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Tickets are a tough animal to tackle; everyone is predisposed to their own best way. After 13 years in the hosting world, the trouble ticket is still not a perfect science, but here are some pointers from Superb that help speed up the process:

If possible, keep the tickets as simple and targeted as you can. Don't worry about opening multiple tickets with different issues - we actually prefer it. Having multiple issues on a single ticket can impede proper support.

• Multiple issues can make it hard to troubleshoot, because we don't know which issue to address first.
• With multiple issues, the Technician doesn't always know which issue is most important (to you) and needs immediate attention.
• Different issues may need to be addressed by different departments and the ticket may need to be shuffled around or can fall through the cracks.
• Longer tickets mean more information for the next Tech to process, which increases the chances of missing key information.
• Multi-issue tickets seem to be never-ending, frustrating both the customer and the technicians trying to help.

Start with the basics. Almost half the tickets submitted are sent back within minutes asking for server credentials, which slows the process. It's your server, so if you don't want us in there just tell us. It makes troubleshooting more difficult when we don't have access, but we do respect your privacy. There is a trade-off; with limited server access, troubleshooting is slower. Remember, we will only login to your server if we have to.

If you messed up a kernel upgrade, deleted key files, installed new software, or just don't know what you're doing, don't worry about it. We will not parade you down the data-center hall of shame. We all learned this stuff somehow, and most of that learning came from making mistakes. Being honest will get you your resolution much faster and your technician will appreciate knowing the full story. We all make mistakes - even seasoned veterans. We are here to help you and that is our goal.

If your problem has been resolved, update the ticket and request that the ticket be closed. Otherwise, tickets can hang out, get stale, and fill up the queue, slowing the whole ticket resolution process. The Techs will appreciate your response.

Consider these two tickets:

1. I installed _______, changed the settings to _______, and/or deleted _______, and now the server does _______. (Good)
2. Server seems slow. (Bad)

The first ticket is much easier to address. In the second ticket, does it mean network, hardware, disk IO, application, everything? If you don't know, general is fine, but if you mean Disk I/O seems slow, tell us you mean disk I/O. Don't leave off that key piece of info like I run a forum that gets 10,000 hits an hour.

Attach trace-routes or ping times (as many as you can possibly get) to the ticket. The vast majority of network issues are outside the network between you and the server. We are very interested in finding those locations so we can:

• Help you resolve this issue.
• Contact the carriers for further assistance.
• Manually route around clogged public peering points.

Chances are, if it is affecting you, it also affects at least one of our other customers as well.

Help us help you by giving us any ideas you may have. The forums are full of instances and information. Google solves half our problems on the first search, and the vendor websites are a goldmine. Remember that when we log into your server for the first time, it's like going into a home you have never been in while it's dark. It takes a few minutes to feel around to see what is running and where things are. We appreciate any help or insight you have.

Being a Support Technician is one of the most difficult and thankless jobs in this world. Every phone call, ticket, or chat involves a problem that must be resolved, and the person on the other end is potentially anxious or agitated because downtime is bad. The Technicians are doing everything they can to get you up and running. When your problem is solved, a simple Thank-you or Great Job goes a long way. At the end of the day, we are all human and need a little recognition for a job well done.