Farmington Hills: (248) 286-1166
Our people, processes, and tools are what make Safety Net a first-class Managed Service Provider (MSP). Unless you’re in an urgent situation, reaching out for support electronically will get you great service in the time frame you request.
Email vs. Call
When you email support@safetynet-inc.com, a ticket is automatically created and appears in the Support Services Coordinator triage queue (this is the queue I handle). Once I receive the ticket, I open it, read the details, and assign the proper priority and technician for the job. Part of the role of Support Services Coordinator is to be aware of the tickets each technician has in their queue and to understand how their existing workload impacts their availability for new tickets. I give immediate attention to tickets that are designated “Help Me Now” issues – they are assigned to a technician with the ability to address an urgent request quickly. Tickets with other priority levels are delegated to a technician who can help within the time frame specified. At the start of each day, the technicians review the tickets assigned to their personal queues and schedule them appropriately. This process allows us to always treat every ticket with the utmost importance and care. We pride ourselves on giving the best service possible on every single issue.
When you call in with a support request, that call is considered a “Help Me Now” priority (an emergency). We reach out and ask the technicians to divert from what they are working on currently in order to take the call. This will get you assistance immediately, however it is not the most efficient way to obtain support if the issue is not an emergency. When tickets are emailed in, we are able to make sure your ticket will have the appropriate time set aside to dedicate to the issue at hand without taking away from other tickets. Many times, with the notice an email support request provides, if a ticket requires a technician to access your machine or have additional discussion with you, we are able to schedule a time that is convenient for you to resolve your concern.
What information should be included in a support request?
We ask that any non-emergency support requests be submitted via email or our webform (safetynet-inc.com/support).
Priority / Time Frame
When submitting a support request electronically, please include the time frame in which you need the issue handled. The following are the time frames we assign to tickets; choose the one that best suits your situation:
- Help Me Now – if you’re able, please call for these highly time-sensitive requests
- Today – we’ll aim to resolve your request by the end of the business day
- Tomorrow (Next Business Day)
- Within a Week
- Schedule for Future
Please keep in mind that requesting a priority of Within a Week or Schedule for Future never means we put it on the back burner until the very last day. We will still attempt to get to the tickets in the order they come in, however this will give our technicians the opportunity to handle tickets that come in with immediate or higher priority first, and give the best possible service to each ticket.
Details, Details, Details! (including Screenshots)
We LOVE screenshots if you can get them. One of the most useful tools available in Windows is called the “Snipping Tool.” If you click on the Start Menu icon in the bottom left corner of your desktop and start typing “snipping,” the application will show. We strongly recommend adding a shortcut for this wonderful little app to your desktop or toolbar for easy access (just right click and select where you’d like to pin the app). Every bit of detail you can give makes it easier for our technicians to quickly assess the issue and determine the correct fix.
Please let us know the name of the workstation on which you’re experiencing an issue. You can usually find a handy Safety Net sticker with a unique identifier on the main tower of the computer if it is a desktop, or on the bottom of the computer if it is a laptop. If you are unable to locate that label, please include the username that last logged in to the computer. If it was not you, include the full name of the person it was. Our system usually recognizes from your email what company you work for and what your name is, however these are important things to include if you are emailing from an address not in our records, or if you’re filling out the web support form. We can never have too much information, so don’t be shy, and include any info you have!
Finally, please include the phone number where you want us to reach you. We find quite often this is not the number we have on file, so please let us know how we can get in touch with you. No one loves to play phone tag when they need an issue resolved!
When should you call and what information should you have ready?
Please call when the issue you’ve encountered is an emergency. An emergency is something that would stop you from continuing to go about business, a possible security incident (even if you suspect a security related incident – call us!), or anything that you don’t have a way to work around. We recognize that workarounds can be annoying and sometimes involve extra steps. However, your willingness to use a workaround so your priority level can decrease from a “Help Me Now” to, for instance, a “Today,” ensures that when you or your colleagues have an urgent issue without a workaround, it will be addressed right away and resolved quickly!
Just as when you submit a request electronically, when you call for support, detail is very helpful. If you have a screenshot of an error message, let the technician know and they’ll tell you where to send it. Sometimes those error messages disappear before a technician can connect to your machine. The same details are needed for phoned-in requests as those sent via email or the webform. Please be prepared to explain to the technician what, if anything, you have already tried, such as closing and reopening a program, restarting a printer, or rebooting your computer.
We are here for you!
Regardless of how you contact us, we are here to help! Please give emailing in support requests a try – you will not be disappointed! You will never have to sacrifice quality for choosing to email instead of call. Time is valuable, and we respect yours. Our team can resolve many support requests without having to keep you waiting on the phone, thereby freeing you up to do other things. We have the right people, processes, and tools in place to provide the excellent service you deserve!
