The Spindogs client portal allows you to manage your website support tickets, track requests, and communicate directly with our support team. In this guide, we will take you through the process of setting up your account, navigating the portal, and submitting tickets for any issues or requests.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Account

To access the portal, you first need to set up a profile. This profile will allow you to log in, view tickets you’ve submitted, and make new submissions. Follow the steps below to get started:

1. Visit the Portal: Go to https://portal.spindogs.com/portal/.

2. Sign Up for an Account: On the sign-in page, you’ll see a “Sign Up” link on the right side of the screen and in the top navigation menu. Click this link to create an account.

3. Enter Your Details: Provide your name and the email address you would like to use for communication. You will receive portal notifications and updates on your tickets at this email address.

   Note: The Spindogs support team will review and approve your sign-up before granting access to the portal.

Step 2: Logging In and Navigating the Homepage

Once your account is set up and approved, log in to the portal using your email and password. Upon login, you’ll be directed to your homepage, where you can easily access the following features:

• Search Facility: A quick search option that lets you find tickets you’ve submitted by keyword or reference number.
• Ticket Link: This link takes you to the “My Area” page, where you can view both active and closed tickets.

Step 3: Using the ‘My Area’ Page

The "My Area" page is where you manage your tickets and submit new requests. Here’s what you’ll find:

• Search Facility: You can search for specific tickets by their content or status.
• Add Ticket: This button allows you to create a new support ticket, which will be sent directly to our support team.
• Ticket Filtering: Filter your tickets by various categories such as Open/Closed, Priority Level, and Submission Channel. This helps you quickly locate the tickets most important to you.

Step 4: How to Submit a New Ticket

When you’re ready to submit a new ticket, click the "Add Ticket" button to fill out the submission form. The form is divided into three key sections:

1. Ticket Information:

   • Subject: Provide a clear and concise title for your request.
   • Priority: Choose the appropriate priority level:
     • Critical: Issues like website downtime or major functional disruptions that prevent your business from operating (e.g., website down, payment gateway malfunction, cyberattacks).
     • Priority: Significant disruptions affecting functionality but not business-critical.
     • Defect: Minor issues with minimal impact.
     • Support: Changes that take under four hours to complete (e.g., adding a new website feature). Longer requests will be treated as additional projects.
     • Quote: Use this for formal quoting requests.

2. Ticket Details:

   • Description: Provide context for the issue or change being requested.
   • Replication Steps: If you’ve replicated the issue, include detailed steps to help our team troubleshoot.
   • Affected Browsers/URLs: If relevant, note which browsers or specific URLs are affected.
   • Impact on Business: For urgent issues, explain how the problem is affecting your operations.

3. Time Estimation (For Support Requests):

   • This section is for our support team to estimate how much time will be used from your support hours for the task. Once the request is completed, the actual time spent will be updated here.

Step 5: Reviewing and Managing Tickets

Once a ticket is submitted, you can review and track its progress in the "My Area" page. Here’s what you’ll see:

• Ticket Title & Reference Number: Use this number for identification in future communications.
• Ticket Status: You’ll be able to see the current status of your ticket (e.g., "With Support Team," "Escalated," "Booked In").
• Conversation with the Team: View all communication regarding the ticket, including replies from the support team. You can add more comments or updates here.
• Ticket Properties: All the details you provided during ticket creation, including time estimates and actual time spent, will be available in this section.

Ticket Status Explanations

Understanding the different ticket statuses can help you track the progress of your requests:

• With Support: The ticket is new or has been responded to by the customer, awaiting action.
• Escalated: The ticket has been flagged as critical and escalated to the technical team.
• Booked In: The ticket requires technical involvement and has been scheduled.
• On Hold: The ticket is awaiting input from a third party or more information from you.
• With Client: The support team has responded and is awaiting your input.
• In the Queue: Your ticket is in line to be processed once existing requests are completed.
• Closed: The issue is resolved, but the ticket can be reopened if necessary.

What You Won’t See in the Portal

There are a few things you won’t find readily available in the portal:

• Support Hours: You won’t be able to track remaining support hours directly, but our team can provide this information on request.
• Reporting: While you can’t download a CSV of all tickets, we can provide this data upon request.
• Prioritising Tickets: You no longer need to number your tickets for priority. Use the Priority field (Critical, Urgent, etc.) instead.

Need Assistance?

If you have any questions about using the portal or require further guidance, feel free to reach out to us:

• Email: Support@spindogs.com
• Phone: 02920 480 720