What is the agency service desk exactly?

We're taking a new approach to how agency concerns are handled. Previously, these concerns would come into the operations helpdesk via JotForms or email (either directly to the helpdesk or forwarded in from someone else, such as a community partner relations representative) and the concern was routed to the appropriate team to handle. However, we noticed this led to a lot of delays with getting issues resolved; agency concerns were also getting lost among several different internal processes that also had tickets going into the helpdesk. Because of this, we've redesigned not only the way agencies report issues, but also how those issues are addressed within our system as well. The agency service desk only handles agency-related concerns, including (but not limited to):

• Delivery issues
• Product quality concerns
• Credit memo requests

How does the agency service desk work?

The agency service desk takes concerns reported by or on behalf of agencies and routes them to the team best suited to resolve the issue. Sometimes this will be the service desk specialists; other times, we may have to refer the concern out to one of our other departments. Regardless of who is responsible for resolving the concern, there are clear expectations set as to how to handle each ticket. Agency concerns flow through our system as follows:

Anyone who is familiar with our previous processes will notice a few key changes. There are some tasks that the agency service desk will be taking over directly in order to expedite resolution times; all tickets must also go through a review process with the agency service desk before they can be closed out as well. This part of the process will involve the agency service desk reaching out to the agency to confirm that the previously completed work on the ticket actually resolves the issue. The ticket will only be closed once we have confirmed that the agency's problem is resolved; if further work needs to be done internally to ensure the problem doesn't happen again, we have a different process for that.

How long will it take for me to hear back regarding my concern?

When creating a ticket, there will be a section listed for "priority". This will determine how long it will take for tickets to receive their first (human) response, updates, and resolution. We have two priorities available - standard priority for normal requests and high priority for highly time-sensitive concerns. The breakdown for each priority is as follows:

What happens if I don't hear back in time?

If any of the deadlines for a ticket pass and the necessary work isn't complete at that stage (for example, a first response on a standard priority ticket isn't sent within a business day), the manager of the group responsible for that stage is notified immediately. If a day passes and the necessary work still isn't complete, the ticket is automatically escalated to the manager over the group responsible for the incomplete work. Keep in mind that this only reflects what the system will do; this does not take into account any other mitigation actions that may be taken by service desk staff, such as personally speaking to the person responsible for the incomplete work and following up to ensure it is completed.

How do I contact the agency service desk?

There are a few different ways to contact the agency service desk directly:

• Submit a ticket with your contact information through our online portal.

• Send us an email at [email protected].
• Give us a call at (214) 270-0857.

The agency service desk is staffed from 8a-5p Monday through Friday unless NTFB is closed.