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Ticket Profile

The Ticket Profile is your workspace for managing support ticket conversations. This is where you reply to users, add internal notes, change ticket settings, and track the complete conversation history from initial request through resolution.

You access ticket profiles by clicking on any ticket from the View Tickets list.

Permission Required

To view ticket profiles, you need the View Support Tickets permission assigned to your administrator role.

Understanding the Ticket Profile Layout​

The ticket profile displays:

Header: Ticket number and subject (e.g., "Ticket #123 — WiFi not connecting")

User and Date Info: Shows submitter and when the ticket was created

Tab Navigation: Four tabs for different actions:

  1. Add Reply - Respond to the user (sends email)
  2. Add Note - Internal staff notes (not emailed to user)
  3. Custom Fields - Additional ticket metadata
  4. Options - Change department, status, priority, assignment

Conversation Thread: Below the tabs, displays the complete ticket history

Add Reply Tab​

This is where you respond to the user's ticket. Replies are emailed to the user and become part of the conversation thread.

How to Reply to a Ticket​

  1. The Add Reply tab is active by default when you open a ticket
  2. Type your response in the message text area
  3. Optionally adjust ticket settings (department, status, priority)
  4. Click Post Reply
  5. Your reply is sent to the user via email
  6. Reply appears in the conversation thread

Reply Settings​

While composing a reply, you can change several ticket settings that will be applied when you post:

Department Dropdown

  • Change which department handles the ticket
  • Select "No Changes" to keep current department
  • Useful for routing to correct team

Status Dropdown

  • Update ticket status
  • Common: "Answered" after replying
  • Select "No Changes" to keep current status

Priority Dropdown

  • Set ticket urgency (Low, Normal, High, etc.)
  • Higher priority tickets may appear first in lists
  • Select "No Changes" to keep current priority

Assigned Admin

  • Assign ticket to specific technician
  • Select "No Changes" to keep current assignment
  • Select "Unassigned" to remove assignment

Lock Ticket Checkbox

  • Prevents the user from replying via email
  • Use when ticket is resolved and you don't want further responses
  • Unlock later if needed

What to Include in Replies​

Good replies are:

  • Clear and specific - User understands exactly what to do next
  • Complete - Answers all questions asked
  • Professional - Polite, grammatically correct, helpful tone
  • Actionable - Provides steps, links, or next actions

Examples:

✅ Good Reply:

Thank you for reporting this issue. I've diagnosed the problem as a network
configuration error on your device.

To resolve this:
1. Open Settings > WiFi
2. Forget the "SchoolNetwork" connection
3. Reconnect and enter password: TechSupport2024
4. Restart your device

Try these steps and let me know if you're able to connect. If the problem
persists, bring the device to the IT office in Building 2, Room 101.

- IT Support Team

❌ Vague Reply:

We'll look into it.

Reply Tips​

  • Respond within your district's SLA (Service Level Agreement) timeframe
  • Set status to "Answered" after replying (user knows you responded)
  • Be thorough - users may not reply for clarification
  • Include screenshots or links when helpful
  • End with clear next steps or closure statement

Add Note Tab​

Internal notes allow staff communication about a ticket without emailing the user.

How to Add a Note​

  1. Click the Add Note tab
  2. Type your internal message
  3. Click Post Note
  4. Note appears in conversation thread marked as "Internal Note"
  5. User does NOT receive email notification

When to Use Notes vs. Replies​

Use Notes for:

  • Communication between support staff
  • Documentation of offline actions
  • Troubleshooting steps tried
  • Reasons for decisions
  • Information not relevant to user

Use Replies for:

  • Communicating with the user
  • Answering their questions
  • Providing solutions or instructions
  • Closing ticket with resolution

Examples of good notes:

Internal Note: Contacted network team, they see no issues on server side.
Problem appears isolated to this user's device. Scheduling time for them
to bring device in for diagnosis.
Internal Note: User called office, confirmed they received replacement device
and WiFi is working now. Will close ticket when they confirm via email.
Internal Note: This is the 3rd ticket from this user about WiFi. May need to
check if device needs replacement or if user needs additional training.

Custom Fields Tab​

If your district has configured custom ticket fields, they appear here.

Common custom fields:

  • Incident number (linking ticket to device incident)
  • Resolution time tracking
  • Equipment used
  • Follow-up date
  • Priority override reason

Managing custom fields:

  1. Click Custom Fields tab
  2. View current values
  3. Edit as needed
  4. Click Save

Custom fields are configured in: Settings > Help Desk Settings

Options Tab​

The Options tab allows you to modify ticket settings without posting a reply or note.

Available Options​

Change Department

  • Reassign to different support team
  • Dropdown shows all available departments
  • Select and click Update

Change Status

  • Update ticket state (Open, Answered, Closed, etc.)
  • Select and click Update

Change Priority

  • Set urgency level
  • Select and click Update

Change Assigned Admin

  • Assign to specific technician
  • Or set to "Unassigned"
  • Select and click Update

Update Subject

  • Edit the ticket subject line
  • Useful for clarifying vague subjects
  • Type new subject and click Update

Update CC Recipients

  • Add or remove people copied on emails
  • Multi-select dropdown
  • Click Update

When to Use Options Tab​

Use this tab when you need to change settings without sending a message:

  • Reassigning ticket to another tech (no reply needed)
  • Changing status without additional communication
  • Updating priority based on new information
  • Fixing incorrect subject line

If you're replying anyway, use the dropdowns in the Add Reply tab instead.

Understanding the Conversation Thread​

Below the tabs, you'll see the complete ticket history displayed as a conversation.

What's Displayed​

Initial Ticket

  • User's original message
  • Timestamp
  • Any attachments they included

Replies (from admins)

  • Administrator name
  • Reply message
  • Timestamp
  • Sent via email to user

User Replies (via email)

  • User's response messages
  • They reply to your email, it updates the ticket
  • Conversation flows back and forth

Internal Notes

  • Marked clearly as "Internal Note"
  • NOT visible to user
  • Only admins see these

System Actions

  • "Status changed from Open to Answered"
  • "Assigned to John Smith"
  • "Department changed to Technology"
  • Automatic entries documenting changes

Thread Order​

Entries appear in chronological order (oldest first, newest last), creating a timeline of the entire support interaction.

Real-Time Indicators​

The ticket profile shows if other administrators are currently viewing or replying:

"Admin is typing" notice:

⚠ John Smith viewed and started replying @ 2:45 PM

This prevents multiple admins from working on the same ticket simultaneously, avoiding duplicate or conflicting responses.

Common Workflows​

Scenario 1: Responding to New Ticket​

New ticket arrives, you provide solution:

  1. Open ticket from View Tickets list
  2. Read user's message carefully
  3. Research solution if needed
  4. Click Add Reply tab
  5. Type helpful response with step-by-step instructions
  6. Set Status: "Answered"
  7. Keep Department and Priority as-is (select "No Changes")
  8. Click Post Reply
  9. User receives email with your response

Scenario 2: Escalating to Another Department​

Ticket routed to wrong department:

  1. Open ticket
  2. Click Add Note tab
  3. Type: "Routing to Facilities - this is a building maintenance issue, not IT."
  4. Post note
  5. Click Options tab
  6. Change Department to "Facilities"
  7. Click Update
  8. Facilities team now sees ticket in their queue

Scenario 3: Multi-Day Troubleshooting​

Complex issue requiring multiple interactions:

Day 1:

  • User submits ticket: "Computer won't turn on"
  • You reply: "Please try these steps..." (Status: Answered)
  • User replies: "Tried that, still not working"

Day 2:

  • Add note: "Requested loaner device from inventory"
  • Reply: "I've arranged a loaner device. Pickup at office." (Status: Answered)
  • User replies: "Picked up loaner, thanks!"

Day 3:

  • Add note: "Original device sent to repair vendor, tracking #12345"
  • Reply: "Your device is being repaired. Expect 5-7 days."

Day 8:

  • Reply: "Device repaired and ready for pickup." (Status: Answered)
  • User replies: "Picked up, working great!"
  • Reply: "Glad it's working! Closing this ticket." (Status: Closed, Lock Ticket checked)

Scenario 4: Team Collaboration via Notes​

Multiple techs working together:

Tech A:

  • Add note: "User reports printer error in Room 205. Checked - printer is offline. Rebooted, still no connection."

Tech B:

  • Add note: "I'm in Building 2 today. Will check network connection to that printer this afternoon."

Tech B (later):

  • Add note: "Network cable was loose. Reconnected, printer online and responding."
  • Reply to user: "Printer issue resolved. Network cable was disconnected. Printer should be working now." (Status: Answered)

Tips for Managing Tickets​

✅ Do:

  • Reply promptly within your SLA timeframe
  • Use notes for internal communication
  • Set status to "Answered" after replying
  • Close tickets when issues are resolved
  • Be thorough and clear in responses
  • Use professional, friendly tone
  • Check conversation history before replying (context is important)

❌ Don't:

  • Leave tickets in "Open" status indefinitely
  • Use replies for internal notes (users will see them!)
  • Forget to update status after actions
  • Reply without reading full conversation thread
  • Use jargon or technical terms users won't understand
  • Close tickets prematurely (before confirming resolution)

Common Questions​

Q: What's the difference between a reply and a note? Reply = Email sent to user. Note = Internal staff communication, user doesn't see it.

Q: Can I edit a reply after posting it? No. Once posted, replies are permanent. If you made a mistake, post a correction reply.

Q: How do I delete a ticket? Only administrators with Delete Support Tickets permission can delete tickets. Use sparingly - tickets are historical records.

Q: Can users reply to ticket emails? Yes! When users reply to ticket notification emails, their responses update the ticket automatically.

Q: What if user doesn't respond to my reply? If ticket is in "Answered" status and user doesn't respond for several days (configurable), it may auto-close. Or manually close after reasonable waiting period.

Q: Can I attach files to replies? Yes, most systems allow attachments. Look for attach/upload button in the reply area.

Q: Should I create a new ticket or continue the existing one? If it's the same issue, continue the existing ticket. New issue = new ticket.

Next Steps​

The ticket profile is your complete workspace for managing user support from initial request through final resolution!

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