[nmglug] open source help desk software

[Nick Frost]

On Feb 12, 2009, at 6:27 PM, Mindshare Studios wrote:

> Hi fellas (and ladies?),
>
> Anyone have a recommendation for an open source helpdesk  
> application? I'm looking for something to handle client tech support  
> issues, preferably with customizable issue submission forms  
> (customizable in the sense that you don't have to hack the core  
> code). Having the option to process payments for support would be  
> ideal but not necessary. Any input is appreciated.

Drupal can be used to create a quite functional Help Desk system that  
allows for ticketing, status on tickets, editing tickets, etc.  We  
used such a system at one of my previous jobs.

Honestly, however, for those who can afford it I think Web Help Desk  
is the preferred solution that we use at my day job.  I visited  
another research facility today where I used to work, they use Web  
Help Desk as well.

http://www.webhelpdesk.com/

In my experience people (users) are too lazy to fill out tickets,  
causing the support staff to frequently and retroactively create the  
tickets and annotate them, which actually adds up when we're talking  
20-40 tickets per day for the average small organization.  The refusal  
of people to use the system once deployed is very annoying.  
Documenting the workload with a ticketing system is important in  
justifying the workload to management.  It's not quite as bad when  
people can email help at organization.org with their support request (for  
some reason some people can send off an email but balk at filling out  
a ticket on a web page) and the email feature of Web Help Desk helps  
alleviate (somewhat) the need to retroactively create tickets for lazy  
users.

-Nick

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Nicholas S. Frost
7 Avenida Vista Grande #325
Santa Fe, NM  87508
nickf at nickorama.com
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