Advantages and Disadvantages of Support Suite - how good is it?

[Christopolous]

Hi,

Our company is thinking of utilising the Kayako support suite (mainly the ticket compnent) and was hoping some of the users could give me some feedback on it and perhaps list some advantages and disadvantages. We will mainly be having staff enter tasks (both internal and support requests from clients on the phone) and assign them to people. later on we'd like customers to be able to log in and enter their own requests. We'd like it to automatically notfiy the person who created the task and person who is assigned the task each time it changes. We'd also like to put in what we are charging the client into a field and have it marked as a billable item (if it is billable). Can it be used to track time taken on tasks? Anything else? Any comments on time and expertise required for installing and setting up?

All comments welcome...

Thanks in Advance

[Jamie Edwards]

Hi Chris,

While I won't tell you how good the product is (best left to the customers!), I can answer some of your functionality questions:

We will mainly be having staff enter tasks (both internal and support requests from clients on the phone) and assign them to people.

SupportSuite supports both e-mail and phone ticket types as well as ticket assignments.

Later on we'd like customers to be able to log in and enter their own requests

This is one of the most fundamental features of SupportSuite - you can preview the client support interface here: http://support.kayako.com

We'd like it to automatically notfiy the person who created the task and person who is assigned the task each time it changes.

This can be achieved using ticket alert rules which can be created globally (for all staff users) or individually (for one staff user). You can configure complex rules to notify staff users about any number of ticket related actions and changes (by e-mail or SMS).

We'd also like to put in what we are charging the client into a field and have it marked as a billable item (if it is billable).

Billing and time tracking is another feature central to ticket management within SupportSuite - you can add time tracking and work entries to a ticket, and seperate billable time from non-billable time.

Can it be used to track time taken on tasks?

Tasks can have a start and an end date, but beyond this there is no more time tracking.

You may like to review the SupportSuite manual: User manuals which will give you a very detailed insight into the product functionality. The items I have written in bold in this post reference sections in this manual that I recommend you take a look at to learn more.

Thanks,

[Christopolous]

Originally Posted by Jamie Edwards

Hi Chris,

While I won't tell you how good the product is (best left to the customers!), I can answer some of your functionality questions:


SupportSuite supports both e-mail and phone ticket types as well as ticket assignments.


This is one of the most fundamental features of SupportSuite - you can preview the client support interface here: http://support.kayako.com


This can be achieved using ticket alert rules which can be created globally (for all staff users) or individually (for one staff user). You can configure complex rules to notify staff users about any number of ticket related actions and changes (by e-mail or SMS).


Billing and time tracking is another feature central to ticket management within SupportSuite - you can add time tracking and work entries to a ticket, and seperate billable time from non-billable time.


Tasks can have a start and an end date, but beyond this there is no more time tracking.

You may like to review the SupportSuite manual: User manuals which will give you a very detailed insight into the product functionality. The items I have written in bold in this post reference sections in this manual that I recommend you take a look at to learn more.

Thanks,

Thanks for the quick reply. A couple of queries...

1. In the billing tab, it allows the amount of time to bill for however is it possible to enter an amount instead, eg: $45.00?

2. Is it also possible to enter notes on a task that clients can not see when they are viewing the task

3. In the online demo - I keep getting "Session Expired Due to Inactivity" and it wont allow me to log in anymore - this occurs with all user types - I have cleared my browser cache and tried it in firefox and IE.

Thanks

[Jamie Edwards]

Hi Chris,

1) It is not possible to do this. However, you are able to create your own custom field using the custom fields system to hold this value for a ticket.

2) It is possible to add notes to tickets that clients can not see. However, it is not possible to add notes to tasks (tasks being different to tickets - tickets are what a user submits (or a staff creates, such as a phone ticket) and tasks are simple "to-do" tasks, as they are in Outlook).

3) Please submit a support ticket about this and they will assist you further.

Many thanks,

[supportskins]

Originally Posted by Christopolous

3. In the online demo - I keep getting "Session Expired Due to Inactivity" and it wont allow me to log in anymore - this occurs with all user types - I have cleared my browser cache and tried it in firefox and IE.

Are you on a static or dynamic IP?

[Christopolous]

Originally Posted by Jamie Edwards

Hi Chris,

1) It is not possible to do this. However, you are able to create your own custom field using the custom fields system to hold this value for a ticket.

2) It is possible to add notes to tickets that clients can not see. However, it is not possible to add notes to tasks (tasks being different to tickets - tickets are what a user submits (or a staff creates, such as a phone ticket) and tasks are simple "to-do" tasks, as they are in Outlook).

3) Please submit a support ticket about this and they will assist you further.

Many thanks,

hi jamie,

3. I did submit a ticket for this I beleive. i was told to organise to download a trial but wondered why it is ocurring for me on your trial?

We are on a static ip here.

[supportskins]

Following are the possible reasons (straight from Kayako KB):
1) Your Server Date is Incorrect: If your server date is not synced properly then it might result in constant Session Expired Due to Inactivity Errors, The resolution to this is to run the "ntpdate" command to sync the server clock. Example:

ntpdate clock1.unc.edu

OR

ntpdate www.otc.psu.edu

2) Your IP Changes Frequently: Dynamic IPs can also result in this error, You can disable the use of Static IPs by changing $disablesessionipcheck option under the config/config.php file

3) Your HEAP Table gets Flushed Automatically: For some unkown reasons the session table gets emptied on certain systems, the solution is to convert it from HEAP (Memory) to MyISAM (Disk Based) Table by running the following SQL Query:

ALTER TABLE `swsessions` TYPE = MyISAM;

4) You have some Cookie Crunching Software on your Desktop: This error can also be a cause of cookie crunching/clearing software installed with your web browser

5) Proxies & Web Accelerator: Google Web Accelerator and other proxies are also known to cause this issue

IMO, enabling $disablesessionipcheck in the softwares config.php file in the software should fix the issue for you. I suppose Kayako cannot have this changed in their demo due to which they asked you to download and install the trial on your server.