Question or Issue Submitted to Helpdesk Solution
1. Your client finds the helpdesk and knowledgebase solution on your site or intranet server, through the link you have either added on your website, or provided via email. (Clients can also submit tickets simply by sending an email which will be captured by the helpdesk solution. However, in these circumstances the client will then not be reading through the knowledgebase solutions before ticket submission. This usually translates to more tickets over all, but email conversion is essential since some clients will
always email.)
2. The client reads some FAQs posted to your knowledgebase solution via your installed HelpConnection.NET program.
3. If he (or she) doesn’t see a solution to his problem, he may submit a new question title from the online form * in your asp.net helpdesk solution. He may now be presented with a list of possible solutions from your knowledgebase software before continuing to submit his question. Or, if there is an
Alert that is current for this category, he may see a notification of this current issue.
4. If the customer still wants to ask a question, he can complete the helpdesk solution's online form, or send an email which will be captured in the asp.net helpdesk solution.
(See notes below)
5. One of the mandatory fields that visitors will fill out is Category. This is typically used by helpdesk solutions to organize your issues and KB articles. In our affordable helpdesk solutions, it's also used determine which agents should be notified via email, so they can work on this issue.
However, even affordable helpdesk solutions should have various options for how an agent is assigned. In our asp.net helpdesk solution, the routing of agent email notifications can also be overridden if a client has been assigned a
dedicated agent. Or if the issue is coming in via incoming email, then there may be a
dedicated agent set for that particular email address as well. These settings will override the category settings.
1. There are various optional ways of having your visitors submit a question to your helpdesk solution. In almost all asp.net helpdesk solutions, issues can be submitted through the online form.
This is usually preferred since it saves agents' time, helps with accurate entries (vs. transcribing what is being heard), and the client will
be more likely to check the knowledgebase for information prior to asking the question.
In some affordable helpdesk solutions, issues can also be submitted directly via email, using a built-in POP3 manager. This is important, since clients often will simply reply to the emails they have received from your sevice desk solution. (Rather than having to login to the helpdesk solution to update their issue.) If your helpdesk solution doesn't handle incoming emails then someone will either have to cut and paste the next response into the helpdesk or you will have to live with incomplete records. :(
Or, issues can be submitted internally via the administration menu. This is useful for phoned-in, mailed-in, or internal issues.
2. The online form can be shown in different ways, depending on your [ web.config ] settings.
a) One option lists possible solutions that already exist in your knowledgebase solution.
With this option the visitor must acknowledge that they have checked the issues presented before the issue submission form can be completed and submitted.
b) The other option is for the visitor to go directly to the complete submission form, as in step 3 below.
To switch between enforcing the three part question submission, and the direct question submission, you must change a setting in your config.asp file. See your install guide for more information.
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Issue Receipt & Process with Helpdesk Solution
Unless an agent is preassigned to a specific client,
all agents assigned to that category are notified by email that a new issue has been submitted. If no agent has been assigned, the supervisor will receive the email. When free to work on it, the agent(s) can read the question and click on the link provided in the email. Or login to the helpdesk and knowledgebase solution to review the issue.
ASSIGNING THE ISSUE
In any of the 4 options below, the agent doing the assigning will eventually end up in the update issue area. If the agent has enough information, the expertise necessary, and is available to work on this, he may accept the assignment by either:
1. Automatic Assignment:
An agent can be assigned directly to a client. In this case, the issue will automatically be assigned to that agent. (Other settings will not override this dedicated agent per client setting.)
2. Claiming the Issue:
Each agent can claim their own issues as they become available. The (hand) icon is only found in the issues list (Issues Tab), if the issue has not yet been ‘claimed’ by another agent.
To claim the issue (accept the assignment), click on the hand. This will alert other agents that the issue is being attended to, and they are not required at this time. In most cases, this is the best solution when there are multiple agents working at the same time.
3. Self-Assigning the Issue:
This is best only if you are the only agent working at the moment. In this case, begin updating the issue immediately selecting your agent name in the Agent Assignment field, and clicking on ‘update issue’. As with all changes to forms, other agents won’t know you’ve changed this field, until after you click on the update issue button.
Use the ‘Claim Issue’ button as much as possible, as it will update the Agent Assignment field immediately. So, the next agent to consider whether to work on this issue will know it’s been ‘taken’.
4. Assigning Issues to Other Customer Support Reps:
Or, you can establish a company policy where certain individuals are responsible for assigning helpdesk agents to all issues.
In this case, don’t assign agents to the categories. (The supervisor assigned to that category will still get email notifications, and can ‘reassign’ the issue. When the issue has been updated to show a new agent, that agent will now receive an automated email notifying them.) You may decide in this case to assign a security level to these agents where they can see ‘their own issues only’.
The agent assignment is done manually, because most HelpConnection.NET users have multiple agents. In these cases, the most skilled and/or available agent can be selected, so that the issue turn-around time is optimized.
If an agent modifies the assigned field from within the update issue area, an email will automatically be generated and sent to notify the new agent.
If an agent escalates the issue to his/her supervisor, they will be given an opportunity to customize some of the email contents to explain to the supervisor about the situation. The issue will be reassigned to the supervisor, and they will be notified by email via the HelpConnection.NET solution.
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ANSWERING THE QUESTION, OR WORKING WITH THE CUSTOMER (Solutions/Updates)
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If the solution is unknown at this time, the agent may begin working with the customer. Further updates to the question are shown internally and to the issue submitter only at this point. (Issues can’t be added to the KB until they have been resolved and made public. For alerts and advisories, use the category description field.)
If at any time, an issue is determined to be outside the realm of the agent, or needs to be elevated to a higher-ranking agent, the agent may simply reassign the issue to his supervisor (who will be automatically notified by email.)
If the predetermined elevation expiry time has elapsed, the supervisor will be notified by email the next time an agent logs in to the solution.
Anytime the agent logs in, he can see how many new issues he has accepted (or been assigned) in his home (summary) area. The details of all issues are available, and the agent may respond from the site (with or without having received an email.) So, even if he is temporarily without email access, he can still work.
Aside from the information gathered by HelpConnection.NET, and offered by the user, the agent has access to his own and/or other agents’ previously written solutions or drafts, which can be sorted in various ways. The previous solutions can then be applied to
this answer. (Saves time, adds consistency to solutions.)
While the helpdesk agent is working, it is advisable that he/she updates the status periodically. (This is done in the Update Issue screen.) Issue status options are: New (initial), Updated (more info was added), Pending (awaiting info), On Hold (vacation?), Resolved (answered & completed), Open, or Closed (cancelled prior to resolution or invalid question). Additional statuses can be added via the HC admin area [
here ].
Closing Issue and Creating KB Article in Knowledgebase Solution
In our affordable knowledgebase solution (the knowledgebase is
built in with our asp.net helpdesk software... no additional purchase required), once the solution has been completed to the satisfaction of the agent, the customer and the manager, the issue status is manually changed to read resolved (if a
fix was required), or closed (if only information was required). The customer that submitted the issue may also close it at any time from the public area.
If the issue is either resolved or closed, the issue may be made public (shown in the public side knowledgebase solution) by checking the
Show Issue to Public box. This way, other visitors and customers can find their own solutions quickly in your
asp.net knowledgebase solution, and you won’t have to deal with the same questions over, and over again. Internal helpdesk issues can be kept private, but still visible to other agents (representatives).
Another email is sent to notify the submitter that the issue has been resolved, together with a link to view the issue online. (After logging into the public side.) The email content may also be made to include the actual resolution.
Note: Unresolved issues can’t be shown to the public, except to the issue submitter who has the username and password, and to your agents.
New Knowledgebase (KB) Articles
Most KB solutions will allow you to write brand new KB articles, as will
our KB solution. (Ours also allows you to save the time of writing a new solution if there is already an appropriate client question and answer. Just mark it as public, and client specific fields are not shown. Be sure there is no sensitive info in the Q/A itself.)
Try our affordable knowledgebase solution now.
If the KB functionality is of great importance in your asp.net helpdesk solution, then you want to watch for a few of these advanced features. (Yep, our software has all this...plus it's affordable, customizable, looks great, and is brandable!)
1. Advanced WYSIWYG Text Editor
It's very important for the text editor to work using
all your favorite browsers, and have character formatting. But it should also have advanced functions like insertion of media, charts, image/picture, special characters, and styles. (Your article should be able to look
great).
2. KB Upload Manager
Images and files need to be online if your clients are going to see or use them, but that shouldn't mean that the KB articles author must use FTP. The asp.net KB solution should have this functionality built-in.
3. KB Issue Custom Fields
There may be additional information needed that is unique to your service or industry. You should have this flexibility to add these fields, and to decide when that content should only be viewed by admin!
4. Related KB Issues
There should be a mechanism to relate issues to each other. So, if a client has found a certain KB article, a list of other articles of interest can be presented on that same page.
5. Advanced ASP.NET KnowledgeBase Search
The KB should allow searches of
any word or of
all words or of the
exact phrase. Ideally, the KB can also be searched by which fields contain the search phrase. And, ideally searchers can limit the search to only certain
categories too. (For example, if you sort your categories by product line, then visitors will probably only be interested in the products that they
have.)
6. Unlimited Number of KB Categories
There should be no limits imposed on the number of categories you can set up. (Or at least there should be
enough categories for your needs.) HC.NET knowledgebase solution has no limits.
7. KB Sub-Categories (Organization)
How many levels or
tiers of categories are allowed? Ideally there should be at least 3 tiers. That would allow for sub-categories, and a third level of subcategory below that. In this way, your KB can be nicely organized.
8. KB Article Appears in Multiple Categories
In order to maximize the ease of finding KB articles, and minimize the workload... a single article can be posted in
multiple categories! This may not seem essential, but you can easily have an issue that affects multiple groups or product lines, or that crosses other boundaries.
For example, if you are a software developer, then an issue may appear under one or more product lines, and under "Database Errors". This ability will save the time of duplicating the entire KB issue for each category.
9. KB Article Suggestions
Can your software offer suggestions from the KB articles when a client is about to ask a question? (Typically based on the question title.) In the affordable HelpConnection.net help desk solution, you can turn this feature on or off... it's up to you.
10. RSS Feed
Spread the knowledge and increase your traffic by allowing others to view
your knowledgebase article titles on
their site or desktop. When they click on the title to read it, they'll be visiting
your site.
11. Ease of Use
How easy is it to add a KB article? How easy is it to find and read an appropriate article? Our asp.net knowledgebase solution allows you to add a quick public issue (KB Article) or to publicize an existing issue that was already asked.
12. Attention Grabbing Extras
Maybe the most recent issues can be scrolling across the page, to make these latest KB articles more visible. Or there can be category based alerts to flash important issues about that subject. Is there a news manager? A downloads area built-in? A special short list of most common FAQs? Can visitors bookmark KB articles that are interesting and can that bookmark be stored online so it doesn't matter what computer they're currently using? How about making notes about articles, so clients can remember their own additional information next time? Can visitors use an
email to friend feature to spread the word? Can they export the article in MS Word or text format? All this convenience will keep your visitors coming back to buy more from you and keep your site traffic up.
13. Language Translations
Many knowledgebase solutions are available in English. If you need it in a different language, then you should watch for software that has translations already made. It should also be written so that all of the language is located in one file so you can find and change it easily. (Or if necessary, you can do your own translation when a language file is available.) Our asp.net knowledgebase sofware has language .xml files that you can change. Translations for English, German, Spanish and Czech are already provided.
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