Mara Ellery — Support operations specialist at Bracken Harbor Systems (fictional)
Mara helps support teams build consistent ticket workflows and teaches new agents how to make clear, evidence-based triage decisions.
Fictional instructor and course, generated for this demo.
Module 1 · Read the ticket
Read 7 minLesson 1 of 6
Find the issue and the evidence
Read for the customer's goal, observed problem, and supporting details.
In this lesson
Distinguish a reported symptom from a confirmed cause
Identify missing information that could change the next action
Start by asking what the customer is trying to do, what happened instead, and what evidence they provided. A report such as “I cannot sign in” is a symptom, not proof that the account is locked.
In Tidewell, review the subject, message, recent replies, and available account context before choosing a queue or priority. Do not infer a cause from a short subject line.
Module 1 · Read the ticket
Try it 8 minLesson 2 of 6
Check understanding before routing
Use a consistent scan to confirm what is known and what still needs clarification.
In this lesson
Summarise a ticket in one neutral sentence
Make a quick ticket summary
1
Name the goal
Write what the customer was trying to accomplish.
2
State the observed result
Describe what happened instead, using the customer's details.
3
Note the evidence
Capture error text, affected feature, timing, and reproduction steps when provided.
4
Mark the unknowns
List missing details that could affect priority or routing.
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Use the team's guidelines instead of treating every request as equally urgent.
In this lesson
Compare the impact and urgency described in a ticket
Use documented team criteria when assigning priority
Impact describes the scope and consequences of the issue. Urgency describes how soon action is needed. A blocked task with a fixed deadline may be urgent for one customer; a widespread service interruption may affect many customers.
In Tidewell, use the priority definitions provided by your team. If a key detail is missing, seek clarification or follow the team's escalation procedure rather than inventing a priority rule.
Before assigning priority, check
How many people or workflows are affected?
Is the customer blocked, or is there a workable alternative?
Is there a time-sensitive deadline or consequence?
Do the team's written priority criteria match the evidence?
Show that you understood the issue and ask only for information that can move it forward.
In this lesson
Write an acknowledgement that reflects the reported issue
Ask a focused question when essential details are missing
A useful first response briefly restates the issue, says what you will do next, and asks for specific missing information if needed. Avoid promising a resolution time unless your team has authorised that commitment.
In Tidewell, keep the public reply clear and respectful. Put internal investigation notes in the appropriate private field, not in the customer-facing message.