Why do we need to troubleshoot issues?

In the world of SAAS (Software as a Service) customers can use a product in various ways and understandably want quick bug fixes, lots of features and the ability to use the product from many devices.

Having said that, it also means that when an issue arises and you need to contact our support team, in order for us to fix the issue as soon as possible so it doesn't slow you down, we need as much information as possible to troubleshoot it.

Is it necessary to troubleshoot an issue?

We want to be able to resolve an issue as soon as possible so that it doesn't slow down or stop productivity. Every issue can be contradictory as it can be unique and similar at the same time.

Depending on the area of the dashboard or how you're using a specific feature, there are troubleshooting steps that all Support Agents need to complete in order to accurately locate what is causing the issue.

We understand it's not always ideal to have to take these steps but this means that most of the time, the issue can be resolved early on in the troubleshooting process. We do have our expert users who already go through the troubleshooting steps before contacting us. If this information is included when we're contacted, then it goes a long way in helping us resolve the issue sooner as we can already rule out factors that can lead to that type of issue.

How do you troubleshoot issues?

As soon as you contact us, there are a series of steps that our support agents need to complete:

1. Understanding the issue
2. Locating the area where the issue is occurring
3. Reproducing the issue using the steps that you've provided exactly
4. Reproducing the issue using either a different browser or private/incognito window
5. Reporting back to you what has been found if the support agent has not been able to reproduce the issue

What information do you need from me to troubleshoot an issue?

The more information about the issue the better as this helps our Support Team to reproduce the issue quickly:

• What browser were you using when the issue occurred?
• Have you tried using a different computer or browser?
• Are you using the web app or mobile app?
• Exactly which area of the dashboard the issue is affecting?
• Does the issue only occur after a specific action you've taken? E.g., if you're composing a message and the Compose Box is disappearing, does this only happen when you try to attach an image?
• Is it tied to a specific account?
• Is it tied to a specific profile?
• Are you using a different tool/document to copy and paste content, e.g., CSV file, Evernote? If so, please include the document when contacting us.
• Have you been able to take a screenshot or video of the issue? If so, please include this as well.

All the above information helps us to identify whether the issue is happening:

• Due to a bug that needs to be fixed.
• Due to an exterior factor, e.g., an add-on on your browser
• Due to more education being needed on how that particular area of the dashboard is intended to work.

What are we doing to resolve the issue?

Once we have received all the information, if the issue has been reproduced, then we will escalate the issue to our Development Team and it goes into a queue.

The priority of the issue and moving the issue up to the top of the queue depends on:

• How much the issue is affecting usage of the dashboard, e.g. a non-responsive button vs not being able to access your account at all.
• The number of users reporting the same issue.
• If the issue is part of a bigger project or Feature which we are planning or working on, this may delay the release of a fix if the issue cannot be fixed quickly and is not preventing usage of core areas of the site. But please be assured that we will keep you updated and that we haven't forgotten the issue. It is just your issue needs to be addressed as part of a larger solution to prevent it ever happening again and to make using that feature or area of the site a better experience overall. 

What happens if the issue continues and you're not able to reproduce the issue?

If it gets to the stage where we have gone through all the troubleshooting steps and we haven't been able to reproduce the issue but you are still experiencing it, we will ask for you to spend some time with us to have remote assistance to troubleshoot the issue further. This allows us to see exactly what's happening on your end and ideally spot any differences that prevented us from recreating the issue such as:

• Slightly different steps are being taken.
• Customisation to browsers such as plugins or add-ons could be having unexpected effects on our site.
• Network issues.

We appreciate your time, thank you in advance and love the fact that you want to help us improve the product.