How do you get people to submit support tickets instead of messaging you directly?
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..safety.first
I don't mind helping people through direct messages occasionally, but I've noticed I'm more likely to ask certain coworkers to submit a ticket while I'll sometimes create one myself for people I get along with. That isn't consistent or especially fair, so I'd like to establish a standard process where everyone submits a ticket for every request. How do you encourage people to use the ticketing system without making it unnecessarily awkward?
Answers
You can create the ticket on their behalf if that’s part of your support process, but make it clear that you’re logging their request rather than treating the direct message as the support channel. For future requests, include instructions in the ticket-closing email so they know how to submit one themselves.
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A useful standard reply is: “Happy to help—please open a ticket with the details so it doesn’t get lost and can be prioritized with the other requests.” Then stop troubleshooting in the message thread. If direct messages continue to produce answers, people will understandably keep using them.
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Keep your response short and consistent: “Please submit a ticket so it can be tracked and prioritized. I’ll take a look once it’s in the queue.” You can also mention that documentation and reporting depend on requests being recorded properly. A little corporate wording can make the policy easier to accept.
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Tell them you’re currently helping someone whose request was submitted through the proper channel, and ask them to file their own request so you can get to it afterward. If there’s an actual company policy requiring tickets, mention that too. The key is applying the same rule to everyone, including people you personally like.
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Don’t provide the solution through direct messages anymore. Just ask for the ticket number and explain that you can’t properly track or work on the request until it’s in the system. People generally keep using whatever method gets the fastest response.
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..safety.first: That makes sense. I’m trying to make it sound like a normal process rather than singling anyone out.