Purpose

To define a standardized, repeatable process for handling customer support tickets, enabling support teams to respond quickly, escalate appropriately, and close issues effectively. This improves customer satisfaction, reduces backlog, and ensures operational consistency.

Scope

Applies to all incoming customer tickets handled by the support team across all channels — email, live chat, phone, or integrated ticketing systems.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Support Agent
• First-line responder. Manages ticket intake, categorization, resolution, or escalation.
• Support Lead / Supervisor
• Handles escalated tickets, monitors response times, provides QA reviews and feedback.
• Product or Engineering Liaison
• Assists with technical escalations and bug reporting when issues exceed Tier 1 resolution.
• Customer
• The ticket originator; may be required to provide follow-up information.

Process Steps

1. Ticket Intake & Logging

All incoming tickets are automatically captured by the helpdesk platform (e.g. Zendesk, Freshdesk). Tickets submitted via email, web forms, or live chat are assigned a unique ID and timestamped.

Support agents ensure that the ticket includes necessary information: customer name, contact details, issue description, and any attachments/screenshots. If incomplete, an immediate follow-up is sent requesting additional details. Proper categorization is applied (e.g. Billing, Technical, General Inquiry).

Tickets are tagged with priority (Low, Medium, High, Urgent) based on impact and customer type (e.g. SLA-tier customers may be prioritized).

2. First Response (Within SLA)

Support agents must respond within the agreed SLA window. First response time goals:

• Low Priority: 24 hours
• Medium Priority: 8 hours
• High/Urgent: 1–2 hours

The first response acknowledges receipt, sets expectations for resolution time, and may include basic troubleshooting steps. Agents aim to resolve during the first interaction if possible, especially for simple queries.

All responses must be professional, empathetic, and use approved support macros or knowledge base links when applicable.

3. Investigation & Troubleshooting

If the issue is unresolved in the first reply, the agent investigates further:

• Review account data, system logs, or internal notes
• Attempt to replicate the issue (for bugs or UX problems)
• Check internal knowledge base or past ticket history

Detailed internal notes are added to the ticket thread to aid continuity if reassigned. If the issue requires more time, the customer is updated every 24–48 hours to maintain communication.

4. Escalation (if required)

Tickets are escalated when:

• The issue is beyond Tier 1 technical knowledge
• There’s a known bug or product defect
• A customer requests a manager or expresses dissatisfaction

Escalation paths:

• Tier 2 Agent or Support Lead for complex but resolvable issues
• Product/Engineering Team via bug tracking system or internal Slack
• Customer Success/Account Manager for relationship-sensitive issues

The original agent remains CC’d and monitors progress. The customer is informed of the handoff and given a revised resolution ETA.

5. Resolution & Closure

Once a solution is confirmed, the agent summarizes the fix in clear, simple language and confirms with the customer that the issue is resolved.

If the customer does not respond within 3 business days after the resolution message, the ticket is marked as “Solved.” If the customer confirms satisfaction, it is closed immediately.

All tickets must include a closure note, internal tags, and any linked documentation used. Tickets marked “Bug Fixed” or “Feature Request Logged” must be tracked in a follow-up queue or knowledge base.

6. Post-Ticket QA & Reporting

Weekly QA reviews are performed by the Support Lead. Metrics monitored include:

• Time to First Response
• Time to Resolution
• Ticket Reopen Rate
• CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)

Agents receive feedback on tone, clarity, helpfulness, and process adherence. Trends in common issues are escalated to Product or documented in the internal KB.

Documentation & Tools

• Helpdesk system (Zendesk, Freshdesk, etc.)
• Internal knowledge base
• Escalation directory (product leads, developers, account managers)
• SLA policy document
• CSAT survey tool

Compliance & Quality Requirements

• All customer interactions must be logged in the official ticketing system
• Response and resolution SLAs must be met or exceeded
• Data privacy must be respected (e.g. redaction of sensitive info before sharing)
• Ticket closure requires confirmation of resolution or timeout protocol (3-day rule)