The Complete Guide to Trouble Ticketing SystemsA trouble ticketing system is an essential tool for any business that provides support or services to customers. As customer issues become more complex having an organized system to track trouble tickets can mean the difference between good and bad customer experiences. This guide will explain what trouble ticketing systems are the key benefits they provide, what features to look for, and the top software options to consider.
What is a Trouble Ticketing System?A trouble ticketing system is software that allows support teams to track manage and resolve customer issues, known as trouble tickets. When a customer has a problem or requests help, they create a ticket that goes into the system. Agents can then be assigned to the tickets to diagnose the problems and communicate solutions.
Key capabilities of a good trouble ticketing system include:
- Creating, assigning, prioritizing, and updating tickets
- Routing tickets to the right agents
- Tracking ticket status and time to resolution
- Managingticket workflows and service level agreements (SLAs)
- Reporting on ticket metrics and agent performance
- Integrating with other tools like phone systems, chat, CRMs, etc.
Together these features create an organized system to handle customer issues smoothly and efficiently.
The Benefits of Using a Trouble Ticketing System
There are many excellent reasons to use dedicated trouble ticketing software. Benefits include:
Better Customer Service
With a trouble ticketing system, customers get quick, consistent service. Tickets are routed to the right agents and worked based on priority and service agreements. This leads to higher customer satisfaction.
Increased Efficiency
Agents can work faster with a complete view of issues and the ability to easily collaborate. Automation also frees agents from tedious tasks. This results in higher productivity.
Improved Insights
With robust reporting and analytics, you gain visibility into performance. You can identify trends, optimize processes, and make data-driven decisions.
Enhanced Accountability
Tickets create documentation of customer issues. This builds accountability for following up on and resolving tickets in a timely manner.
Seamless Collaboration
Teams can work together on tickets seamlessly. Collaboration features like shared access and notifications keep everyone on the same page.
What Features Should You Look for in Ticketing Software?
When researching trouble ticketing tools, keep these key features in mind:
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Easy ticket management – Create, assign, track, update, categorize, filter, and search tickets from one system.
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Multiple channels – Support email, live chat, social media, phone calls, self-service, and more from one platform.
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Agent collision detection – See if other agents are already working on a ticket to prevent duplication.
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Automation – Route tickets automatically, establish workflows, and trigger actions for improved efficiency.
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Robust knowledge base – Make self-service information and resources available to customers and agents.
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Collaboration tools – Share tickets, add private notes, @mention teammates, integrate remote team messaging apps, and more.
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Custom views and filters – Quickly sort tickets as needed to prioritize and organize work.
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Customizable workflows – Build workflow rules and logic around ticket properties to fit business needs.
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Performance analytics – Gain insight into volumes, resolution times, agent performance, customer satisfaction, and more.
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Integration capabilities – Connect with other systems like CRM software, billing systems, etc.
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Mobile access – Let agents work tickets on-the-go with mobile apps.
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Cloud-based access – Eliminate need for on-premise servers with a cloud-hosted system.
Comparing Top Trouble Ticketing Software
With an array of trouble ticketing tools on the market, it can be challenging to determine which is best for your needs. Here is an overview of top options with their key highlights:
Freshdesk
- Intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Robust customization capabilities
- Omnichannel support
- Built-in automation
- Shared ticket access to enable seamless collaboration
- Powerful reporting and analytical insights
- Integration with numerous apps via marketplace
- Affordable pricing plans to fit business needs
Zendesk Support
- Omnichannel support
- Customizable views and filters
- Automation capabilities
- Shared tickets and inboxes
- Custom branding options
- Powerful integrations via app marketplace
- User-friendly portal for end customers
- International support in over 30 languages
Zoho Desk
- Integrates tightly with other Zoho apps
- Guided workflows for common requests
- Automated assignment and routing
- Customizable service catalog
- Self-service portal
- Multiple pricing tiers
- Reporting and analytics
- Custom forms and layouts
HubSpot Service Hub
- Tight integration with HubSpot CRM
- Email management and collaboration
- Conversational ticketing via chatbot
- Automated workflows
- Knowledge base attached to customer profiles
- Reporting and analytics.
- Free version available
Jira Service Management
- Connects with Jira software dev tools
- ITIL framework support
- Customizable workflows
- Automation capabilities
- Reporting and analytics
- Time tracking features
- Change management functions
- Rigorous access controls
As you can see, top trouble ticketing systems have extensive features in common, along with some unique capabilities. Evaluating your specific needs and priorities will determine the ideal solution for your business.
Implementing a Trouble Ticketing System
When you’re ready to implement a new trouble ticketing system, follow these best practices:
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Involve key stakeholders – Get input from managers, agents, and IT/security teams.
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Set objectives – Define what processes and outcomes you want to improve.
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Clean up existing tickets – Close out legacy tickets in current system first for a fresh start.
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Develop business rules – Determine ticket handling policies, workflows, assignments, priorities.
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Train staff – Thoroughly educate all agents and admins on the new system.
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Start small – Begin with a pilot group, basic config, key features enabled before expanding.
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Expect a learning curve – Productivity may dip initially before agents become fully capable.
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Review metrics – Analyze key performance indicators to optimize system use.
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Refine over time – Usage will evolve, so continuously adjust configurations as needed.
With proper planning and training, your team will be leveraging your new trouble ticketing system effectively in no time!
Trouble Ticketing Use Cases
Trouble ticketing systems provide versatile solutions suitable for diverse business scenarios, including:
IT Departments
IT teams use ticketing systems to track help desk requests, IT incidents, problems, changes, releases, and more. Tickets help coordinate efforts between technicians, managers, and other departments.
Managed Service Providers
MSPs serve multiple client accounts from a central NOC using ticketing to track each client’s distinct support needs and SLAs.
Software Companies
SaaS vendors use trouble ticketing to allow customers to report bugs, request assistance, and more for their software products.
Telecoms
Telecoms utilize ticketing systems to log complaints and infrastructure issues raised by residential and business customers.
Retailers
Retailers create tickets for issues like store IT problems, supply chain disruptions, customer complaints, and processing returns/exchanges.
Healthcare Organizations
Healthcare providers use tickets to coordinate patient issues, equipment service requests, hospital IT problems, and other needs across departments.
Financial Service Firms
Banks, insurance companies, and others take in customer service tickets for inquiries, complaints, fraud alerts, transaction issues, and general questions.
Government Entities
Public sector organizations intake citizen requests/complaints via tickets routed to appropriate departments and personnel.
Trouble Ticketing Best Practices
Follow these best practices to maximize the effectiveness of your trouble ticketing system:
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Assign clear ticket owners and avoid “ticket ping-ponging”
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Set up trigger-based rules to route tickets intelligently
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Enable self-service for users to reduce ticket volumes
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Categorize tickets consistently using standard naming conventions
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Tag tickets appropriately for easier organization and sorting
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Identify ticket dependencies and link related tickets
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Use priorities judiciously instead of marking all tickets “high”
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Avoid rigid ticket workflows that create inefficiencies
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Automate repetitive agent tasks to increase productivity
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Integrate with systems like CRMs for fuller customer context
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Analyze ticket metrics regularly to fine-tune configurations
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Solicit user feedback via surveys to improve the system
Trouble Ticketing System Integrations
A major benefit of trouble ticketing platforms is integration capabilities with other systems, including:
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CRM – Link tickets to customer records for context
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Chat tools – Automatically generate tickets from chats
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Phone systems – Create tickets from call recordings
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Accounting systems – Reference billing details in tickets
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Remote access software – Technicians can access devices to troubleshoot
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Procurement systems – Order replacement parts triggered by tickets
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Authentication systems – Support agents’ single sign-on
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Document management – Attach files from connected repositories
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Survey tools – Send feedback forms to ticket creators
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Social media – Monitor channels for customer issues
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ITSM tools – Feed in deeper IT process management
The possibilities are vast for interconnecting
Why does your organization need a trouble ticketing system? Customer satisfaction is the most crucial incentive to invest in a trouble ticket system. Customers will continue to purchase and pay for your products and services if they are satisfied and super happy. That sounds like it should be clear and obvious, yet evidently too few business executives understand this, since outstanding help desk appears to be exceedingly rare today. When was the last time you had an exceptional help desk experience with your cell phone, airline, or Internet access provider that you wanted to share with a friend? If clients continue to purchase and pay, a company can continue to pay its staff and invest in the creation of innovative, engaging, and superior new products and services. This results are a positive feedback loop, the flywheel effect, or a virtuous cycle. Until anything disrupts the feedback loop, forward momentum maintains its strength. Regrettably, bad help desk is often the culprit and the downfall of many organizations. Watch videos about Giva’s
Weve determined that caring for your customers is vitally crucial. So how do you do this? Given the maturity of the software business, many individuals question why contemporary trouble ticket software is not easier to use and more functional. Many trouble ticketing systems are difficult to learn, configure, use, and maintain. In contrast to the IT departments technical personnel, help desk representatives are often not tech-savvy. It is necessary they have a variety of talents to deal daily with dissatisfied customers, and thus they have rare personality qualities, such as endless patience. They require a trouble ticket system that is incredibly easy to set up without the assistance of the IT staff, and is also simple to use daily.
What is a trouble ticketing system? Today, a trouble ticketing system is often a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that helps businesses manage and improve customer interactions using trouble tickets. For instance, Giva’s
- Centralize all customer contact points
- Record help desk issues and track progress in trouble tickets
- Enable trouble ticket assignment so people with relevant expertise can quickly respond
- Assist in determining the priority of issues and the order in which they are addressed
- Permit the setting of severity levels for each help desk trouble ticket
What is a Support Ticketing System? | 7 Crucial Benefits of Support Ticketing System
What is a trouble ticket system?
A trouble ticket system is a ticketing solution that will help you track, detect, report, and solve your support tickets, thereby improving customer satisfaction . Customers today raise their issues on multiple communication channels such as email, chat, phone, bots, or social media.
What is trouble ticketing software?
Trouble ticketing software can create and organize support tickets, which are support requests that come with interaction history data. When a customer needs tech support, they will typically submit a service request via email, live chat, a chatbot, or a form and describe the issue they’re experiencing.
How does trouble ticketing work?
When this happens, the trouble ticketing system can: Route the customer or employee to an agent: Trouble ticketing systems can automatically route users to the most appropriate agent based on agent status, capacity, issue priority, and more.
What is a trouble ticket & why is it important?
It makes it easier for businesses to manage, monitor, and resolve customer issues at the earliest. What is a trouble ticket? A trouble ticket is a support ticket that is raised by your customers or users when they encounter an issue while using your product or services.
