Support process - agree and document use the "pending" status in freshdesk tickets

[consideRatio]

We have team-compass documentation about the support process for non-incident responses. In steps outlined, the support steward role hands over to the engineering role. But what should happen to the freshdesk ticket meanwhile that work is being done?

This was touched in https://2i2c.freshdesk.com/a/tickets/365 by me and @yuvipanda.

I currently see each support ticket, even those marked as "pending" as something that will incur a time cost for us as support stewards. But I don't think that has to be the case!

I suggest that we either mark tickets with pending work items tracked in a github issue as closed or as pending.

I think perhaps the best strategy is to mark them as pending, as that makes the person on the other end be aware that we are still working on a resolution. But, its a problematic strategy if:

• it forces support stewards to need to onboard themselves into all pending tickets as they can't resolve quickly
• it makes non-acting support stewards need to keep tracking pending tickets

Suggestion

• We agree to mark freshdesk tickets as "pending" if it means that engineer work is now tracked in one github issue
• Any github issue linked to a support ticket like this should include an action point to follow up in the support ticket
• We agree to assume support stewards rotating in/out will not need to consider these pending tickets unless they receive a new response
• If a new response is received to a pending ticket, the support steward should either respond directly if capable and willing, or ask the engineer responsible for the tracked github issue to responds

Like this, engineers not acting as support stewards can relax from freshdesk work, and support stewards can relax from reading up on tickets where someone is already read up and taking action.

Action point to resolve this issue

• [ ] Reach agreement, @2i2c-org/engineering use :+1: to indicate agreement
• [ ] Open PR documenting what we agree in the team-compass

[consideRatio]

This is a related note that I made in a freshdesk ticket with "pending" status to help ensure future support stewards could avoid reading up and considering if they have an action point to take in the ticket.

[consideRatio]

I think we can also create a new status, but I'm not sure. If not, we should make sure to update the existing "pending" field to represent what is meant, as currently I think we would communicate to end users that we are awaiting their reply rather than we are awaiting technical work to be done by us.

This is a screenshot from the "ticket fields" settings in freshdesk as an admin:

[damianavila]

I concur with the suggestion outlined by @consideRatio at the top of the issue.

I think we can also create a new status, but I'm not sure. If not, we should make sure to update the existing "pending" field to represent what is meant, as currently I think we would communicate to end users that we are awaiting their reply rather than we are awaiting technical work to be done by us.

I always interpreted Freshdesk "pending" as "awaiting technical work to be done by us". In our boards, I use "pending" as waiting for us whereas I use "blocked" as waiting for 3rd party's feedback. Maybe we can do the same in Freshdesk for consistency?