Creating the Perfect Help Desk Ticket

Here are a few simple things every user can do to help the IT Department resolve issues quickly and efficiently:

• Describe the issue. The more descriptive, the better. For example, a ticket report stating "internet not working" or "wifi is out" is unhelpful because it contains almost zero detail of the problem. Instead, adding some detail would help the IT staff zero in on the problem. A more descriptive ticket would be "No wifi in building B, room 16" because it states the problem and location. An even better ticket would be "No wifi in building B, room 16 from 10am-12pm", as this provides IT with a time range that we can search for in the log files. Include any troubleshooting steps you may have taken and their results. For example, "I can get to Google and other websites, but can't access Renweb" or "My computer gets an IP address of [insert IP address here], but a traceroute stops after the default gateway".
• Categorize the issue. Try to help IT categorize the issue. For example, if the problem is affecting multiple users across the entire network or if the problem is limited to certain devices, let us know so that we can escalate the issue to the appropriate IT team member.
• Prioritize the issue. Mark the ticket with the priority you feel is appropriate. High-urgency issues, such as issues affecting classroom instruction, will be addressed before low-urgency issues. Keep in mind that the IT team receives many tickets, so please help the IT staff identify and tackle the important problems first by properly prioritizing your support ticket.