The first five minutes of a ticket
Most tickets are won or lost before anyone opens a deep troubleshooting rabbit hole. The first five minutes should gather facts, not prove cleverness.
Ask for the same four things
- Exact error text or a screenshot with the timestamp visible
- Device and account in use when it failed
- What changed recently: app update, password reset, new hardware, travel, VPN
- Who else is affected: only this user, a team, or a location
Do the quick checks first
- Confirm the user is signed into the right account
- Check whether the service is up for others
- Reproduce once if it is safe and cheap to reproduce
- Look for a matching ticket from the last week
Write while you work
Leave a short note before you escalate or step away. Future-you, and the next tech, should be able to pick up without a hallway briefing.
A disciplined first five minutes cuts reopen rates. It also makes the hard tickets obvious faster, because the easy explanations are already ruled out.