Overview
This article provides guidance for users when they need to submit a support ticket. The more specific information you can provide when you first send a ticket, the more efficiently Foundry support staff can help you resolve your request.
Contents
How Support Works
As with any software application, some issues are due to errors in the software code, sometimes during software updates. Others are due to user error or incorrect or inappropriate use of the software. Yet others are due to circumstances outside of Foundry, such as service provider issues or outages, malware attacks, etc.
Before you send a support request, try to be sure: is this a "Something is not working properly in Foundry" request? Or is it a "I don't know or remember how to do ___ in Foundry" request?
We try to answer all requests as quickly as possible, but finding your answers in our Knowledge Base will save you a lot of time!
Depending on the nature of your support request, Foundry support staff take a few different actions:
- For questions about how to perform specific functions, we may send you specific links to Knowledge Base articles.
- For challenges with Foundry functions, we typically try to recreate the scenario you encountered before sending a request to our engineers.
- If your site generates an error message or appears to be completely non-functional, we typically send those requests directly to our engineers.
The more specific you can be in describing the problem and what you were doing when you encountered it, the faster we can move toward resolution.
Submitting a Ticket
At the bottom right of any Foundry screen is the button. Click the button to open the dialog box, and you'll see the following:
If you're looking for help using a certain feature, try the search feature first. The widget will return Knowledge Base articles based on your search terms.
If you can't find help in the Knowledge Base articles, click and fill out the following:
Your name: Please always include your full name.
Email address: This is sometimes included automatically by ZenDesk if you're logged into Foundry. However, it may not be your preferred email address. Please complete this field each time you send a request.
School Name: You can use the name your Foundry site has adopted, if it is not the full name of your school. Please try to be consistent so we can keep accurate records of your requests. For example, we often refer our demonstration site, Apple Valley Academy, as AVA.
How Can We Help You?
Describe the problem using brief and specific language. No need to type "Help!!!!" in the Subject line, we know :) Use words that help us see where you were and what you were trying to do.
Example: "Incorrect Credits appear on Transcript" is about as efficient as it gets.
Please try to include the following in general:
- Which role you were using at the time (Advisor, Admin, Parent, Coach, or Student);
- Which tab/page you were viewing or using (e.g., Performance, Portfolio, etc.);
- A description of the actions you took - and their order, if possible - when the issue occurred. For example, "I finished the experience plan form and clicked "Assign with Individual Results" but nothing happened."
If you are dealing with a specific learning experience, try to add the following:
- Experience details, like the experience name and the relevant student(s) name(s);
- Method of assignment used (individual, group, batch). Click the link at left if you are not sure what this means.
Attachments
ZenDesk will allow you to attach up to 5 files to your ticket. Whenever possible, include a screenshot, especially if you are receiving an error message (as shown below)
- Mac users can use Shift-command-3 to capture the entire screen or Shift-command-5 to capture a portion of it
- Chromebook users can use Ctrl +
- Windows 10 users can use Prt Scn (Print Screen) on Windows 10).
Some users have even recorded short videos depicting the issue, which is certainly not required but always very helpful!
What if the Help Widget or My Foundry Site is Not Working At All?
If you cannot log in to your Foundry site or the 'Help' web widget at the bottom is not working correctly, you can email support@projectfoundry.com to submit a support request. Please include all the information listed above.
Other Details
Browser, Operating System, Version
Regardless of your request type, it is always helpful to know the browser and OS you are using, e.g. Safari on a Mac OS, or Chrome on a HP/Windows. It is quite common for many web applications to function better through certain browsers than others. Reporting this information with your ticket can help our engineers improve Foundry's responsiveness.
What to Expect
- When you submit a support ticket, you will receive an automatic e-mail response confirming that your request was received.
- Within 4-8 hours (depending on the time your request is submitted), you will receive a response from our support team. Typically, we will ask about the details covered above if you have not provided them, which can sometimes take multiple communications. Generally, the more specific information you provide in your initial request, the better.
- The support team will determine and notify you whether your request can be solved with your support agent or needs to be sent to the development team.
- Depending the severity of your problem (your site being completely nonfunctional is a higher priority than a font display issue, for example), your issue will be placed in the development queue. Whether your issue is resolved or not, you can expect to be updated during the process.
- When will it be resolved? This is a difficult question - we can rarely guarantee when an engineering-related request will be fixed; but you can always expect that your issue will be given our best attention, and that you will receive consistent communication from our support team as your request is processed.
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Labels: support, support ticket, help center, help request,
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