Trouble Ticket Templates
It can be quite confusing and time consuming to read a long trouble ticket log to determine what the problem is and what steps have been taken to resolve the problem. This can be avoided by using templates. Let me give you some examples.
ATTEMPT:
RESULT:
CAUSE:
TROUBLESHOOTING:
FIX:
Copy and paste this into the ticket and start filling it out. ‘Attempt’ is what the user is trying to do. ‘Result’ is what happens when they try. ‘Cause’ is what caused the problem, if known. ‘Troubleshooting’ would contain a summary of all the troubleshooting steps taken. ‘Fix’ is what steps actually resolved the problem.
Not every step is necessary for every problem. If a user needs their password reset, there’s little need to fill out Troubleshooting, just Fix. In fact, for very simple problems, you could use an abbreviated template:
PROBLEM:
FIX:
A general rule would be to use the longer template for any tickets you have to pass on to someone else.
If you work in an environment that has a number of everyday problems, keep a bunch of these templates in your text file already filled out as much as you can. You can also do this for short-term issues. For example, let’s say a recent patch installed on a server used to verify VPN logins caused a problem where every user was locked out. You’re of course going to see a spike in calls, so make yourself a template:
ATTEMPT: Logging in via VPN
RESULT: Error message: Access Denied
CAUSE: Server patch causing account lockouts.
TROUBLESHOOTING: None needed - known issue.
FIX: Unlocked user’s VPN account and verified they could log in.
There you go. Type it up once then copy and paste it for every VPN call related to this problem.
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