View source for Staff Discord Tickets Guide

== Introduction ==
As Staff members, our primary point of contact with players is on our [https://discord.gg/democracy official Discord server]. Players are able to open tickets from [https://discord.com/channels/673612908868927498/986129460531191888 #support] and speak to the '''whole Staff team.'''

Players, '''inclusive of Staff''', open tickets for numerous reasons, here are a few ('''<u>not</u>''' exhaustive!):

* Reporting players
* Missing permissions
* Assistance with bugs or glitches
* Recovering [[Replacement Policy|missing items or money]]
* Requesting wilderness regions (typically when no Staff members are online)
* Requesting moderation of in-game, forums, or Discord platforms
* Requesting help with commands or plugins
* Requiring assistance from other Staff members when a [[Staff Conflict Of Interest Policy|Staff member has a Conflict of Interest]]

== Triaging tickets ==
Typically, our Moderators are our '''first responders''' to tickets, in the absence of other higher ranked Staff members.

* In doing so, we aim to '''solve problems at the lowest level'''
* You'll be surprised how many queries, once properly triaged can be as simple as clarifying information!

Below is an acronym useful to ensure you're gathering all relevant information required to assist a player.

{| class="wikitable"
|+T.R.I.A.G.E
!Letter
!Description
!Key Points
|-
|'''T'''opic
|What is the ticket about? 
|
* Make sure you got a clear summary of the topic
* Use as many or as little words as you believe is necessary, as long as it is easy to understand
** i.e. If you were pulled into the ticket for one minute, with no context whatsoever, would you be able to understand put simply what is going on?
|-
|'''R'''eproduction
|Can they reproduce the issue? If so, how?
|
* If the player is repeating a set of instructions to arrive at their issue, make sure you include '''all''' steps
* Don't assume all steps to be obvious, unless your Grandmother Beatrice would tell you it's super-obvious-plain-as-day-a-rock-would-get-it (let's assume she's not dumb, but not a genius either)
|-
|'''I'''mpact
|How is this affecting them or others? Urgency?
|
* Is this something that affects just the single player, a group, or the entire playerbase?
* How urgent is this from your view?
** Not everything is an emergency, nor is everything insignificant. '''Trust <u>your</u> gut!'''
** Players have a tendency to either understate or overstate the impact/urgency of their inquiries depending on the context
|-
|'''G'''ame context
|When and where did this happen? Platform, time, involved players?
|
* Back in '''T''' you described the situation, now you need to explain '''WHERE''' it took place
* Include all relevant information pertaining to
** The '''time''' any event(s) took place, including any secondary events
** The '''platform''' any event(s) took place on
*** i.e. forums, discord, in-game
** '''Who''' '''all''' does this involve?
|-
|'''E'''xpectations
|What is the player hoping to be done about it?
|
* What does the player want to happen?
* What do '''<u>YOU</u>''' believe should happen?
** Sometimes you won't know what to do
** That's ok - we are a team and we will help you come to a decision
** '''This is the step where you can also conclude it needs to be referred <u>up or across the chain</u>'''
*** '''UP''' - "I need an Administrator/Senior Administrator/Owner to handle the ticket due to XYZ"
*** '''ACROSS''' - "I need someone more partial than myself to handle the ticket due to XYZ"
|}
You do not have to write out this acronym each time, just keeping this acronym in the back of you mind will go a long way in ensuring you're making an informed decision and providing constructive output to a player.

* That being said, if you are unsure how to proceed with a ticket - please by all means write out and fill in this acronym
* We aren't looking for English scholars (otherwise End would be in trouble...) - as long as you have basic spellcheck and grammar :) 

=== Escalating a ticket ===
In the '''E'''xpectations part of T.R.I.A.G.E you may conclude that what the player is asking for is reasonable, but you may not be able to action the outcome - that's expected! Some common examples of this, and who to escalate to are as follows:for:

* Players want items rolled back - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
* Players want feedback on a denied Staff application - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
* Players are missing a permission node or role - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
** '''Before''' '''escalating,''' make sure the player's issue cannot be solved through by making sure the player:
*** Is linked '''on forums via /link-forums'''
*** Is linked '''on discord''' via '''/link-discord'''
*** Has logged on for at least '''5 minutes <u>after</u> receiving a role in game''' (applicable for Discord and Forums)
*** Been '''hired in-game'''
* Players need a command or feature added/modified - escalate to a '''System Administrator'''
* Players reporting a mass player incident or complicated rule violation - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
** This can also be escalated from Administrators to Senior Administrators if the decision requires consideration of written policy (i.e. other written Staff Policy, Rules)
*Players reporting region '''flag''' issues - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
**'''Before''' '''escalating,''' make sure the region issues aren't due to a fault in the creation/modification process
***i.e. forgetting to set a parent, wrong priority, wrong landlord/owner, incorrect boundaries - all resolvable as a '''Moderator'''
*Players reporting Staff - escalate to an '''Administrator, Senior Administrator,''' or '''Owner'''
**Players will typically ask that a certain group be removed from the ticket when reporting a Staff member, in such case just redirect the ticket to a category higher than that group
***i.e. Player reporting an Administrator, wants Administrators removed - redirect the ticket to '''Senior Administrators'''
**'''It is also essential to remind the player the following <u>before redirecting the ticket:</u>'''
***They will '''NOT''' be punished or face retribution of any kind in reporting a Staff member's conduct
***Information is always sanitised/anonymised where possible
***[https://www.democracycraft.net/forums/report/ Anonymous feedback/reporting] is '''ALWAYS''' available at any time, make sure to provide a link too
*Players wish to discuss their punishments - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
**Before '''escalating''', try to explain the '''reason''' for the punishment and answer any queries the player may have
**If the player is not satisfied with an Administrator's response - the Administrator typically '''reserves the right to terminate the ticket <u>or</u> escalate it higher to Senior Administrators'''
***This should be judged on the '''conduct of the player''', if a player does not seem amenable to civil discussion - do not escalate to a Senior Administrator
*Players requiring interpretation of Staff Policies or Rules - escalate to an '''Administrator'''
**'''Before escalating''', try to explain the reason for rules or policy first - sometimes it's a simple Yes or No question, or a brief explainer!
**If an Administrator is unable to address the query, it can be raised to '''Senior Administrators'''
*Players having store difficulties - escalate to '''Technofied'''
**Especially in cases of not receiving item(s) from a store purchase, it is '''vital''' that Technofied handles the matter to ensure billing details etc are handled with sensitivity

==== How to redirect a ticket ====
Run /switchpanel in the ticket. You will need to select an option from the dropdown:

{| class="wikitable"
|+Panels
!Type
!Description
|-
|Department/Office of X 
|Use this to redirect any queries best suited for the '''Government'''
|-
|Staff Reports
|Use this to redirect '''any Staff Reports''' to '''Server Leadership'''
|-
|Assign - End
|Use this to redirect matters directly concerning '''xEndeavour'''
|-
|Assign - Tech
|Use this to redirect matters directly concerning '''Technofied'''
|-
|Assign - Admin
|Use this to redirect to '''Administrators'''
|-
|Assign - Senior
|Use this to redirect to '''Senior Administrators'''
|-
|Assign - Leadership
|Use this to redirect to '''Leadership (Managers, Owners)'''
|-
|Assign - Solved
|Use this to redirect '''solved tickets'''
|}

== Who takes a ticket ==
Anyone! If you see a ticket, you're encouraged to reply to it. 

If a ticket catches the eye of a rank ahead of you, and you see them typing - wait to see if they respond.

* If no one ends up replying, it's '''yours to take!'''

== Discussion ==
Inter-staff discussion should '''always''' take place either in the Network Staff Discord server, or via /notes '''(preferred)''' 

* You can run /notes at any time inside a ticket to open a thread viewable to Staff
* This is a useful space to tag other Staff members, chat about the ticket with Staff and writing out the '''T.R.I.A.G.E acronym'''
* You can even use it to make notes for yourself - notes threads are quite popular for all levels of Staff and we encourage you to use them extensively

== Quality of service ==
It is of uttermost importance that where there is the opportunity to properly resolve a ticket, the time is taken to do so.

* If you do not know certain information — ask a team member in /notes who might know
* There is no expectation for you to know everything, but there is an expectation that you try to find answers or escalate appropriately


'''Before closing a ticket, ensure:'''

* You have acknowledged the player's concern
* You have gathered all relevant information using T.R.I.A.G.E. or equivalent
* If action '''was taken,''' it has been clearly explained and '''documented in #notes on the Network Staff Discord server'''
* If action was '''not taken''', you have explained '''why''', and if applicable, escalated or redirected the issue
* The ticket has a '''reason for closure''' (it can be simple as Resolved, see #changelog or Resolved, see above message)


Rushing or closing tickets prematurely '''erodes player trust''' and creates unnecessary follow-ups for other Staff. 

'''Remember, a resolved ticket is better than a fast ticket — quality always comes before speed.'''

If in doubt: '''ask, document, and escalate.'''