All calls received by the Help Desk are recorded in a call tracking database in the form of a Help Desk "ticket." This data is used to produce statistics to track the progress of the Help Desk.

For each ticket entered the Help Desk needs the following information:

• Your tartan card number
• Full name (even if asking a quick question, a full name is needed to record the information)
• Phone number
• E-mail address ( if available)
• A detailed description of the problem. This includes what was being done when the problem occurred, the exact wording of the error message (if any), etc.

The Help Desk needs to know if this is a recurring problem. The Help Desk will determine a priority based on the problem description. Since circumstances vary, the priority is based on the individual's situation. If the Help Desk Analyst is unable to resolve the problem, the customer will be given a ticket number for reference. Refer to this number when calling back regarding the same problem.

(If requesting software in a classroom, faculty/staff will need to use the Software Request Form). 

Assigning Priorities

When a call is placed to the Help Desk and a ticket is entered, a priority for the problem is established. Guidelines are in place to help the analyst decide which calls require the highest priority.

NOTE: If a problem is Critical or an Emergency contact the Help Desk by phone. 

The priorities are listed below. Included is a time estimate for each priority and some examples of those situations.

Severity ID	Expected Response	Description
VIP	Immediate	College Administrators
Critical	1 hour	System Wide network problems or issues effecting multiple users
Emergency	4 hours	Single user down with no temporary resolution possible
High	2-4 business days or 36 hours	High priority issue
Standard	5-7 business days or 63 hours	Low priority issue