Comment Force Users to submit tickets (Score 1) 110
In my organization, we do not have a telephone number for the help desk. If someone has an emergency, they come running. Otherwise, they go to a web site dedicated to the IT department, where they log in with their domain username and password, then submit a helpdesk ticket. Once they submit the ticket, the system sends an email to all helpdesk responders notifying that a new ticket has been added.
The first person to pickup the ticket assigns it to himself, then must update the ticket to close it, or elevate it, or whatever. I could not get anyone to log anything when someone would call in and whoever answered would simply jump and go fix the problem. But, since now we are notified when new tickets are added, we handle it much easier. There really wasn't any problem setting it up either, and what I've found is the people who just don't get it and can't fill out the helpdesk form, which is as simple as you can get considering all the user info is supplied when they log in, they ask someone else to help them...
It may not be perfect, and it can still slip sometimes, but if you just put a board outside your office door with a web address, include it in your signatures, people will catch on, start informing your users to use this and tell them they will get speadier responses if they use it, also, if they show they have a high call volume and things aren't getting resolved quick enough, it is proof to management you need to hire more help. THe users usually really like this as it makes them feel more involved. Even if we, the BOFH's, really know their requests are simply dumping into the /bit/bucket ...
The first person to pickup the ticket assigns it to himself, then must update the ticket to close it, or elevate it, or whatever. I could not get anyone to log anything when someone would call in and whoever answered would simply jump and go fix the problem. But, since now we are notified when new tickets are added, we handle it much easier. There really wasn't any problem setting it up either, and what I've found is the people who just don't get it and can't fill out the helpdesk form, which is as simple as you can get considering all the user info is supplied when they log in, they ask someone else to help them...
It may not be perfect, and it can still slip sometimes, but if you just put a board outside your office door with a web address, include it in your signatures, people will catch on, start informing your users to use this and tell them they will get speadier responses if they use it, also, if they show they have a high call volume and things aren't getting resolved quick enough, it is proof to management you need to hire more help. THe users usually really like this as it makes them feel more involved. Even if we, the BOFH's, really know their requests are simply dumping into the
