Handling customer self closing tickets

[wheelshot]

Hi guys,

We're planning to put OTRS in production over here and here's something we're not sure on how to implement and I'd like to get some cue on how you guys handle it on your side.

Do you guys let the customers closing their tickets by themselves? If so, how do you proceed?

At the moment, we're hidding the ticket state on ticket zoon on customer side cause it has a lot of problems that I'm trying to find solutions. For example, if an agent puts a ticket in pending state with a pending date cause he's suppose to get a shipping part at that date and the customer goes in the ticket and add some comments + send, it resets the state to open and the agent looses its info and task planification.

I know I can use ACLs to limit ticket states and use events to notify agents that the customer changed his ticket status, but I think it needs a little polishing or maybe im missing something.

Also, I'd surely create a new ticket state so that I can distinguish how much ticket has been closed by customer so it could be excluded from certain stats, etc.

Thanks for your input and help!

[RStraub]

You could either define a custom pending state that doesn't re-open on notes,
or you could use a dynamic field to let your agents plan certain dates.

And yes, we let our customers close, but they rarely do it

[crythias]

Or split the ticket for the subtasks.

[wheelshot]

You could either define a custom pending state that doesn't re-open on notes,
or you could use a dynamic field to let your agents plan certain dates.

And yes, we let our customers close, but they rarely do it

I though of that, but creating too many states will make my agents be confused over too much. Also, the dynamic field is a good idea, but I dont like not using core functionality like pending reminders, etc. that are already tested and fully functionnal as is.

As for the customer closing their own tickets, in here, with our actual helpdesk, we're around 10-12% of self closing tickets from customers. So its a couple hundreds a month which are worth it on our side but I hear ya haha!

Thanks for the feedback!

[wheelshot]

Or split the ticket for the subtasks.

I might end recommend that way of working, but what is hard that way is that I cant "control" agents behaviour to split the ticket VS using configs or acls to fix the ticket process.

I'll continue my search of OTRS wisdom

Thanks for your feedback Crythias!

[crythias]

I cant "control" agents behaviour to split the ticket VS using configs or acls to fix the ticket process.

Possible ACL:
Ticket Properties Database State = "Awaiting Vendor"
Interface CustomerTicketMessage

Ticket PossibleNot State "Closed"

(roughly speaking).

Of course this only affects web followups not email. Email followups change state is a PITA, but mostly I want to change the code to check current state through PostMaster FollowUp and keep it rather than use next state.

[wheelshot]

I like it! Thanks for your suggestion again.

[wurzel]

Hi,

maybe you should think about processes with Dialogues for the Customer.


Or re-think the education/training of your agents/customers

Florian

[wurzel]

*double post* sorry