How to Handle Spam and Cancelled Tickets in Autotask

In this article, we’ll explore how to properly track, and report on, Autotask tickets when they are either spam or cancelled (by customer). To do this, we use speedcodes (Ticket Forms) in Autotask to update and route the tickets. We don’t delete them since most users in Autotask should not have the ability to delete tickets, but we move them “out of the way” to ensure they don’t confuse your team.

“Cancelled” and “Spam” Tickets

The default “Complete” status in Autotask serves well when a ticket is successfully resolved. However, there are situations when you need to indicate that a ticket has been canceled or is considered spam. To address this, we’ll introduce the “Cancelled” and “Spam” speedcodes.

“Cancelled” Speedcode

The “Cancelled” speedcode will help you easily identify tickets that have been canceled, ensuring that they are not mistakenly treated as successfully completed tickets. Here’s how to set it up:

• Create a custom User-Defined Field (UDF) named “Cancelled” with a data type of “True/False.”
• Set the “Cancelled” speedcode to mark the “Cancelled” UDF as “True.”
• Change the ticket status to “Complete” to indicate that the ticket is closed.

Using this system, we don’t lose good data by deleting the tickets. Instead, we can now build dashboards and reports to answer the question “which customers are noisy but don’t allow us to solve problems” for example.

“Spam” Speedcode

The “Spam” speedcode is useful for situations where you receive irrelevant or spammy tickets. Using this speedcode, you can segregate these tickets for better organization and reporting:

• Create a custom UDF named “Spam” with a data type of “True/False.”
• Set the “Spam” speedcode to mark the “Spam” UDF as “True.”
• Change the ticket status to “Complete” to indicate that the ticket is closed.
• Additionally, move the ticket to a designated queue named “Spam.”

Benefits of Enhancing Ticket Status Options

By incorporating the “Cancelled” and “Spam” speedcodes and custom UDFs into your Autotask workflow, you can achieve several advantages:

1. Improved Data Accuracy: By marking canceled and spam tickets with specific UDFs, you maintain a more accurate record of your service history.
2. Efficient Reporting: Separate queues for canceled and spam tickets make it easier to generate relevant reports and insights.
3. Streamlined Workflow: You can swiftly identify and manage tickets with these new status options, enhancing your overall workflow efficiency.

Conclusion

Enhancing ticket status options in Autotask with the “Cancelled” and “Spam” speedcodes and custom User-Defined Fields can greatly improve your ticket management process. These modifications help prevent confusion between successfully completed tickets and those that have been canceled or marked as spam, ultimately leading to more accurate records and a streamlined workflow. This customization allows you to tailor Autotask to your specific needs and improve the efficiency of your MSP business.