the 7.0 version of WHMCS<br />
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The location of this functionality was changed in WHMCS 7.0.<br />
 
</div>
 
</div>
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[[File:Feedback_request.png|200px|thumb|right]]
 
[[File:Feedback_request.png|200px|thumb|right]]
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In WHMCS 7.0, you can now enable the email request for a user to provide feedback for their support ticket experience on a per department basis. Previously this was a global option that applied to all departments within the General Settings. On upgrade, if you have the Ticket Feedback feature enabled, it will be enabled by default for all existing departments. If you do not have it enabled, it will not be enabled for any departments automatically.
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In WHMCS 7.0 and later, you can enable emails requesting a user to provide feedback for their support ticket experience on a per-department basis. On upgrading to WHMCS 7.0, if you have enabled '''Ticket Feedback''', it will be enabled by default for all existing departments. If you do not have it enabled, it will not be enabled for any departments automatically.
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'''[[Support_Tickets#Departments|Feedback Request]]''' determines whether an email request will be sent for a user to provide feedback for their support ticket experience. The results of the feedback emails can be reviewed via the '''[[Reports#Ticket_Feedback_Scores|Ticket Feedback Scores]]''' and '''[[Reports#Ticket_Feedback_Comments|Ticket Feedback Comments]]''' reports.
 
   
 
   
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The '''[[Support_Tickets#Departments|Feedback Request]]''' option defines whether or not an email request will be sent for a user to provide feedback for their support ticket experience. The results of the feedback emails can be reviewed via the [[Reports#Ticket_Feedback_Scores|Ticket Feedback Scores]] and [[Reports#Ticket_Feedback_Comments|Ticket Feedback Comments]] reports.
 
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==Auto Closing==
 
==Auto Closing==
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*This feature allows you to have support tickets automatically closed after a certain time of inactivity has passed.
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This feature allows you to have support tickets automatically closed after a certain time of inactivity has passed. This only closes tickets set to '''Open''' or '''Answered'''. Tickets set to '''On Hold''' or '''In Progress''' are not closed.
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*To set the length of time of inactivity before closure, go to '''Setup > Automation Settings > Support Ticket Settings > Close Inactive Tickets''' and enter the time in hours (for example 48 = 2 days)
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*Tickets set to '''On Hold''' or '''In Progress''' are not closed automatically, only those set to Open or Answered
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To set the length of time of inactivity before closure, go to '''Support Ticket Settings''' at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > Automation Settings''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > Automation Settings'''. Then, enter the time in hours (for example, <tt>48</tt> indicates two days) in '''Close Inactive Tickets'''.
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*When closing the ticket, the email template '''Support Ticket Auto Close Notification''' is sent to the user. You can customise that email in '''Setup > Email Templates''' as normal
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When closing the ticket, WHMCS sends a '''Support Ticket Auto Close Notification''' email to the user. You can customise that email in '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > Email Templates''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > Email Templates'''.
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==Automated Escalations==
 
==Automated Escalations==
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The status, department and priority of a ticket can be changed automatically after a set time. For more information refer to the [[Support_Ticket_Escalations|Support Ticket Escalations]] page.
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The status, department, and priority of a ticket can be changed automatically after a set time. For more information, see [[Support_Ticket_Escalations|Support Ticket Escalations]].
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==Allowed File Attachments==
 
==Allowed File Attachments==
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Support tickets and replies allow a file to be uploaded along with them for if the user needs to send you something or if you need to send the user something.
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Support tickets and replies allow a file to be uploaded if the user needs to send you something or if you need to send the user something.
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The list of allowed file types is configured by going to '''Setup > General Settings > Support tab'''. By default, the allowed file types are .jpg, .gif, .jpeg, and .png (ie. image files).  It is not possible to allow the user to upload PHP files due to the security risks this creates.  You can add new allowed file types to the list such as .pdf, .zip, etc...  Just add them into the allowed extensions field separating each allowed ending with a comma.
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To configure the list of allowed file types, go to the '''Support''' tab at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > General Settings''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > General Settings'''. By default, the allowed file types are:
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* Image files (<tt>.jpg</tt>, <tt>.gif</tt>, <tt>.jpeg</tt>, and <tt>.png</tt>)
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* <tt>.pdf</tt>
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* <tt>.zip</tt>
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You can add additional types by adding them to the allowed extensions field in a comma-separated list. It is not possible to allow the user to upload PHP files due to the security risks this creates.
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<div class="docs-alert-info">
 
<div class="docs-alert-info">
 
<span class="title">Note</span><br/>
 
<span class="title">Note</span><br/>
 
The file upload restrictions do not apply to admin users and an admin user can attach any type of file to a ticket.
 
The file upload restrictions do not apply to admin users and an admin user can attach any type of file to a ticket.
 
</div>
 
</div>
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===Ticket Attachments===
 
===Ticket Attachments===
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If enabled under '''Setup > General Settings > Support tab''' thumbnail previews of any image attachments will be displayed beneath the ticket message itself:
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Thumbnail previews of image attachments display beneath the ticket message if you enable them in the '''Support''' tab at '''Configuration (<i class="fa fa-wrench" aria-hidden="true"></i>) > System Settings > General Settings''' or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, '''Setup > General Settings'''.
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[[File:attachment-thumbnails.png]]
 
[[File:attachment-thumbnails.png]]
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<div class="docs-alert-info">
 
<div class="docs-alert-info">
 
<span class="title">Note</span><br/>
 
<span class="title">Note</span><br/>
 
Ticket attachments will not be forwarded to staff members in notification emails. This is to prevent potentially sensitive attachments being re-transmitted via email and reduce email bandwidth consumption.
 
Ticket attachments will not be forwarded to staff members in notification emails. This is to prevent potentially sensitive attachments being re-transmitted via email and reduce email bandwidth consumption.
 
</div>
 
</div>
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==Ticket Watchers==
 
==Ticket Watchers==
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Any admin level user with access to view a support ticket can elect to '''watch the ticket'''.
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Any admin-level user with access to view a support ticket can watch the ticket. Watching a ticket subscribes the admin user to email notifications of any replies, notes, or changes to the ticket options.
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Watching a ticket subscribes the admin user to email notifications of any replies, notes or changes made to the ticket options.
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To watch a ticket, click '''Watch Ticket''' in the admin area ticket sidebar.
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To watch a ticket, simply click on the ''Watch Ticket'' button located in the admin area ticket sidebar.
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An email notification be generated for any of the following actions:
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An email notification will be generating for any of the following actions:
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*A client or user posting a reply.
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*Another admin user posting a reply.
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*A client/end user posting a reply
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*Another admin user posting a ticket note.
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*Another admin user posting a reply
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*A change of ticket options by another admin user.
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*Another admin user posting a ticket note
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*A ticket being assigned to your admin user.
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*A change of ticket options by another admin user
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*A closure of the ticket by the client or user.
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*Ticket being assigned to your admin user
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*A closure of the ticket by the client/end user
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For a full overview of support ticket notifications, including ticket watcher notifications, see [[Ticket Notifications]].
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For a full overview of support ticket notifications, including ticket watcher notifications, please refer to [[Ticket Notifications]].
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An admin user can unsubscribe from receiving notifications for a ticket at any time by clicking '''Unwatch Ticket'''. This is only visible in tickets that the admin user is currently watching.
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An admin user can unsubscribe from receiving notifications for a ticket at any time by clicking the ''Unwatch Ticket'' button. The unwatch button is only visible in tickets to which the admin user is currently watching.
 
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==Ticket Collision Detection==
 
==Ticket Collision Detection==
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Collission detection prevents you from replying to a ticket or making changes when the status of a ticket has changed since you originally opened it.
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Collision detection prevents you from replying to a ticket or making changes when the status of a ticket has changed since you originally opened it.
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<div class="docs-alert-warning">'''Example scenario'''<br>You open the ticket at 10:45am, you begin to type a reply but before you finish you get sidetracked, you return to the ticket 15 minutes later. You submit your reply not realising that in the time in between, another member of staff has already replied to the ticket. The collision detection will alert you to this before sending the reply to the customer, avoiding the confusing extra reply.</div>
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<div class="docs-alert-warning">
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<span class="title">Example</span><br/>
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You open the ticket at 10:45am. You begin to type a reply but, before you finish, you become distracted. You return to the ticket 15 minutes later. You submit your reply, not realising that, in the lapsed time, another member of staff has already replied to the ticket. The collision detection will alert you to this before sending the reply to the customer, avoiding the confusing extra reply.
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</div>
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You will receive a warning message if any changes have been made to a ticket when performing any of the following actions:
 
You will receive a warning message if any changes have been made to a ticket when performing any of the following actions:
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* Change of department
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* Change of department.
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* Change of assignment/flagged user
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* Change of assignment or flagged user.
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* Change of priority
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* Change of priority.
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* Change of status
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* Change of status.
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* Submitting a reply
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* Submitting a reply.
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* Making a change to the ticket options
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* Making a change to the ticket options.
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The alert you receive will provide details about what has changed and ask you to confirm if you wish to continue.
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The alert you receive will provide details about what has changed and ask you to confirm whether you wish to continue.
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[[File:TicketCollisionDetectionModal.png]]
 
[[File:TicketCollisionDetectionModal.png]]
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The following attributes of a ticket will trigger a collision detection warning:
 
The following attributes of a ticket will trigger a collision detection warning:
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* Department
 
* Department
 
* Ticket Subject
 
* Ticket Subject

Revision as of 00:32, 19 September 2020

The Support Ticket system is a fully featured ticket desk that allows you to handle all communication with your clients. It features threaded discussions, private notes, ticket flagging, varying priority levels, and automatic inactive ticket closure. You can assign Admins to specific departments, so that they only have access to their designated areas.

The Ticket List

The support ticket list

When a client submits a support ticket the appropriate members of staff assigned to that department will receive a New Support Ticket Opened email. To view the ticket, navigate to Support > Support Tickets.

This page displays all tickets that are in the Awaiting Reply status by default. The ticket order can be changed by clicking the table headings. To view only those tickets with a certain status, department or to search click the Search/Filter tab. The most-commonly-used status lists can accessed directly via Support in the navigation bar.

The Auto Refresh feature reloads the ticket list automatically at frequencies ranging from every 1 minute to 15 minutes. This is configured via the Auto Refresh tab.

There are several bulk tools on this page.

  • Click Close to close tickets.
  • Click Delete to delete tickets.
  • Click Merge to merge two tickets, with the older ticket merging into the newer ticket.
  • Click Block Sender & Delete to delete tickets and add the sender's email to the Banned Emails list.

A ticket starts in the Open status. This indicates that the client has not yet received a reply from a member of staff. After a reply, the status automatically changes to Answered.

The status can also be changed manually from the view ticket screen, using the dropdown menu next to the ticket subject. A change in selection here is saved immediately using AJAX, without needing to reload the page. Custom statuses can also be created to help with management of tickets. See the Support Ticket Statuses section for more information.

Merging Tickets

When using Merge:

  • A ticket will always merge into the earliest-opened ticket. This is the one with the lowest ID in the database. This is the same whether you merge from inside of a ticket or from the ticket list.
  • Unless it already appears in the subject, the subject of the ticket will have [MERGED] appended in the client's language.
  • The ticket status will take the status from the ticket that has received the latest reply.
  • A ticket that has been merged into another ticket will not appear in the ticket list, but accessing an old ticket URL will redirect to the appropriate ticket.
  • Replying to an old ticket via email will also redirect the reply to the appropriate ticket after the merge.
  • If you are merging tickets from multiple clients together, the client that had the oldest ticket would see the merged ticket in their client area.

Splitting Replies

Split Selected Ticket Replies

Sometimes it may be necessary to move specific replies out from one support ticket and into a new one. If the message contains an attachment, this will be carried across into the new ticket too.

To do this:

  1. Check the checkboxes in the top-right corner of the messages you wish to split into a new ticket.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Split Selected Replies.
  3. In the prompt that appears, select a department, priority, and subject for the new ticket, and whether to send a new ticket notification.
  4. Click Submit.

To quickly return to the original ticket, click Other Tickets.

Admin Notes

The Add Note tab allows private staff-only messages to be recorded against a ticket. Clicking the tab provides a new text area to enter the note. When you submit it, will add the note and display it to all other admins viewing the ticket along with the staff member's name and date and time. Customers do not get any notification of notes being added and cannot see them.

Staff Mentions

Staff mentions allow you to "tag" other administrative users and trigger an email notification to them as a quick and easy way to alert them to the note you have just added. To use a staff tag in a ticket note, just type the @ followed by the staff member's name.

For more information, see Staff Mentions.

Changing Associated Service

This section describes features available in version 7.10 and above.

A client opening a ticket can select a related service, which will be highlighted when viewing the ticket via the admin area. Click Change Associated Service to change the service that a ticket is associated with. This is useful when a client doesn't choose a service when opening the ticket, or if a client chooses the wrong service. A change of associated service will be logged to the ticket log so all changes can be seen.

AdminTicketRelatedServiceManagement.png

When clicking Change Associated Service, an AJAX call will fetch, if appropriate, the remaining services for a client if they aren't all displayed. If an admin user is already viewing all the services of a client on a ticket, an AJAX call will not take place.

AdminTicketRelatedServiceManagementEdit.png

View Security Question

WHMCS 8.0
We added View Security Question in WHMCS 8.0.

To access a user's security question information, click View Security Question in the top-right corner of their reply to the ticket. This allows you to view, but not change, the user's Security Question and Security Answer.

If the user has not configured a question and answer at Hello, Name! > Security Settings in the Client Area, View Security Question will not display in their replies. Users cannot configure security questions until you add one or more questions at Configuration () > System Settings > Security Questions.

Custom Fields

You can set up custom fields for support departments on a per department basis. Use this to suit a given department's specific needs. These fields display on the Custom Fields tab within the ticket.

Options

The Options tab allows the attributes of the ticket to be modified. The department, subject, status, and priority can all be changed.

Sometimes it may be useful for additional people to receive copies of the email messages in this ticket. To do this, enter their email addresses in the CC Recepients field. Multiple recipients can be entered in a comma separated list (for example, jeff@example.com,bob@example.com).

To change the client a ticket is assigned to, adjust the Client ID. If the client's name, company, or email address is known, start typing this into the field. An AJAX list of the search results will appear. Click the appropriate client from the list to automatically fill in their Client ID.

When two tickets are merged, the messages from both tickets will be arranged chronologically. In Merge Ticket, enter the Ticket ID of the ticket to be combined. The newer ticket is merged into the older ticket.

Flagging a ticket to another admin is useful if you want to bring the ticket to the attention of another staff member. Flagged tickets appear in a separate section at the top of the support ticket page to ensure they stand out from the main queue. The Support Ticket Flagged email will also be sent to the user. Flagging a ticket to oneself will not send the email.

Ticket Tags/Tag Cloud

Ticket Tags/Tag Cloud is designed to link tickets that have a common item (for example, tickets that all report the same issue). You could use this to save a case ID from an external system (for example, if you wish to follow up with those tickets once it is marked as resolved). To find all the tickets linked to the tag, use the same name for the tag and then search by tag from Search/Filter. It should bring up the list of tickets linked to the tag.

Log

The ticket log displays an audit trail of all the actions applied to this ticket. This includes department changes, tickets flaggings, adding of notes, changes of ownership, and status changes.

Opening a New Ticket

The open support ticket page

Staff can open support tickets from within the administration area by navigating to Support > Open New Ticket. There, enter the details of the recipient.

  • If they are not a client, fill their name in the To field and the Email Address field.
  • If they are a client, use the Client Search field to search by name, company, and email addresses. Clicking the client's name will automatically fill in the recipient's details.

If the client has contacts or sub-accounts configured, a Contacts menu will appear. If you wish the ticket message to be emailed to the contact, select their name from the menu. Select None to deliver it to the master account.

Automated Knowledgebase Article Suggestions

Suggesting Knowledgebase Articles

As a user enters a message for submission as a support ticket, WHMCS can lookup and display relevant articles that match keywords in the submission text. This can provide an answer to a user without them needing to ever submit the ticket. This is designed to help reduce common support questions. To enable or disable this, use Knowledgebase Suggestions in the Support tab at Configuration () > System Settings > General Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > General Settings.

You will need at least 5 articles with 30 words in each before the suggestions start working. This uses MySQL full text searching for matches.

Ticket Reply Ratings

Ticket reply rating.png

Ticket reply ratings allow your customers to rate responses they receive on tickets in the ticket system. They also allow you to monitor customers' reactions to the support they receive from your staff. To enable the ticket rating feature, go to the Support tab at Configuration () > System Settings > General Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > General Settings. Then, check Support Ticket Ratings.

Ticket reply stars admin.png

When enabled, each reply in the client area will show a row of stars for the user to choose from in rating the response. They range from 1 being poor to 5 being excellent. Rating a reply is optional, so not every reply will get a rating. Ratings display when viewing the ticket in the admin area and there is also a report in the Reporting section that allows you to monitor these ratings:

Ticket Ratings Reviewer allows you to filter based on specific star ratings and within a given date range.

Feedback Request

The location of this functionality was changed in WHMCS 7.0.

Feedback request.png

In WHMCS 7.0 and later, you can enable emails requesting a user to provide feedback for their support ticket experience on a per-department basis. On upgrading to WHMCS 7.0, if you have enabled Ticket Feedback, it will be enabled by default for all existing departments. If you do not have it enabled, it will not be enabled for any departments automatically.

Feedback Request determines whether an email request will be sent for a user to provide feedback for their support ticket experience. The results of the feedback emails can be reviewed via the Ticket Feedback Scores and Ticket Feedback Comments reports.

Auto Closing

This feature allows you to have support tickets automatically closed after a certain time of inactivity has passed. This only closes tickets set to Open or Answered. Tickets set to On Hold or In Progress are not closed.

To set the length of time of inactivity before closure, go to Support Ticket Settings at Configuration () > System Settings > Automation Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Automation Settings. Then, enter the time in hours (for example, 48 indicates two days) in Close Inactive Tickets.

When closing the ticket, WHMCS sends a Support Ticket Auto Close Notification email to the user. You can customise that email in Configuration () > System Settings > Email Templates or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Email Templates.

Automated Escalations

The status, department, and priority of a ticket can be changed automatically after a set time. For more information, see Support Ticket Escalations.

Allowed File Attachments

Support tickets and replies allow a file to be uploaded if the user needs to send you something or if you need to send the user something.

To configure the list of allowed file types, go to the Support tab at Configuration () > System Settings > General Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > General Settings. By default, the allowed file types are:

  • Image files (.jpg, .gif, .jpeg, and .png)
  • .pdf
  • .zip

You can add additional types by adding them to the allowed extensions field in a comma-separated list. It is not possible to allow the user to upload PHP files due to the security risks this creates.

Note
The file upload restrictions do not apply to admin users and an admin user can attach any type of file to a ticket.

Ticket Attachments

Thumbnail previews of image attachments display beneath the ticket message if you enable them in the Support tab at Configuration () > System Settings > General Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > General Settings.

Attachment-thumbnails.png

Note
Ticket attachments will not be forwarded to staff members in notification emails. This is to prevent potentially sensitive attachments being re-transmitted via email and reduce email bandwidth consumption.

Ticket Watchers

Any admin-level user with access to view a support ticket can watch the ticket. Watching a ticket subscribes the admin user to email notifications of any replies, notes, or changes to the ticket options.

To watch a ticket, click Watch Ticket in the admin area ticket sidebar.

An email notification be generated for any of the following actions:

  • A client or user posting a reply.
  • Another admin user posting a reply.
  • Another admin user posting a ticket note.
  • A change of ticket options by another admin user.
  • A ticket being assigned to your admin user.
  • A closure of the ticket by the client or user.

For a full overview of support ticket notifications, including ticket watcher notifications, see Ticket Notifications.

An admin user can unsubscribe from receiving notifications for a ticket at any time by clicking Unwatch Ticket. This is only visible in tickets that the admin user is currently watching.

Ticket Collision Detection

Collision detection prevents you from replying to a ticket or making changes when the status of a ticket has changed since you originally opened it.

Example
You open the ticket at 10:45am. You begin to type a reply but, before you finish, you become distracted. You return to the ticket 15 minutes later. You submit your reply, not realising that, in the lapsed time, another member of staff has already replied to the ticket. The collision detection will alert you to this before sending the reply to the customer, avoiding the confusing extra reply.

You will receive a warning message if any changes have been made to a ticket when performing any of the following actions:

  • Change of department.
  • Change of assignment or flagged user.
  • Change of priority.
  • Change of status.
  • Submitting a reply.
  • Making a change to the ticket options.

The alert you receive will provide details about what has changed and ask you to confirm whether you wish to continue.

TicketCollisionDetectionModal.png

The following attributes of a ticket will trigger a collision detection warning:

  • Department
  • Ticket Subject
  • Ticket Priority
  • Assigned Client
  • Assigned Admin User
  • CC Recipients
  • Last Reply Time
  • Ticket Status
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