Trouble Tickets/Problem Management

The most important tool in the support center, arguably more vital than the phone, is the trouble ticket. The trouble ticket is the record of the customer's problem: who is the customer, their contact information, the product they have the problem with, a description of the problem, and action on it. Support problems are often known as 'cases' or 'issues.' All trouble tickets have tracking or case numbers.

In the old days a trouble ticket was just that, a paper ticket attached to a piece of machinery. Now trouble tickets are e-mails and more recently on-line forms, filled out by customers or by reps when they take the call.

On-line forms are superior to e-mail forms because e-mail often gets lost in the barrages reps receive. Sometimes they are not stored. With on-line forms connected to your Web site there is no excuse for reps not to see them. Customer and internal support centers alike use these tools.

Kemma Software's BridgeTrak Issue Management screen is an excellent Illustration of a software-based trouble ticket. It shows the customer's name and contact person when the trouble was reported, the name of the rep handling It and actions taken, In easy to access tabs.