Ticket categories play a crucial role in organizing and routing internal employee queries to the appropriate teams. Each category can be uniquely configured to reflect a department or type of issue (e.g., IT Support, Payroll Queries, Facility Requests) and include specific SLAs, agents, and visibility rules.
Where to Begin
To create a new category in the Helpdesk module:
- Navigate to : Control Panel -> Helpdesk -> Manage Category.
- Click on the Add Category button
This will open a form where you can define the category's behavior and access rules.
Fields to Define While Creating a Category
Below is a detailed explanation of each field you’ll need to configure:
1. Title
- What it does: The name of the category (e.g., "IT Support", "Payroll Queries")
- Why it matters: This is what employees will select when raising a ticket
2. Description
- Purpose: A brief explanation of what this category covers
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Tip: Write a helpful description for employees to understand when to use it
Example: “Use this category for any salary calculation discrepancies or payment-related issues.”
3. Parent Category (Optional)
- Purpose: Used to nest this category under a broader classification
- Example: A category called "Leave Adjustment" might be a child of "Leave Management"
4. Priority
- Options: Low, Medium, High
- Usage: Defines the urgency level of tickets raised under this category
- Tip: Choose "High" for categories like "Access Denied" or "System Downtime"
5. SLA Duration
- Options: Define in Days or Hours
- Usage: This is the expected timeframe to resolve a ticket under this category
- Example: Salary queries may need to be resolved within 3 business days
6. SLA Time Type: Calendar Time vs Business Time
- Calendar Time: SLA includes weekends and holidays
- Business Time: SLA only includes working days defined in the company calendar
- Tip: Use Business Time for HR or Payroll categories where weekends don’t count
7. Category Owner
- Role: Oversees the overall health of the category, SLA compliance, and resolution quality
- Note: The owner does not handle tickets directly unless also assigned as an agent
8. Users/Agents
- Who they are: The actual team members responsible for responding to and resolving tickets
- Tip: Assign based on department expertise (e.g., assign IT team for "Hardware Issues")
9. Document Mandatory (Optional)
- Usage: Make attaching documents/screenshots compulsory
- Example: Mandatory for categories like “System Bug Report” or “Incorrect Payslip”
10. Visibility Rules
Helps restrict or allow category access based on employee attributes:
- Departments (e.g., Finance, HR)
- Business Units
- Locations
- Entities
Example: Only Finance team members can raise tickets under the "Budget Allocation" category.
Final Step: Save
Once all required fields are filled in and configurations are complete:
- Click Save to create the new ticket category
The category will now be available to relevant employees based on the visibility settings.
Example Use Case
Category: Salary Query
- Owner: Payroll Manager
- Agents: Payroll Executives
- Priority: Medium
- SLA: 3 Business Days
- Document Mandatory: Yes (Payslip or screenshot required)
- Visibility: Restricted to Full-time Employees in India location
Best Practices
- Keep category names clear and intuitive
- Use visibility settings to reduce confusion and misrouted tickets
- Regularly review SLA durations to align with team capacity
- Add Canned Messages for frequently raised ticket types in each category