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Support Requests

Any viable working agreement requires some things from both sides.  In the case of support, there are things that we expect or depend on from our users. You, our users, are an integral part of our support process.  We need certain specific things from you.  In exchange for that, we will strive to give you the best possible support experience.

What We Need From Users

We need our users to be an active part of the process.  Communication must flow both ways.

• Please do not route emails from support staff, applications that you manage, or the ticketing system to spam, junk or trash without reading them. 
• Not all requests are clear to us.  We often ask for additional details and often request that you check the results to make sure that we've understood you correctly. 
• If you don't get a response from either the ticketing system or from one of us in the one to two BUSINESS DAY time frame, please CALL US - 8-4100 or 8-WEB1 to make sure that we have your issue.

 Please try to use "urgent" requests as sparingly as possible and only when truly needed.

• Should you need "urgent" response, please place the word "URGENT" in the subject line of the email. If you are calling, please let the person know right away that you are in need of urgent assistance.  Please include a brief explanation, either in call or email, as to what makes your request urgent. This information helps us prioritize our work flow.
• Things that might be urgent:  "I'm flying out at 3pm today for a week long conference at which I'm presenting my new paper and my laptop just crashed", "I'm having a conference today and my phone number on my web page is wrong.", "Our fax machine is broken and I'm expecting an important fax."
• Things that probably aren't urgent: "I need to purchase a new thumb drive",  "I want to have someone set up my computer."

If you are experiencing an error message, try to get a screen shot or other documentation showing the exact error  message.

• This is often incredibly helpful to us when we are attempting to fix something that has gone awry.  Please include that with your ticket.

If you are experiencing a problem with a Cox web page or wish to have changes made to a Cox web page, please include the URL of the page and description of the issue/changes.

• There are a few thousand pages (3,000-4000) on the Cox web site.  It's very helpful if we know exactly which page we are to change or attempt to fix.

While it may be tempting to email that person you "always talk to" or leave them a voice message, understand that we may be out sick, on vacation, or otherwise unavailable and that we may not be checking email or voice mail on that particular day or at that time.

• This can cause a significant delay in getting a response. 
• Using the ticketing system has several benefits, even if you decide to contact your favoured support staff member directly.  Just add support@cox.smu.edu as a CC
• .It ensures your issue doesn't get buried, lost, or otherwise drop off the radar.
• It ensures that if the person you contacted isn't available that someone else who can help you will be notified that you need assistance.
• Once you open a ticket, you can use the link in the ticketing system to follow and track the request.

What you can expect from Cox Technical Support

While we strive to turn our support requests around very quickly, usually on the same day, this is not always possible.

• Please allow 1-2 business days to resolve your request.
• Our normal response time is 1 business day but requests filed after 2pm may require an additional day. 
• If you have contact support,submitted a ticket or otherwise attempted to obtain assistance from the Cox Help Desk or Web Team and have *not* receieved either a ticket number or an acknowledgement of your request or a ticket # within one business day, please contact 8-4100 (Help Desk) or 8-WEB1 (Web Team) to make sure that we have received your issue.
• Business days do not include weekends, holidays, or other university closures Normal business days are 8AM to 5PM, Monday Through Friday excluding the above.
• Requests that impact class rooms and teaching take priority
• The start of a new semester, especially the fall semester is particularly busy time for us
• With all the new professors starting, help requests from the classrooms and other teaching related requests are common
• This means that during this time other, non-teaching requests may take longer than normal to resolve but should still fall within the 1-2 business days.
• Especially large, difficult, or complex requests may take longer.
• If this is the case, you will be advised that your request is large, difficult or complex. 

If you have what you feel is an urgent request, please explain in your request why you feel it is urgent. If you are sending email, please be sure to put URGENT in the subject line.

• We will do our best to attempt to accommodate urgent requests, but please understand that if all requests are sent to us as urgent, then all requests are once again of equal importance. 

For especially large  or complex requests, a month or more of notice may not only requested, it may be required, depending on type and/or scale of the request.

• Allowing your support team lead time does several things: 
• It allows us to manage our work flow more efficiently and makes for a much smoother and less stressful project for everyone.
• We have time to be methodical at each phase of the project rather than reactive and rushed, which generally makes for a better result.
• It allows us to reserve time with any resources - human , equipment, rooms, etc. -  so that we can be sure that they will be available to carry out your request.
• Perhaps most importantly, it allows us time to plan and to test.  Computers are exacting taskmasters.  Every comma, period, space and semi-colon must be in the proper place for things to work as expected.

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