Ticketing systems are nothing new. It’s easy to envision pulling a ticket at the deli counter, waiting for your turn to be served. The idea was quickly adopted by the tech world to ensure a systematic follow-up for all incoming requests. Now, ‘ticket’ in the world of business nearly always leads to an IT department. Have a problem with your computer? Just submit a ticket! Asking for help and sharing a request through a ticket sounds smart — but it rarely works as efficiently as should, often leading to digital dust piling high.
A new landscape
A ticketing system can be a smart and systematic way to manage feedback. Creating an organized method to communicate with your customers or employees is always ideal. Especially since COVID-19 has drastically changed the workforce landscape, ticketing systems offer an efficient way to answer questions and solve problems remotely. As of June 2020, 42% of the U.S. labor force work from home full-time. Results from the Survey of Business Uncertainty show a WFH trend that will increase workdays at home from 5 to 20% in the future.
The IT department is no longer a floor away from your office. There is no quick walk down the hall to check on the status of your ticket. Your inbox is already overflowing with the uptick in telecommunication so notes from customers are promptly lost in the bunch. Technology trends have been leading us towards the need for high quality, UX-friendly feedback management systems like a ticketing tool for a while now. COVID-19 just caused this future to arrive that much sooner.
A novel solution
Unfortunately, plenty of well-intended feedback management systems fall short by failing to provide a positive customer experience. Without a solid documentation system in place, information is lost. A request or concern, once submitted, may never reach the right person. Many times there is no resolution at all. These issues come as no surprise to anyone who has been at the mercy of a ticketing system.
This type of system is what we call an ‘un-closed loop’. Problems aren’t solved and solutions aren’t found with a loop that doesn’t close.
For traditional homes of the ticketing system to survive the increased volume brought on by the pandemic, a new approach is needed. The feedback issues of today need a future-oriented solution. This requires a system that is simple, concise, and creates two-way dialogues that keep your team and the ticket submitter connected.
System Criteria
When looking for a ticketing system, here are some things to keep in mind:
- It should be as uncomplicated as sending an email but with the confidence that it is going to the exact person best able to help.
- Requests, questions, concerns, and even compliments won’t be buried in the backlog but swiftly resolved.
- The software should be cloud-based so there are no location or data restrictions.
Need a new ticket to the future? Investigate the power of a SaaS ticketing system to manage feedback through our SoGoConnect series.