Support Tickets Overview
AccuArk's CRM includes a built-in support ticket system that lets you track customer issues, requests, and inquiries from start to finish. Every support ticket is linked directly to a customer record, which means your team always has full context when resolving a problem. Whether a customer calls about a billing question, reports a product defect, or submits a feature request, the ticket system gives you a structured way to log the issue, assign it to the right person, track its progress, and confirm its resolution.
This article introduces the support ticket system, explains the Tickets tab on the Customer Form, walks through the status workflow and priority levels, describes the available ticket categories, and covers the visibility rules that control who can see which tickets.
The Tickets Tab on the Customer Form
Every customer record in AccuArk has a Tickets tab. This tab is the central hub for all support tickets associated with that particular customer. When you open a customer's record and click the Tickets tab, you see two main elements: a ToolStrip at the top and a ticket grid below.
Accessing the Tickets Tab
- Navigate to Customers in the main menu.
- Select the customer whose tickets you want to review.
- On the Customer Form, click the Tickets tab.
- The tab loads and displays all support tickets for that customer.
The ToolStrip
The ToolStrip at the top of the Tickets tab contains the New Ticket button. Clicking this button opens the Ticket dialog (FrmCRMTicket), where you can create a new support ticket for the current customer. The new ticket is automatically linked to the customer, so you do not need to select the customer manually.
The Ticket Grid
Below the ToolStrip, the ticket grid displays all tickets associated with the customer. Each row represents one ticket, and the grid provides the following columns:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Ticket ID | A unique, auto-generated identifier for the ticket. This number is assigned automatically when the ticket is created and cannot be changed. Use this ID when referencing a ticket in conversations or documentation. |
| Subject | A brief description of the issue or request. This should be concise but descriptive enough that anyone scanning the grid can understand what the ticket is about. |
| Priority | The urgency level of the ticket, displayed as a color-coded badge. The badge color makes it easy to visually scan the grid and identify which tickets need immediate attention. |
| Status | The current state of the ticket in the resolution workflow, also displayed as a color-coded badge. |
| Category | The type of issue the ticket addresses, drawn from a configurable list of ticket categories. |
| Assigned To | The employee who is responsible for handling the ticket. |
| Created | The date and time when the ticket was first created. |
| Updated | The date and time when the ticket was last modified. Any change to the ticket's fields or the addition of a note updates this timestamp. |
You can double-click any row in the grid to open the full Ticket dialog for that ticket. This lets you view the complete details, update fields, change the status, and review or add notes.
Priority Levels
Every support ticket has a priority level that indicates how urgently it needs attention. AccuArk provides four priority levels, each with a distinct badge color so you can identify urgency at a glance.
| Priority | Badge Color | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Low | Gray | The issue is non-urgent and can wait for a convenient time to address. Examples include general questions about features, requests for documentation, or minor cosmetic issues that do not affect functionality. |
| Medium | Blue | Standard priority, and the default for new tickets. Use this for routine issues that should be addressed in a reasonable timeframe but do not require immediate action. Examples include order status inquiries, minor product issues, or general billing questions. |
| High | Orange | The issue needs attention soon. Use this for problems that are actively affecting the customer's experience or operations but are not critical emergencies. Examples include delayed orders, recurring product problems, or disputes that need resolution. |
| Urgent | Red | The issue requires immediate attention. Reserve this level for critical situations that are causing significant impact to the customer. Examples include safety concerns, complete service outages, time-sensitive legal or contractual matters, or situations where the customer is at risk of loss. |
Choosing the Right Priority
When creating a new ticket, the priority defaults to Medium. You should adjust it based on the severity of the issue and its impact on the customer. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself how much the issue is affecting the customer right now and how quickly it needs to be resolved.
Avoid setting every ticket to Urgent or High. If everything is marked as urgent, nothing truly stands out, and your team loses the ability to effectively triage their workload. Reserve High and Urgent for situations that genuinely warrant expedited attention.
Status Workflow
Every ticket follows a defined status workflow that tracks its progress from creation to closure. The workflow consists of four statuses, each representing a stage in the resolution process.
The Four Statuses
| Status | Badge Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Open | (default) | The ticket has been created but work has not yet begun. This is the initial status for all new tickets. |
| In Progress | (active) | Someone is actively working on the issue. The ticket has been picked up by an assigned employee and resolution is underway. |
| Resolved | (success) | The issue has been fixed or the request has been fulfilled. The assigned employee believes the matter is settled. |
| Closed | (completed) | The ticket is finalized. The customer has confirmed that the resolution is satisfactory, or a sufficient period has passed after resolution. |
Status Flow
The standard progression for a ticket is:
Open → In Progress → Resolved → Closed
Each transition is tracked by the system. When a ticket is created, it starts in the Open status. When an employee begins working on it, they move it to In Progress. Once the issue is resolved, they move it to Resolved, at which point the system automatically records the resolved_at timestamp. Finally, when the ticket is confirmed as complete, it moves to Closed, and the system records the closed_at timestamp.
These automatic timestamps are important for reporting and performance tracking. They allow you to measure metrics such as average resolution time (the time between ticket creation and the resolved_at timestamp) and average closure time (the time between creation and closed_at).
Reopening a Ticket
Sometimes a resolved issue resurfaces. If a customer reports that the problem has returned after the ticket was marked as Resolved, you can move the ticket back from Resolved to In Progress. This signals to the team that the issue needs further attention. The resolved_at timestamp is cleared when a ticket is moved back, and a new resolved_at timestamp will be recorded when it is resolved again.
Ticket Categories
Each ticket is assigned a category that classifies the type of issue. Categories help your team organize and filter tickets, identify trends, and route issues to the right people. AccuArk comes with a set of default categories that cover the most common support scenarios:
| Category | Typical Use |
|---|---|
| General Inquiry | Questions that do not fall into a specific category. The customer wants information but does not have a specific problem. |
| Product Issue | Problems with a product the customer purchased, such as defects, damage, incorrect items, or quality concerns. |
| Billing | Questions or disputes related to invoices, payments, charges, credits, or account balances. |
| Returns | Requests to return or exchange a product, including questions about return policies and procedures. |
| Technical Support | Issues that require technical troubleshooting, such as problems with equipment, software, or services. |
| Complaint | Expressions of dissatisfaction with a product, service, or experience. These may require escalation or follow-up. |
| Feature Request | Suggestions from the customer for new features, improvements, or changes to existing products or services. |
These categories are configurable. Your administrator can add new categories, rename existing ones, or deactivate categories that are not relevant to your business. Having well-defined categories makes it easier to run reports on the types of issues your customers encounter most frequently.
Visibility Rules
Not every user can see every ticket. AccuArk controls ticket visibility through a combination of location-level settings and user permissions. This ensures that sensitive customer information is only accessible to the people who need it.
Location-Level Visibility Setting
Each location has a crm_ticket_visibility setting that determines the default scope of ticket visibility for users at that location:
- owner_only — Users can only see tickets that are assigned to them. This is the more restrictive setting and is useful when employees handle their own customer relationships independently. Each person sees only the tickets they are personally responsible for.
- location_wide — Users can see all tickets at their current location, regardless of who the ticket is assigned to. This is useful for collaborative support teams where multiple people may need to assist with any ticket.
Permission-Based Overrides
Two CRM permissions control ticket visibility at the user level:
- CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS — This is the baseline permission required for a user to see any tickets at all. Without this permission, the Tickets tab will not display any ticket data. Every user who needs to work with support tickets should have this permission.
- CRM_VIEW_ALL_TICKETS — This permission overrides the location's visibility setting and allows the user to see all tickets at the location, regardless of who they are assigned to. This is typically granted to managers, supervisors, and administrators who need full visibility for oversight and reporting purposes.
How Visibility Settings Work Together
The location setting and user permissions work in combination:
| Location Setting | User Permission | What the User Sees |
|---|---|---|
| owner_only | CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS | Only tickets assigned to them |
| owner_only | CRM_VIEW_ALL_TICKETS | All tickets at the location |
| location_wide | CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS | All tickets at the location |
| location_wide | CRM_VIEW_ALL_TICKETS | All tickets at the location |
As shown in the table, the CRM_VIEW_ALL_TICKETS permission and the location_wide setting both result in full visibility. The most restrictive scenario is owner_only combined with only the CRM_VIEW_OWN_TICKETS permission, which limits the user to seeing only their own assigned tickets.
Opening a Ticket from the Grid
To view the full details of any ticket, double-click the ticket row in the grid. This opens the Ticket dialog (FrmCRMTicket), which shows all of the ticket's fields, the notes thread, and the full history of the ticket. From the dialog, you can update the status, change the priority, reassign the ticket, add notes, and enter resolution notes.
For detailed instructions on creating and editing tickets, see Creating & Managing Tickets.
Tips for Effective Ticket Management
- Assign every ticket — Unassigned tickets tend to fall through the cracks. Make sure every ticket has a clear owner who is responsible for its resolution.
- Use categories consistently — Consistent categorization helps you identify patterns and allocate resources. If half your tickets are product issues, that tells you something important about your product quality.
- Set priorities thoughtfully — Do not default to High or Urgent. Use the priority levels as designed so your team can triage effectively.
- Update statuses promptly — When you start working on a ticket, move it to In Progress. When the issue is resolved, mark it as Resolved. This keeps the grid accurate and helps managers track workload.
- Review open tickets regularly — Make it a habit to scan the ticket grid for tickets that have been in the Open status for too long. Stale tickets represent unresolved customer issues.
What to Read Next
- Creating & Managing Tickets — Step-by-step guide to creating tickets, editing ticket details, and managing status transitions
- Ticket Notes & Communication — How to use the notes thread for team communication and audit trails