Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS

About Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS

Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS is designed to automate the process of allocating tickets among departments and admin users. The allocation is performed on the basis of three determinants (keywords, products and ticket priorities) within the office hours, which can be configured for each department. The module will allow you to set the limit of tickets opened per admin. It also has the option to send automatic notifications as reminders that a ticket remains unanswered. Moreover, you will be able to set the deadline for a reply. If destined admin user exceeds it, the ticket is reassigned to another staff member.

• Automation Features:

✔ Assign Tickets Basing On Defined Rules Automatically

✔ Move Tickets Between Departments If No Assignee Is Found

✔ Define Tickets Movement Between Departments Using Reserve Departments

✔ Reassign Ticket If 'No Reply Time' Has Passed

✔ Send Email And HipChat No Reply Notifications

✔ Assign Tickets In Departments Within Their Office Hours Only

• Admin Area Features:

✔ Create Rules Defining Tickets Assignment

✔ Define Department Office Hours And Reserve Department

✔ Define Lines Of Support Per Department

✔ Assign HipChat Room For Each Department

✔ Base Configuration:

✔ Allow Assignment To Offline Administrators

✔ Trigger Office Hours Usage

✔ Allow Tickets Movement Between Departments

✔ Define Failover Department For Tickets Movement

✔ Allow Tickets Rejection

✔ Configure Notifications

✔ Configure HipChat Notifications

✔ Define Reassignment Time

✔ View Brief Summary Of Tickets Assignment

✔ View Logs

• Rule Features:

✔ Assign Admin Users

✔ Define Keywords And Relations Between Them

✔ Set Up Maximum Tickets Limit

✔ Choose Products Triggering Rule Without Keyword Check

✔ Choose Ticket Priorities Required For Checking Rule

• General Info:

✔ HipChat Integration - Notify Admins About Awaiting Tickets Via HipChat

✔ Multi-Language Support

✔ Supports PHP 5.3 Up To PHP 7

✔ Supports WHMCS V6 and V7

Installation

This tutorial will show you how to successfully install and configure Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS. We will guide you step by step through the whole installation and configuration process.

1. Log in to your client area and download Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS.

2. Upload and extract the module into the main WHMCS directory. Files in your WHMCS directory should look like these.

3. When you install Tickets Allocator for the first time you have to rename 'license_RENAME.php' file. File is located in 'modules/addons/SupportTicketsAllocator/license_RENAME.php' . Rename it from 'license_RENAME.php' to 'license.php' .

4. In order to configure your license key, you have to edit the previously renamed 'license.php' file. Enter your license key between quotation marks as presented on the following screen. You can find your license key in your client area → 'My Products' .

5. Now you have to activate the module in your WHMCS system. Log in to your WHMCS admin area. Go to 'Setup' → 'Addon Modules' . Afterwards, find 'Support Tickets Allocator' and press 'Activate' button.

6. In the next step you need to permit access to this module. To do so click on 'Configure' button, tick 'Access Control' near desired admin role groups and press 'Save Changes' .

7. You have just successfully installed Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS! You can access you module under 'Addons' → 'Support Tickets Allocator' .

Configuration and Management

Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS will coordinate and systematize the work of your support team through the most efficient and dynamic allocation of tickets to adequate people. Additionally, you can adjust the allocation rules according to your personal and business needs.

Configuration

In 'Configurations' page you can set all rules according to which Tickets will be allocated to certain departments and then admin users.

Cron Jobs

First of all, you need to set up a Cron Job. We suggest that it should be run every 5 minutes to keep track of all tickets as they arise. Every cron job run will detect all unassigned tickets and attempt to allocate them to the most adequate admin users in accordance to the rules set.

Let's have a look now at the rules you may issue.

Settings

In 'Settings' part you can state which rules shall be enabled and taken into consideration while allocating tickets: Online Admins - decide if tickets shall be assigned to both online and offline administrators or to online administrators only. Office Hours - decide if tickets shall be allocated into departments with respect to the hours departments work. You will declare the hours later on. Reserve Departments - decide if reserve departments shall be allowed. If you enable this option, you will be able to define reserve departments which will be second in line to be chosen to allocate the ticket to, provided the first department does not currently correspond with the requirements. Default Reserve Department - state here a department that will be automatically chosen to allocate the ticket to if no other reserve department meets the conditions. Ticket Rejection - decide if admin users shall have the right to refuse to accept the ticked directed to them. Admin API User - enter here an admin user who will not be visible as a logged in user and will not be included in the allocation process.

Notifications

Set 'Notifications' standards: No Reply Notification Time - notification will be sent to an admin user if assigned ticket remains unanswered for the specified here period of time No Reply Email Notification - email reminder will be sent to an admin user if assigned ticket remains unanswered No Reply HipChat Notification - reminder will be sent to an admin user through HipChat if assigned ticket remains unanswered No Reply HipChat Private Notification - private reminder will be sent to an admin user through HipChat if assigned ticket remains unanswered New Ticket HipChat Notification - notification about new ticket will be sent to an admin user through HipChat New Ticket HipChat Private Notification - private notification about new ticket will be sent to an admin user through HipChat HipChat API Token - if you enabled HipChat Notification, enter HipChat API variable here to connect; test connection then HipChat Notify - defines if notifications will be send via HipChat HipChat Message Color - allows you to define notifications background color

Tickets

Manage 'Tickets' set-up here: Maximum Tickets - define the upper limit number of tickets an admin user can have assigned No Reply Time - If ticket remains unanswered for specified here time period, it will be redirected to another available admin user

Departments

In 'Departments' tab you can view and edit all the support departments that exist in your WHMCS system. On the following screen you can see a list of departments with: name of the department its email address assigned admin users office hours - if enabled

Configure department's settings: 1. Define working hours of the department - provided option 'Office Hours' has been enabled. 2. Choose 'Reserve Department' - in case the number of allocated tickets has been exceeded or the department is currently beyond its office hours, the ticket will be redirected to this reserve department - provided option 'Reserve Departments' has been enabled. 3. Assign HipChat room to department 4. Define lines of support - You can define manner in which tickets will be assigned to administrators.

Module tries to assign ticket to admins from 1st line of support, then 2nd and at the end to 3rd line. However, each line of support tickets assignment is divided into 4 steps. Which means that every administrator must undergo a check before the next step is checked. Steps: Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes a product and key words. Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes a product only Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes key words Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes only the number of ticket the admin can have assigned.

Rules

In 'Rules' section you are allowed to add new management rules, edit the already existing ones and delete them if no longer needed. In order to add new rule specifications follow these steps:

1.Press Add Rule button. 2.Fill in the necessary data in the box that will appear: Name - name the new rule Admin Users - assign admins that will belong to that group Maximum Tickets - define the upper limit of tickets that can be assigned to a user within this rule Add Keywords - define words which if appear in a ticket will be a key factor in assignment process This field is not obligatory. Keyword adding rules : use comma separator to add more than one word AND - all added words must appear in a ticket OR - at least one of the added words must appear in a ticket Products - enumerate products here, tickets concerning only these products will be assigned to this group of admin users This field is not obligatory, if you leave it blank, tickets concerning any products will be assigned to this administrator group. Ticket Priorities - only tickets with declared here priorities can be assigned according to this group of admin users This field is not obligatory, if you leave it blank, tickets of any priority will be assigned to admin users from this group.

If you have already added some rules, you will see their list with name, assigned admin users and maximum number of allowed tickets. Edit or delete rule specifications at any time if you wish.

Dashboard

In the main view of Support Ticket Allocator For WHMCS you will find the most crucial information gathered into three simple, clear and convenient boards. We will skim through them quickly now to make sure everything is comprehensible.

Summary

Table including current tickets assignment statistics number of currently opened tickets number of successfully assigned tickets number of tickets that are not assigned yet actual time on server

Automation

'Automation' table includes information concerning Cron Jobs when cron was run for the last time time period last cron covered number of tickets assigned in the last cron run number of tickets still not unassigned tickets that do not match any allocation rules percentage efficiency of assignments

Staff Online

Table including a list of currently logged in admin users, except the user enumerated as Admin API User, with basic data on them Admin Username number of tickets assigned to the user declared maximum number of possible tickets number of tickets that still can be assigned to the admin user

Tickets Rejection

Module allows admin to reject any ticket if 'Ticket Rejection' is enabled. This can be useful while experimenting with keywords. Rejected ticket will not be assigned to the admin again unless rejection is canceled.

Any rejection can be canceled by the admin from the same place.

Logs

'Logs' section provides all information concerning any actions that took place in the system. You will find there entries with an ID number of the ticket, date of the action and a short description of the action, such as: tickets assigned information on notifications sent inability to assign tickets ticket rejection, etc Logs are updated with every Cron run and on every action taken, for example when a new ticket has been submitted. You can delete a single entry or all entries at once.

Documentation

If you press 'Documentation' tab, you will be straightforwardly redirected to the site you are currently reading. Read the articles to find all you need to know to use Support Tickets Allocator For WHMCS in full.

Logic

Module may seem complicated, below you can find two graphs illustrating how the module actually works. Note 1: Following graphs do not show usage of failover department. It is used when all other reserve departments are checked. Note 2: Module tries to assign ticket to admin from failover department, if previous assignment try fails. Ticket is left unassigned until next cron run if this also fails. Note 3: Module sorts admins from department by lines of support and according to the below steps: Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes a product and key words. Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes a product only Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes key words Ticket can be assigned on the basis of a rule that includes only the number of ticket the admin can have assigned.

Common Problems

1. When you have problems with connection, check whether your SELinux or firewall does not block ports.