Introduction
What is the Tickets Module?
The Tickets module is a comprehensive service ticket management system that handles the entire lifecycle of customer support requests. From initial ticket creation through resolution and completion, the module provides tools to track issues, manage priorities, assign work, and maintain detailed records of all customer interactions.
The system is designed to streamline support operations by centralizing all customer issues in one place, making it easy to track progress, manage team workload, and maintain complete interaction history. Whether you're handling technical support questions or equipment repairs, the Tickets module provides a structured approach to service management.
Why It's Essential for Customer Service
Effective ticket management is crucial for maintaining high customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Without a proper system in place, support requests can easily fall through the cracks, leading to frustrated customers and overwhelmed support teams.
The Tickets module addresses these challenges by providing a centralized platform where all customer issues are organized, tracked, and managed systematically. This ensures that no request goes unnoticed and that urgent issues receive the attention they deserve. The module's priority management system helps teams focus on what matters most, while assignment workflows ensure that work is distributed evenly and efficiently.
By maintaining complete records of all customer interactions, the module enables support teams to provide personalized service based on historical context. This 360-degree view of each customer's support history helps teams understand recurring issues, identify patterns, and proactively address potential problems before they escalate.
Key Capabilities:
- Centralize all customer issues in one unified system
- Monitor ticket status from creation through resolution
- Prioritize urgent issues to ensure timely responses
- Distribute work efficiently across team members
- Maintain comprehensive interaction history
- Integrate seamlessly with other CRM modules
Key Benefits Overview
The Tickets module delivers significant value through its comprehensive feature set and seamless integration capabilities. One of the most powerful aspects is the 360-degree customer view, which provides complete visibility into all tickets, interactions, and history for each customer. This holistic perspective enables support teams to understand customer needs better and deliver more personalized service.
The module's streamlined workflow ensures that tickets move efficiently from creation to resolution, reducing response times and improving customer satisfaction. For businesses that handle equipment repairs or maintenance, the built-in equipment tracking feature provides a complete service history for each piece of equipment, making it easier to identify recurring issues and plan preventive maintenance.
Primary Benefits:
- Complete customer interaction history in one place
- Streamlined workflow from ticket creation to resolution
- Equipment tracking for repair tickets
- Knowledge base integration for faster problem resolution
- Automatic activity logging for all ticket changes
- Seamless billing integration for service invoicing
Who Should Use This Module?
The Tickets module is essential for any organization that provides customer support or service delivery. Support teams benefit from the organized workflow and assignment capabilities, which help them manage customer requests and technical issues more effectively. Service technicians can track repair and maintenance work, maintaining detailed records of equipment service history.
Customer success teams use the module to monitor customer satisfaction and track issue resolution metrics, helping them identify areas for improvement. Business owners gain valuable insights into support workload and customer needs, enabling data-driven decisions about resource allocation and service improvements. Service managers oversee ticket assignment and resolution workflows, ensuring that their teams operate efficiently and maintain high service standards.
Core Features
Ticket Creation and Management
The Tickets module provides comprehensive ticket management capabilities designed to handle various types of service requests efficiently. The system supports two ticket types: support tickets for general customer assistance and technical questions, and repair tickets for equipment issues and hardware problems.
When creating a ticket, the system automatically generates a unique case number using the format YYMMDDXXX, which helps with tracking and reference. Each ticket can be linked to either an individual contact or an organization, ensuring that all customer interactions are properly associated with the right customer record.
The module's priority system allows teams to classify tickets as low, medium, high, or urgent, helping ensure that critical issues receive immediate attention. Status tracking follows a clear workflow from open to in progress, then to completed, and finally closed, providing visibility into each ticket's current state.
Core Capabilities:
- Multiple ticket types (support, repair)
- Automatic case number generation (YYMMDDXXX format)
- Customer linking to individuals or organizations
- Four-level priority classification system
- Four-stage status workflow tracking
- Detailed issue and work description fields
Priority and Status Management
The priority system is designed to help teams focus on what matters most. Low priority tickets represent non-urgent issues that can be handled during normal operations, while medium priority indicates standard support requests requiring timely attention. High priority tickets are important issues that need prompt resolution, and urgent tickets represent critical issues requiring immediate attention.
The status workflow provides clear stages for ticket progression. When a ticket is first created, it starts in the "Open" status, indicating it's awaiting assignment or initial review. Once work begins, the status moves to "In Progress," showing that the ticket is actively being worked on. When the issue has been fixed, the status changes to "Completed," indicating the work is done but awaiting customer confirmation. Finally, the "Closed" status marks the ticket as fully completed and confirmed by the customer.
Priority Levels:
- Low: Non-urgent issues for normal operations
- Medium: Standard priority requiring timely attention
- High: Important issues needing prompt resolution
- Urgent: Critical issues requiring immediate attention
Status Workflow:
- Open: Newly created ticket awaiting assignment or initial review
- In Progress: Ticket is actively being worked on
- Completed: Issue has been fixed, awaiting customer confirmation
- Closed: Ticket is fully completed and confirmed by customer
Equipment Management
For repair tickets, the module includes comprehensive equipment tracking capabilities. This feature is essential for businesses that service equipment, as it maintains a complete service history for each piece of equipment.
When creating a repair ticket, you can record the equipment's brand name, serial number, and additional descriptive details. The system then tracks all tickets related to that specific equipment, creating a valuable service history that helps identify recurring issues, plan preventive maintenance, and maintain warranty records.
Equipment Tracking Features:
- Brand name and manufacturer information
- Serial number for unique identification
- Additional equipment description details
- Complete service history for each equipment item
Assignment and Workflow
The assignment system provides flexible options for distributing work across team members. Tickets can be manually assigned to specific team members through the assignment dropdown, or team members can claim tickets themselves using the "Claim" button. This self-service approach reduces management overhead while empowering team members to take ownership of work.
The system also supports quick assignment through context menu actions, allowing managers to quickly assign tickets directly from the list view. When needed, assignments can be removed, making tickets available for other team members. The system maintains a complete assignment history, tracking who worked on each ticket throughout its lifecycle.
Assignment Options:
- Manual assignment to specific team members
- Self-assignment via "Claim" button
- Quick assignment through context menu
- Assignment removal when needed
- Complete assignment history tracking
Communication History
Every interaction with a ticket is automatically tracked by the system, creating a comprehensive audit trail of all changes and communications. This automatic activity logging ensures that nothing is missed and provides complete transparency into the ticket's history.
In addition to automatic logging, team members can add manual notes to document customer conversations, phone calls, or other interactions that may not be automatically captured. When email integration is enabled, email communications are also tracked within the ticket, providing a unified view of all customer communications.
Communication Tracking:
- Automatic activity logging for all changes
- Manual notes for customer conversations
- Email integration for communication tracking
- Resolution notes documenting how issues were fixed
- Invoice notes for billing purposes
Getting Started
Accessing the Tickets Module
To access the Tickets module, navigate to it from the main navigation menu. The module opens with a master-detail view that displays all tickets in an organized list. The interface provides a search bar at the top that allows you to quickly find specific tickets by searching through titles, descriptions, or case numbers. Filter buttons enable you to filter tickets by status, showing all tickets, or filtering to show only open, in progress, or completed tickets.
Creating Your First Ticket
Creating a ticket is a straightforward process designed to capture all necessary information efficiently. Start by clicking the "Create Ticket" button in the tickets list, which opens a modal form with all ticket fields organized in a logical flow.
Step 1: Fill in Ticket Details Begin by entering a brief title that describes the issue clearly. This title will appear in the ticket list and helps team members quickly understand what the ticket is about. Next, select a customer by choosing an individual or organization from the customer search. This field is required, as it links the ticket to the appropriate customer record. Choose the ticket type (support or repair) based on the nature of the issue, and set the priority level to indicate how urgently the ticket needs attention. Finally, provide a detailed description of the problem in the issue description field, including any relevant context that might help resolve the issue.
Step 2: Add Equipment Details (if applicable) For repair tickets, add equipment information when available. Enter the brand name and serial number if known, as this information helps track service history and identify recurring issues with specific equipment. Equipment information is particularly valuable for warranty tracking and service planning.
Step 3: Save the Ticket Once all information is entered, click "Create" to save the ticket. The system automatically assigns a unique case number to the ticket using the format YYMMDDXXX, where YYMMDD is the date and XXX is a sequential number. The ticket appears in the list with "Open" status, ready to be assigned and worked on.
Understanding the Ticket Interface
The ticket interface is organized into two main panels that work together to provide comprehensive ticket management. The master panel on the left side displays a list of all tickets with key information visible at a glance, including case number, title, customer, status, and priority. This panel includes search and filter controls that make it easy to find specific tickets, status filter buttons for quick filtering, and bulk selection capabilities for performing operations on multiple tickets at once.
The detail panel on the right side shows complete ticket information when a ticket is selected from the list. This panel includes tabs for different views: Overview for general ticket information, Equipment for equipment details and history, Billables for billing information, and Activity for a complete history of all ticket changes and interactions. Edit and action buttons provide quick access to common operations, while related information and history help provide context about the customer and previous interactions.
Core Functionality
Ticket Types Explained
Support Tickets: Support tickets are used for general customer assistance and technical questions. These tickets handle account-related inquiries, product usage help, and any non-equipment issues that customers may encounter. Support tickets are ideal for software questions, account management, and general customer service requests.
Repair Tickets: Repair tickets are designed for equipment-related issues and hardware problems. When customers need equipment repaired, have warranty claims, or require service calls for broken equipment, repair tickets provide the structure needed to track the equipment details, service history, and resolution process.
Status Management
Status management is a critical aspect of ticket workflow, ensuring that tickets progress through the appropriate stages from creation to resolution. The system provides multiple ways to change ticket status, making it easy to update tickets as work progresses.
You can change ticket status from the detail view using the status dropdown in the ticket detail panel, which provides immediate access to all available status options. For quick status changes, you can right-click on a ticket in the list to access the context menu, which allows for rapid status updates without opening the full ticket detail. Bulk operations enable you to select multiple tickets and change their status simultaneously, which is particularly useful when processing multiple tickets at once.
The status workflow follows a logical progression: tickets start as "Open" when first created, move to "In Progress" when work begins, transition to "Completed" when the issue is fixed, and finally reach "Closed" after customer confirmation. The system also allows direct closure from any status for administrative purposes, providing flexibility for special cases.
Priority Management
Priority management helps teams focus on the most critical issues first, ensuring that urgent problems receive immediate attention while standard requests are handled in a timely manner. The priority system uses a four-level classification that helps teams allocate resources effectively.
When setting priorities, use the priority dropdown in the ticket detail view and consider both customer impact and urgency. It's important to update priority as the situation changes, as an issue that starts as medium priority might become urgent if it escalates. High and urgent priorities should always be addressed first, as these represent issues that have significant impact on customers or business operations.
Priority Guidelines:
- Urgent: System outages and critical business impact requiring immediate attention
- High: Important features broken with significant customer impact
- Medium: Standard support requests and normal operations
- Low: Minor issues, feature requests, and non-critical items
Assignment Workflows
The assignment system provides flexible options for distributing work across team members, ensuring that tickets are handled by the right people at the right time. Manual assignment allows managers to select specific team members from the assignment dropdown, while self-assignment enables team members to claim tickets themselves using the "Claim" button.
For quick assignment, you can right-click on a ticket in the list to access the context menu, which provides fast assignment options without opening the full ticket detail. When needed, assignments can be removed, making tickets available for other team members to claim.
Assignment Best Practices: Effective assignment requires balancing expertise and workload. Assign tickets based on team members' areas of expertise and current workload to ensure efficient resolution. Use assignment strategically to balance team workload, and don't hesitate to reassign tickets if a team member becomes unavailable or overloaded. Tracking assignment history provides valuable insights for performance analysis and workload management.
Equipment Tracking
Equipment tracking is essential for repair tickets, as it maintains a complete service history for each piece of equipment. This history helps identify recurring issues, track warranty information, and improve service quality over time.
Adding Equipment Information:
When working with a repair ticket, navigate to the Equipment tab in the ticket detail view. Enter the brand name (or select from existing brands if available), enter the serial number if known, and add any additional equipment details that might be helpful for tracking and service purposes.
Equipment History: The system automatically tracks all tickets related to specific equipment based on brand and serial number. This creates a valuable service history that helps identify recurring issues, track warranty periods, and plan future service needs. By reviewing equipment history, you can spot patterns and proactively address potential problems before they become major issues.
Billables Integration
The Billables integration allows you to convert ticket work into billable items for invoicing, making it easy to bill customers for support services provided. This integration streamlines the billing process by allowing you to add billable items directly from tickets.
To convert tickets to billables, navigate to the Billables tab in the ticket detail view. From there, you can add billable items including services from your catalog, custom parts, and labor charges. Set quantities and prices for each item, and link the billables to opportunities for invoicing. The system tracks billable status and invoicing, ensuring that all billable work is properly accounted for.
Billable Features: The integration provides comprehensive billing capabilities including service selection from your catalog, custom line items for unique charges, automatic VAT calculation, multi-currency support for international customers, and invoice generation directly from billable items.
Best Practices
Ticket Creation Best Practices
Writing clear, detailed descriptions is essential for effective ticket resolution. When creating tickets, be specific about the issue, including any error messages that might help diagnose the problem. Mentioning steps to reproduce the problem helps support teams understand the issue more quickly, while noting any troubleshooting already attempted prevents duplicate work.
Setting appropriate priorities is crucial for maintaining an efficient support workflow. Use urgent priority only for critical issues that require immediate attention, and always consider customer impact when setting priority levels. It's important to review and adjust priorities regularly as situations change, and avoid overusing high priority, as this can lead to priority inflation where everything seems urgent.
Linking tickets to customers properly ensures that all customer interactions are properly tracked and accessible. Always link tickets to the correct individual or organization, using the customer search to find existing records when possible. If a customer record doesn't exist, create a new one to maintain complete customer history. Always verify that customer information is accurate to ensure proper tracking and communication.
Status Management Best Practices
Keeping ticket status updated is essential for maintaining visibility into support operations. Update status as work progresses, moving tickets to "Completed" when issues are fixed, and closing them promptly after customer confirmation. Avoid leaving tickets in "In Progress" indefinitely, as this reduces visibility into actual work status and can lead to tickets being forgotten.
Using status transitions correctly ensures that tickets follow the proper workflow. Move tickets from "Open" to "In Progress" when starting work, from "In Progress" to "Completed" when the issue is fixed, and from "Completed" to "Closed" after customer confirmation. The system also allows direct closure from any status for administrative purposes, which should be used sparingly and only when appropriate.
Assignment Best Practices
Balancing workload effectively requires careful attention to both individual capacity and expertise. Distribute tickets evenly among team members to prevent burnout and ensure fair work distribution. Consider each team member's expertise when assigning tickets, matching tickets to the right skills. Monitor individual workloads regularly and don't hesitate to reassign tickets if a team member becomes overloaded.
Encouraging self-assignment empowers team members and reduces management overhead. When team members can claim tickets themselves, they take ownership of the work and can respond more quickly. This approach also improves response times, as team members can immediately claim tickets they're qualified to handle without waiting for assignment.
Communication Best Practices
Adding detailed notes ensures that all customer interactions are properly documented and accessible to the entire team. Document all customer interactions, including phone call summaries, email communications, and resolution steps. This comprehensive documentation helps maintain continuity when tickets are transferred between team members and provides valuable context for future interactions.
Updating customers regularly is essential for maintaining customer satisfaction and managing expectations. Keep customers informed of progress on their tickets, set clear expectations for resolution time, and communicate delays proactively when they occur. Always confirm resolution with customers before closing tickets, ensuring that they're satisfied with the solution.
Equipment Tracking Best Practices
Maintaining accurate equipment records is essential for effective service management. Always enter brand and serial number when available, as this information is crucial for tracking service history and identifying recurring issues. Keep equipment information up to date, and link related tickets to the same equipment to build a complete service history.
Using equipment history effectively helps identify patterns and improve service quality. Review equipment history regularly to identify recurring issues that might indicate underlying problems. This information can help plan preventive maintenance, track warranty information, and ultimately improve service quality by addressing root causes rather than just symptoms.
Integration with Other Modules
Individuals Module Integration
The Tickets module integrates seamlessly with the Individuals Module:
- Link Tickets to Individuals: Connect support requests to customer contacts
- View Ticket History: See all tickets for a specific individual
- Contact Information: Access customer details directly from tickets
- Communication History: Track all interactions in one place
Organizations Module Integration
Connect tickets to companies through the Organizations Module:
- B2B Support: Link tickets to organizational customers
- Account Management: Track all tickets for a company account
- Multi-Contact Support: Handle tickets for organizations with multiple contacts
- Company History: View complete support history for organizations
Opportunities Module Integration
Link tickets to sales opportunities:
- Pre-Sale Support: Track support requests during sales process
- Post-Sale Support: Connect tickets to won opportunities
- Customer Journey: See complete customer interaction history
- Revenue Tracking: Understand support costs vs. sales value
Services Module Integration
Use services from your catalog in tickets:
- Service Selection: Add services to ticket billables
- Pricing: Use catalog prices for consistent billing
- Service History: Track which services are used most
- Catalog Management: Maintain service offerings
Billables Module Integration
Convert ticket work to billable items:
- Service Billing: Bill for support services provided
- Parts and Labor: Track billable parts and labor hours
- Invoice Generation: Create invoices from ticket billables
- Revenue Tracking: Track billable revenue from support
Tasks Module Integration
Create tasks related to tickets:
- Follow-Up Tasks: Schedule follow-up activities
- Task Assignment: Assign ticket-related tasks to team members
- Task Tracking: Monitor task completion
- Workflow Management: Organize ticket-related work
Notes Module Integration
Add notes to tickets:
- Internal Notes: Document internal discussions
- Customer Notes: Record customer conversations
- Resolution Notes: Document how issues were resolved
- Knowledge Sharing: Share information with team
Knowledge Base Integration
Link tickets to knowledge base articles:
- Solution Articles: Reference helpful articles when resolving tickets
- Self-Service: Help customers find answers themselves
- Article Creation: Create articles from common ticket resolutions
- Knowledge Sharing: Build knowledge base from ticket solutions
Use Cases
Use Case 1: Technical Support Request
Scenario: A customer reports a software issue
Steps:
- Customer contacts support via email or phone
- Support team creates a new ticket with type "Support"
- Link ticket to customer's individual or organization record
- Set priority based on issue severity
- Assign to appropriate technician
- Technician updates status to "In Progress"
- Technician works on issue and adds notes
- Issue resolved, status changed to "Completed"
- Customer confirms resolution, ticket closed
Benefits:
- Complete record of the support interaction
- Clear assignment and accountability
- Customer history maintained
- Performance tracking possible
Use Case 2: Equipment Repair
Scenario: Customer needs equipment repaired under warranty
Steps:
- Create ticket with type "Repair"
- Link to customer (individual or organization)
- Add equipment details (brand, serial number)
- Set priority (usually high for warranty repairs)
- Assign to repair technician
- Technician updates work description
- Add billable items if warranty doesn't cover all costs
- Mark as resolved when repair complete
- Close ticket after customer confirmation
Benefits:
- Equipment history tracked
- Warranty information maintained
- Billing handled correctly
- Service quality monitored
Use Case 3: Equipment Repair with History
Scenario: Customer needs equipment repaired, and you want to track service history
Steps:
- Create ticket with type "Repair"
- Link to customer (individual or organization)
- Add equipment details (brand, serial number)
- Set appropriate priority
- Assign to repair technician
- Technician updates work description with repair details
- System automatically links to equipment history
- Review equipment history to identify any recurring issues
- Mark as completed when repair is finished
- Close ticket after customer confirmation
Benefits:
- Complete equipment service history maintained
- Recurring issues easily identified
- Warranty information tracked
- Service quality improved through historical data
Use Case 4: B2B Account Support
Scenario: Supporting a business customer with multiple contacts
Steps:
- Create ticket linked to organization (not individual)
- Multiple contacts from organization can reference same ticket
- Assign to account manager
- Track all interactions in ticket notes
- Link to related opportunities if applicable
- Add billable items for services provided
- Generate invoice from billables
- Close ticket after resolution
Benefits:
- Account-level support tracking
- Multiple contact management
- Billing integration
- Relationship management
Use Case 5: High-Priority Issue Escalation
Scenario: Urgent system outage affecting multiple customers
Steps:
- Create ticket with "Urgent" priority
- Link to primary affected organization
- Assign to senior technician immediately
- Update status to "In Progress" immediately
- Add notes about impact and affected customers
- Create related tickets for other affected customers
- Link related tickets together
- Resolve all related tickets when issue fixed
- Close tickets after customer confirmation
Benefits:
- Urgent issues prioritized
- Related issues tracked together
- Impact assessment possible
- Resolution time tracked
Conclusion
The Tickets module is a powerful tool for managing all aspects of customer support and service delivery. By following best practices, maintaining accurate records, and leveraging the module's integration capabilities, you can provide exceptional customer service while maintaining organized records of all support interactions.
Key Takeaways:
- Organization: Centralize all support requests in one system
- Efficiency: Streamlined workflows from creation to resolution
- Tracking: Complete history of all customer interactions
- Integration: Seamless connection with other CRM modules
- Billing: Easy conversion of support work to billable items
- Quality: Maintain high service standards with proper tracking
Next Steps:
- Create your first ticket to familiarize yourself with the interface
- Set up ticket types and priorities for your business
- Configure assignment workflows for your team
- Integrate with other modules (Individuals, Organizations, Services)
- Train your team on ticket management best practices
- Review ticket metrics regularly to improve service quality
Start by creating a few test tickets and exploring the various features. As you become more familiar with the module, you'll discover how it can streamline your support operations and improve customer satisfaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Tickets module used for?
The Tickets module is used for managing customer support requests, technical issues, and equipment repair work. It provides a complete workflow from ticket creation through resolution, with features for priority management, assignment, equipment tracking, and billing integration.
How do I create a new ticket?
Click the "Create Ticket" button in the tickets list, fill in the required information (title, customer, issue description), select ticket type and priority, and click "Create". The system will automatically generate a unique case number.
What are the different ticket types?
There are two ticket types:
- Support: General customer support requests, technical questions, account inquiries, and product usage help
- Repair: Equipment repair requests, hardware issues, warranty claims, and service calls for broken equipment
How do I assign a ticket to a team member?
You can assign tickets in several ways:
- Use the assignment dropdown in the ticket detail view
- Click "Claim" to assign the ticket to yourself
- Right-click on a ticket in the list for quick assignment via context menu
- Use bulk operations to assign multiple tickets at once
What is the difference between "Completed" and "Closed" status?
Completed means the issue has been fixed but the customer hasn't confirmed yet. Closed means the ticket is fully completed and the customer has confirmed the resolution. Tickets typically move from Completed to Closed after customer confirmation.
Can I link tickets to both individuals and organizations?
No, a ticket can be linked to either an individual OR an organization, but not both. Choose the appropriate customer type based on who the ticket is for. For B2B support, link to the organization. For B2C support, link to the individual.
How do I track equipment in tickets?
For repair tickets, navigate to the Equipment tab in the ticket detail view. Enter the brand name and serial number, and the system will track all tickets related to that equipment, providing a complete service history.
Can I convert ticket work to billable items?
Yes! Navigate to the Billables tab in the ticket detail view. You can add services from your service catalog, add custom line items, set quantities and prices, and link to opportunities for invoicing. This makes it easy to bill customers for support services provided.
How does the Tickets module integrate with other modules?
The Tickets module integrates with:
- Individuals Module: Link tickets to customer contacts
- Organizations Module: Link tickets to company accounts
- Opportunities Module: Connect tickets to sales opportunities
- Services Module: Use services from catalog in billables
- Billables Module: Convert ticket work to billable items
- Tasks Module: Create follow-up tasks related to tickets
- Notes Module: Add notes to tickets
- Knowledge Base: Link tickets to helpful articles
How do I search for specific tickets?
Use the search bar at the top of the tickets list. You can search by case number, title, customer name, or any text in the ticket description. The search is real-time and filters the list as you type.
Can I change ticket priority after creation?
Yes, you can change the priority at any time. Use the priority dropdown in the ticket detail view. Consider updating priority if the situation changes or if you receive new information about the issue's impact.
What happens when I close a ticket?
Closing a ticket marks it as fully completed. The ticket remains in the system for historical records but is filtered out of active ticket lists. You can still view and reference closed tickets, and they appear in customer history and reports.
How do I track ticket resolution time?
The system automatically tracks when tickets are created, when status changes occur, and when tickets are closed. You can view this information in the ticket detail view and use it for performance analysis and reporting.
Can I create tickets from other modules?
Yes, you can create tickets from the Individuals and Organizations modules. When viewing a customer record, you can create a new ticket directly linked to that customer, making it easy to log support requests during customer interactions.