Using JoomConnect to Streamline and Customize IT Support Requests

We’ve always described JoomConnect as a marketing automation platform. After all, it integrates your website into ConnectWise and Autotask, so one of its biggest strengths is automating the lead generation process. With that said, our MSP has been using it for a long time to streamline our support process, and it’s done a lot to ensure that otherwise complicated tickets are handled much faster.

Incomplete Service Requests Slow Down Your SLA and Waste Time

As an MSP, we often face client requests that don’t include enough information for our team to do the work. No matter how quickly your dispatch can spot a ticket and request more information or coordinate a phone call with the client, it adds precious time that could have been saved if the client just knew to give you all the information you needed in the first place.

There are a lot of examples of this, but for this blog, let’s assume a client needs a new workstation set up for a new hire.

Your point of contact emails a ticket and says, “Hi, we just hired Pam. She starts next Monday. Can we get the workstation in accounts receivable set up for her?”

There was at least one time when we had responded back to the ticket within 15 minutes with some questions like, “Sounds good. What’s Pam’s last name so we can set up her user and email, and does she need Quickbooks?” only to get a vacation responder from our main POC.

You get the idea. A lack of proper information can really gum up an otherwise well-oiled machine.

Using JoomConnect for Support

Like most things, our response to problems like this is automating and collecting critical information as early as possible. We do this using JoomConnect forms on our website and encourage clients to submit support requests there.

We have a live version you can take a look at just to demonstrate what we mean.

Each row slides down to display a JoomConnect form. These forms request all of the information we typically need to get the work done and generates the needed service ticket. In some cases, like the Critical Request form, it even escalates the ticket, emails the department manager, sets the priority on the ticket, and sets the status. 

If we drill down into the User-ADD form, we can see how much information we’re collecting:

This makes a huge difference and allows our techs to be a lot more effective without playing phone tag with a client.

Building these forms is easy; they are just JoomConnect forms. You decide what questions you ask, and then decide what each one does in ConnectWise or Autotask. Building out the page with the dropdowns is relatively simple, too, and if you want something like this deployed on your site, just reach out and ask. If you are using the Ultimate MSP Website, it’s just a matter of styling it and dropping in the forms you want. If you have a custom website and you are using JoomConnect, our team just needs to quote a little time to put it together based on your CMS.

With Joomla, You Can Even Make Custom Help Desk Portals for Individual Clients!

Here’s where things get really interesting. We have a handful of clients who have very specific needs. For instance, their employees often need access to special software or hardware. We’re able to take these forms, copy them, and customize them for individual clients.

For instance, if most new users at Acme Labs tend to need an iPad set up, or each department has different access control needs that we need to assign, then we can ask those questions on a custom form for that particular client.

Then, we just have the client log into our website to access their custom forms. For some clients, we’ll even customize the page a little with downloads they might need (like their instructions for using the phone system, downloadable phishing fliers, cybersecurity training, etc.).

This works by using Joomla’s User Groups, and then using JoomConnect to sync a Marketing Group to a specific Access Level. This makes it so we can take every user from a particular company, and drop them into a marketing group that gives them access to a section on the website once logged in. (This syncing can also be done by Company Type.) 

The Possibilities are Endless

This lets you really customize the support experience for your clients, but one of the coolest ways we’ve seen clients use this is by whitelabeling their own support team.

We have a couple of instances where an MSP is using JoomConnect to integrate their website with ConnectWise. Then they have a separate website that other organizations can be granted access to put in support tickets.

There isn’t much to show you in these examples; the website just resolves to a simple login form, and the only users who can log in are individuals that are already in the MSP’s ConnectWise. Once the user logs in, though, they get access to all of their support forms and, in some cases, some additional information and files. Clients can get their support forms, read up on their SLA and agreement information, and more.

This works amazingly well for co-managed IT situations where you are working with a larger organization and handling some of their IT alongside their internal IT staff, but the applications are practically endless.

Learn How JoomConnect Can Transform Your MSP

We’ve been helping MSPs make better use of their websites for well over a decade. Whether you need custom content, assistance with your marketing, or to streamline your sales and support processes, request a demo or call us at 888-546-4384 to talk with our team about how we can take you to the next level.