The HelpDesk is your central hub for managing support requests, tracking technical issues, and accessing our self-help KnowledgeBase. This guide provides a walkthrough of the system to ensure you get the fastest possible resolution to your enquiries.

Getting Started: Sign In

To begin, navigate to the HelpDesk main page at https://support.gen.uk. We recommend bookmarking this page for quick access in the future.

Click the Sign In link located at the top right of the screen to access your account.

Managing Your Tickets (Status)

The Status page provides a real-time overview of your support requests. By default, it shows your currently open tickets, but you can toggle between "Open" and "Closed" requests using the options on the right-hand side.

The search bar at the top allows you to locate specific tickets within the currently selected view (Open or Closed). You can also find a KnowledgeBase search tool at the bottom of this page for quick reference.

To view updates or post a response, simply click on the Ticket Number. If you need to review a resolved issue, select Closed from the right hand side under the search all help topics box.

You can click Open at any time to return to your active requests.

Raising a New Ticket

To submit a new request, select Open a New Ticket from the top navigation menu. To ensure your request is handled as efficiently as possible, please note the following sections:

1. Select the Correct Help Topic
Choosing the most relevant Help Topic is ESSENTIAL for routing your ticket to the correct specialist team. We have many teams and raising a Windows ticket the connectivity team simply delays a response because that team will need to re-assign it. DO NOT leave it at 'Support'

2. Write a Clear Request Summary
Your summary should act as a concise "headline" for the issue (e.g., "Volume Crashed" or "VPN Connection Error"). A clear summary helps our triage team identify and prioritise critical issues at a glance. 

IMPORTANT: Do not use words like URGENT or CRITICAL unless it really is urgent or critical - this will, as you would expect, escalate the ticket to a higher SLA, and likewise a higher cost. If you're on a SLA4 (4 hour response) and you use URGENT in the summary, the ticket will automatically be upgraded to SLA7 (1 hour response), because it's urgent and will be handed ahead of other tickets (See the Support/Rates section of our Main Website for current rates).

3. Provide Detailed Information
In the main text box, please be as descriptive as possible. High-quality information leads to faster resolutions. Where possible, include:

• The specific device, system, or URL affected.
• A verbose description of the situation.
• Exact text of any error messages received.
• Specific technical details such as volume names, IP addresses, or circuit references.

Once you click Create Ticket, our automation immediately scans the request to extract vital technical data (like domain names or IP codes) for our engineers. The ticket then enters the topic queue and an engineer will be automatically assigned. 

Interacting with Tickets

When you have an open ticket, you can click on it to enter that ticket, which presents the following view

A ticket represents a formal engagement between the customer and the GEN engineering team. Once an initial request is submitted, our engineers assess the provided information and offer a prompt technical response. Within the system, engineering replies are visually distinguished by a different background colour beneath your original submission for ease of reference.

While a ticket may involve several rounds of communication, our primary objective is to resolve every issue with maximum efficiency and minimal delay. For longer or more technical threads, an 'Overview' section may be available at the bottom. This serves as a concise summary of the current status and key milestones, designed to provide clarity on complex cases.

Submitting a Response

To provide additional information or follow up on a query, please use the provided reply box. The editor supports various formatting options, including HTML hyperlinks and file attachments. Once you select "Post Reply," the assigned engineer is automatically notified to review and progress the task.

Please note that while major updates are typically shared via email notification, the ticketing portal remains the definitive source for all project communication and history.

KnowledgeBase & Self-Help

Click KnowledgeBase at the top left to browse articles and troubleshooting guides covering a wide variety of topics.

At the bottom of the KnowledgeBase page, you can perform a full-text search. For a more interactive experience, use our AI-powered ASK function by typing your question directly into the search field.

Predictions provided by the AI are generated via an LLM; while they offer a quick summary, they are not guaranteed for accuracy. However, the system will always provide links to the specific FAQ articles used to generate the answer so you can verify the details yourself.

Sign Out

When you have finished, simply click Sign Out in the top right. You will continue to receive important ticket updates via email and can sign back in at any time to check progress.