Tickets
Package: SERVICE
1. General
The Tickets module is used to record, process and complete customer requests – e.g. faults, service requests, change requests or information requests.
Tickets can be created in the following ways:
- Manually in the Tickets module
- Automatically via Automations – also based on incoming emails via an email account connected through IMAP
- Via the integrations Jira and Jira Service Management
Tickets can be linked to Contracts in order to measure and evaluate reaction times and support cases (only available in the APP version brainX APP).
A customer sends a support request by email. An automation recognises the email based on predefined rules and automatically creates a ticket with the subject as the Title, the contact as related to, and the ticket source set to Email. The responsible support employee processes the ticket and enters the solution in the Solution block.
A support employee needs further information from the customer. In the External Comments block a new comment is written and a screenshot is added as an attachment. The Status is set to waiting for input. Once the reply has been received, the ticket is processed further and finally set to closed.
This section only describes special fields or functionalities of the module, since all general brainX functionalities are described elsewhere in the handbook.
2. List View
The list view in the Tickets module offers the usual functionalities of a list view. For more detailed information, see the section Layout/Structure - List View.
2.1. Actions
In the list view, general actions are available – depending on the module. An overview and description of all general actions can be found in the section Actions (List View).
Module-specific actions are not available in this module.
3. Detail View
3.1. Fields
The following table describes mandatory fields as well as fields whose function is not self-explanatory. All other fields are self-explanatory.
Base data block
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title * | Name of the ticket |
| Priority |
|
| Status |
|
| Ticket source |
|
| Category |
|
*Mandatory field
Additional details - Data for automations
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Escalation level |
|
| Customer reply without reaction | Checkbox/toggle. Indicates whether a customer reply is still outstanding and the escalation process is active. Set and controlled by the automation. |
| first reaction (date) | Date and time of the first support reply to the ticket. Filled in automatically by the automation. |
| last customer reply | Date and time of the customer's last reply. Filled in automatically by the automation. |
| closed on (date) | Date and time the ticket was completed. Filled in automatically by the automation. |
| first reaction after hours | Calculated field: time difference in hours between the creation date and the first support reply. Used for SLA evaluation. |
| closed after hours | Calculated field: time difference in hours between the creation date and the closed on date. Used for SLA evaluation. |
Solution block
In the Solution block, the answer to a question or a problem is entered manually.
External Comments block
The "External Comments" block is used for all communication with the customer over the lifecycle of a ticket. New comments can be recorded directly in the block via the "New comment" button – without having to fully open the record in the editing view.
In the editing view, file attachments – e.g. screenshots, PDF files or log files – can be added to the comment via the "Add attachment" action icon (the "paperclip" icon). Attached files are displayed in the block with their file names; a preview is possible via the "magnifying glass" icon and deletion via the "bin" icon.
Comment sources
External comments can have two different sources:
- Source internal: The comment was written by support. The automation recognises this and automatically sends the reply to the customer by email.
- Source external: The comment originates from a customer's reply by email. The automation recognises this and sends an internal notification to the responsible support employee.
The source is set automatically by the automation and is not to be filled in manually.
Attachments: difference between the initial entry and follow-up emails
Attachments contained in the initial email (ticket creation) are – provided this is configured accordingly in the automation – created as separate documents in the ticket and displayed in the "Documents" block.
Attachments from follow-up emails (replies from the customer or from support) are stored as attachments on the respective external comment and are visible directly in the comment.
3.2. Actions
The following actions are available in the detail view:
3.2.1. General Actions
- PDF Export
- Recommend
- Copy
- Delete
- Change tracking
For detailed information on the actions, see the section Actions (Detail View).
3.2.2. Module-specific Actions
| Action | Prerequisite | Functionality |
|---|---|---|
| New Deal | – | Creates a new deal and links it to the ticket |
| New Email | Configured email account | Opens the email editor with reference to the ticket |
4. Practical Examples
1 – Automatically create a support ticket from an incoming email
A customer sends a support request by email to the support email account. An automation is configured to monitor incoming emails via the email account connected through IMAP and to automatically create a ticket based on predefined rules. The subject of the email is used as the Title, the ticket source is set to Email, and the recognised contact is linked in the related to field.
The responsible support employee receives a notification, opens the ticket and starts processing it. The Priority is assessed and set to high, the Category to Technical problem. Once the problem has been solved, the answer is entered in the Solution block and the status is set to closed.
2 – Handle queries to the customer via external comments
A support employee is processing a ticket and needs further information from the customer in order to solve the problem. In the External Comments block, a comment is written directly in the record via the New comment button, without having to open the entire record in the editing view. An explanatory screenshot is added via the Add attachment action icon.
The Status of the ticket is set to waiting for input to signal that a customer reply is outstanding. As soon as the customer replies and the required information is available, the ticket is processed further, the solution is documented in the Solution block, and the status is set to closed.
3 – Follow up a sales opportunity from within a ticket
While processing a support ticket, it turns out that the customer is interested in an add-on product. The support employee forwards this interest directly by creating a deal from within the ticket via the module-specific action New Deal and linking it to the ticket.
The deal is shared with the responsible sales employee, who continues the process. The link between the ticket and the deal is retained, so the origin of the sales opportunity remains traceable at all times.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
In which package is the Tickets module available?
The Tickets module is available in the service package.
In what ways can tickets be created?
Tickets can be created manually in the Tickets module, automatically via automations – also based on incoming emails via an email account connected through IMAP – or via the integrations Jira and Jira Service Management.
What is the "External Comments" block used for?
The External Comments block is mainly used for communication with the customer when support still has queries or needs further information. New comments can be recorded directly in the block via the New comment button, without having to fully open the record in the editing view. File attachments such as screenshots or log files can be added via the Add attachment action icon.
What is the difference between the "Solution" block and the "External Comments" block?
The Solution block is used for the internal documentation of the answer or solution to a ticket – it is intended for the final recording of the problem resolution. The External Comments block, on the other hand, is intended for the ongoing dialogue with the customer, for example for queries, interim updates or the transmission of attachments.
Can tickets be linked to contracts in order to measure reaction times?
Yes, but this function is only available in the brainX APP. By linking a ticket to a contract, reaction times and support cases can be measured and evaluated.
Can I create a deal directly from within a ticket?
Yes. Via the module-specific action New Deal in the ticket's detail view, a new deal is created directly and linked to the ticket – e.g. when a sales opportunity arises from a support case.
Why does the status not change when the customer replies to a still-open ticket?
This is intentional. If the customer replies to a ticket that still has the status open – i.e. before support has even replied – the status should not be changed. Open signals that no support reaction has occurred yet. A status change to, for example, Customer reply received would misrepresent this state.
The automation therefore distinguishes between two cases: if the customer reply comes in on an already-processed ticket (status ≠ open), the status changes to Customer reply received. If it comes in on a still-open ticket, the status remains open and only the comment is saved.
What happens if the customer does not respond to a support reply?
The automation “8.3 | Support: no reaction customer" monitors tickets where a customer reply is outstanding. The process:
- After 4 days without a customer reply, the customer receives a first reminder by email.
- After 6 days, the customer receives a second reminder with a note that the ticket will be closed automatically in 2 days if no reaction occurs.
- After 8 days, the ticket is automatically set to closed. The customer is informed of this by comment.
If the customer replies within this period, all scheduled actions that have not yet been carried out are automatically deleted and the process stops.
What are the "First reaction in hours" and "Closed after hours" fields used for?
These fields are calculated automatically by the automation and are used for the SLA evaluation in the Reports module:
- First reaction in hours: Measures how quickly support reacted to a new ticket (time difference between the creation date and the first support reply).
- Closed after hours: Measures the total processing time of a ticket (time difference between the creation date and the completion date).
By evaluating these values across multiple tickets, it is possible to check whether the defined SLA times are being met on average, and outliers in either direction can be identified.