When your organization partners with a managed IT provider, the way support tickets are handled can make or break daily operations. While your MSP should do most of the work, it is still somewhat of a collaborative effort. That’s why you also need to understand how to handle IT support tickets.
| “A well-structured ticketing process empowers users and IT teams alike by setting clear expectations and driving accountability at every step.” – Tony Rushin, Marketing Vice President, Network 1 Consulting |
If you don’t discuss expectations with your MSP, they may not handle tickets the way you envisioned. That’s why it’s important to choose a provider that aligns with your support needs from the start.
We previously discussed how to choose an MSP in another blog post. This article is focused on how to navigate your side of the partnership. We will explore how to handle IT support tickets with your managed IT provider so you can solve your IT issues as efficiently as possible.
What Are Some of The Most Common Trouble Tickets IT Support?
Recognizing the most common IT support tickets can help you spot patterns that affect your business. When those issues go unaddressed, they can lead to unnecessary downtime and higher costs. By identifying recurring problems, you can take proactive steps, such as offering targeted user training, to prevent them from happening as often.
Of course, you should use industry-specific KPIs to pinpoint your organization’s specific patterns, but there are some common challenges that most IT support teams encounter regularly.
| Common Trouble Ticket | Description | Business Impact |
| Password Resets | Requests to reset forgotten or expired passwords. | Causes user downtime and disrupts workflow until resolved. |
| Printer and Peripheral Issues | Problems with printers, fax machines, or other connected devices. | Outdated or unreliable hardware can slow processes and frustrate staff. |
| Network Connectivity Problems | Difficulty connecting to the internet or internal networks. | Can halt productivity across teams until resolved. |
| Software Installation and Updates | Requests to install or update software applications. | Important for security and compliance; scheduling is key to minimize user disruption. |
| Access and Permissions Requests | Requests for new or escalated access to systems and files. | Accounts for 18% of tickets; delays can bottleneck productivity without clear protocols. |
How to Reduce Invalid Technical Support Tickets
One of the simplest ways you can streamline your IT support service is by reducing the number of invalid tickets your users send. Some research suggests that as many as 22% to 79% of requests are either “duplicate,” “invalid,” or “incomplete” requests. That’s 22% to 79% of your IT support team’s time that could be reallocated to valid requests.
Here are some strategies that your business can implement to reduce the chances of your team submitting invalid requests.
Standardize Ticket Categories
Create clear and consistent ticket categories in your IT system. Each category should define the type of issue, urgency, and affected system. This structure guides users to select the right option instead of submitting unclear requests.
When users know exactly where their issue belongs, it minimizes confusion and prevents duplicate or irrelevant submissions. Over time, your team gains cleaner data that helps identify recurring issues and plan proactive solutions.
Require Mandatory Fields
Configure your ticketing system to include mandatory fields for details like device name, operating system, and issue description. This forces users to provide the information your technicians need to start troubleshooting.
Mandatory fields also reduce back-and-forth communication and eliminate incomplete tickets. The result is faster resolution times and better user satisfaction.
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Offer Self-Service Resources
Provide easy access to an internal knowledge base or FAQ portal before users submit tickets. Include guides for common issues such as password resets, printer errors, or email access. This approach empowers employees to solve simple problems themselves and decreases ticket volume while teaching users how to identify valid issues that truly need IT intervention.
Plus, research indicates that 61% of people would rather use self-service resources instead of calling an IT support technician.
Automate Ticket Routing
Use automation rules to route tickets based on keywords, categories, or departments. Intelligent routing ensures the right technician receives the right ticket immediately.
Accurate routing prevents tickets from being bounced between teams, which frustrates users and wastes time. It also helps identify when multiple users report the same issue, allowing the system to merge duplicates automatically.
Train Users on Ticket Quality
Conduct brief, recurring training sessions to show employees how to submit effective requests. Use real examples to illustrate what makes a ticket valid or invalid.
Training sessions reinforce expectations and create shared accountability between users and IT staff. Over time, your organization will develop a culture that values clear and efficient communication.
Use Ticket Templates
Develop pre-built ticket templates for frequent issues such as software installation or network access. Templates guide users to include all relevant details automatically.
This consistency improves ticket accuracy and makes it easier for technicians to identify the problem quickly. It also reduces the likelihood of missing critical information that can delay resolution.
How to Track Support Tickets With Your MSP
When your employees submit IT support tickets, clarity and transparency are essential for minimizing downtime and frustration. Knowing how to track support tickets with your MSP ensures you are not left in the dark, and instead have a clear line of sight into the status of every issue so you can hold your provider accountable.
Here are some key strategies that will help you track tickets alongside your IT provider.
Use a Centralized Ticket Portal
Access your MSP’s ticketing platform to view open, pending, and resolved requests. A centralized system gives your team real-time visibility into ticket progress and assigned technicians. When all updates happen in one place, there is no confusion about the ticket’s current stage, and it also creates a single record for accountability and trend analysis.
Set Ticket Status Notifications
Enable automated alerts for key ticket status changes such as “received,” “in progress,” and “resolved.” These notifications keep your team informed without constant follow-ups. Status updates prevent downtime caused by uncertainty and help you plan around service interruptions more effectively.
| Find Out More About How You Can Make IT Issue Resolution Simpler |
Assign an Internal Point of Contact
Designate a team member to coordinate and track progress with your MSP. Having one point of contact avoids scattered updates and mixed messages. It also helps your MSP prioritize tickets based on accurate, consolidated feedback.
Monitor Response & Resolution Times
Track how long it takes your MSP to acknowledge and resolve each request. Monitoring these metrics helps you identify performance trends and hold your provider accountable. It also supports data-driven discussions during quarterly reviews.
Request Ticket Summary Reports
Ask your MSP for weekly or monthly ticket summaries that show patterns in issues and resolutions. Reports often reveal recurring problems that may require a long-term fix. Regular summaries give your management team insight into IT performance and help guide decisions about system improvements or training needs.
Communicate Through Ticket Threads
Keep all communication about an issue within the same ticket rather than sending separate emails. Threaded communication maintains context for every update. When technicians can see the full history of an issue, they can diagnose it faster. This also prevents confusion if a different technician takes over mid-resolution.
Review Closed Tickets Regularly
Schedule periodic reviews of closed tickets with your MSP. Look for issues that reappear or take longer than expected to resolve. These reviews strengthen collaboration by highlighting process or documentation gaps. They also help refine escalation procedures for future incidents.
How to Prioritize IT Support Tickets
“Urgent” often means different things to different people. Most MSPs follow this matrix to determine how to categorize support ticket urgencies:
As the diagram shows, the more people affected and the more quickly an issue stops work, the higher the urgency of the ticket.
However, there are instances where, without guidance, your business may categorize an issue as more urgent than your MSP would. It may only affect a few people, or it may not completely stop workflows, but you may still view it as high urgency. If you don’t tell your IT support team about these exceptions, they will generally default to the matrix above.
Find Out How to Reduce Support Tickets With Network 1 Consulting
If you’re striving to minimize IT disruptions and keep your teams focused, the right approach to support tickets extends well beyond simple troubleshooting. At Network 1 Consulting, we blend technology, process optimization, and genuine partnership to help clients significantly reduce ticket volumes and improve overall IT satisfaction.
Alongside proactive IT support and IT helpdesk services, we provide:
If you’re ready to explore how Network 1 Consulting can optimize your IT support, contact us today. Our team will resolve every IT issue quickly and get to the root cause of each issue, so you won’t face similar issues in the future. Imagine the impact fewer tickets and faster resolutions could have on your team’s productivity.
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