A Proper Support Ticket

No matter how hard we may try, sometimes issues may still arise, and at Sardistel we want our customers to have the best experience as possible when trying to troubleshoot a problem, no matter what that problem may be.

We have worked to streamline our process as much as possible, so that it helps our customers and employees alike achieve that. The following article will hopefully not only help you, our customer, understand our process a little better, but also help make sure that you have the easiest time as possible when a problem may arise.

Do's & Don'ts of a Support Ticket

When describing what issue you may be having, please be as detailed as possible. This helps ensure we are able to understand and address your issue in the best way possible. The following are a few Do's and Don'ts when creating a support ticket and describing your issue.

Do's

  • Do be as detailed and thorough as possible.

  • Do be as concise as possible.

  • Do be as polite and professional as possible.

  • Do be open separate support tickets for separate issues.

Don'ts

  • Don't submit one word or one sentence requests.

  • Don't  include details that are not relevant to the issue.

  • Don't include multiple issues within one support ticket.

  • Don't be rude or derogatory.

All the Correct Details

When filling out the support ticket, we need as many details as possible so that we can fully understand what the problem is. So one word or one sentence support tickets normally will not be enough for our staff to understand what the issue may be. Likewise, a long-winded and wordy support ticket with details that do not pertain to the issue at hand is also not only unhelpful, but can also slow down the process. For instance, here are some examples of  poorly-written and well-written support tickets.

Bad Example 1:
"My internet is out."

In this example, the description of the issue is so short and undescriptive, that our staff would have no good place to start when trying to troubleshoot what might be going on.

Bad Example 2:
"Yesterday my sister came into town from Tennessee for the family reunion we're having this weekend. She was upstairs trying to watch one of her favorite shows on Netflix when it stopped playing. My son tried to help her, but wasn't able to figure out what was going on. He said that he thinks it could be the modem, but isn't completely sure."

In this example, the support ticket is much more descriptive, but does not include any relevant details that we need to troubleshoot the issue. It let's us know that the internet isn't working, but beyond that we have very little detail.

Better Example:
"Yesterday around 2:30pm, our power went out and when it came back on, our internet was no longer working. My sister was watching Netflix and was the only one using the internet at that time. My son checked our device, which is the small black ATT Modem, and noticed that there was a flashing red light on the front of it.

In this example, we are given very useful information that allows us to troubleshoot not only what happened leading up to the outage, but what might be causing the outage afterwards. We know exactly what time the outage occurred, that there was a power outage leading up to the internet going down, that there were not many people using the internet at that time, the exact modem that the customer is using, and what status lights were on the device. All of these details gives our technical staff a great starting point to troubleshoot the issue.

Other Details to Include

Along with a well-written description of what your issue may be, there are also certain pieces of information that we request to also help assist us in troubleshooting your issue.

  • Speedtest Data - Visit speedtest.net and fast.com to run a speedtest on your connection. Take either a picture of screenshot of the results and upload it to your support ticket when submitting it. Do at least two speedtests on each site, and make sure that there are no other devices using your internet connection while the test is running. This can slow your connection speed and give faulty results.

  • Pictures of Your Devices - Take a picture of the front of your modem and router with the status lights clearly visible. Also, take a picture of the devices several feet away so that we can see what is around them (if they're next to a window, surrounded by metal items, underneath anything that could block a strong signal, etc)

  • Signal Strength Issues - In addition to a well-written description of the overall problem, also include details about your average signal strength. If speeds are always slow, let us know. If speeds are just slow between certain times, or when using certain applications, provide that information as well. The more details like that we have, the easier it is to troubleshoot what is happening.

  • Any Steps You've Taken - Include any steps that you may have taken on your own to remedy the issue. If you've unplugged the modem and plugged it back in, let us know. If you've moved the modem closer to a window, let us know.

Departments & Multiple Issues

When filling out a support ticket, we also request that you please submit the ticket to the most appropriate department. We currently have four departments to choose from: Sales, Support, Delivery, and Employment. In addition, we also ask that if you have multiple issues that you please fill out multiple tickets. This helps make sure the appropriate staff members are reviewing the appropriate tickets. If your internet is currently out and you have a question about a billing, please open one ticket for the internet outage issue, and a separate ticket with your billing question.

Third Party Issues

Please be aware that if your issue is with a service outside of our network, we would not have control over that and may not be able to assist.  For example, if you have an issue with Hulu, or DirectTV  Now, you will need to contact them directly. We have no control over third party services, content, or devices.

Some Self-Troubleshooting

We at Sardistel try to be as helpful and quick as possible when responding to tickets, but our staff is not your traditional "big corporate" customer service. We have a smaller staff, and do not outsource any of our support, so every support ticket is handled in-house, by us. Because of this, we may not be able to review every ticket as quickly as we would like, so we try to provide the tools that our customers can use to hopefully be able to troubleshoot some issues themselves.

Helpful Tools

  • Our Welcome Guide - You can download and view our Sardistel Welcome Guide by visiting our Downloads Page. The welcome guide not only includes instructions on how to setup your equipment, but also some helpful information on troubleshooting speed and connection issues.

  • Your Order Confirmation Email - When your order is placed, you'll receive an order confirmation email. This includes helpful information pertaining to:

    • Helpdesk Ticket System

    • When your billing period begins

    • Your Order details

We Thank You!

In the end, we want to thank each and every one of our customers and we are proud that you are part of our Sardistel family. When an issue arises, we want the overall process to be as quick, seamless, and helpful as possible to both our customers and employees alike. If you have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you!

Create A Support Ticket Now!