As a general rule, if the functionality of the network is not providing you the results you anticipated and you can’t get it fixed yourself then contact the NWNS Service Desk.

First step: Customers can initiate action by submitting a query to the NWNS Service Desk. There are 3 ways of doing this:

• 1. Preferred: Completing an on-line Service Desk Support Request that can be accessed from “myNWNS Service Portal” 
  2. If you wish to speak to a NWNS Service Desk operator directly please cal +1 646 568 7605 or +91 260 237 3768. Please have your relevant ticket number at hand
  3. Alternatively send a detailed email to servicedesk@nwns.org or noc@nwns.org

Together with all the required basic facts such as site specific information, a clear and detailed problem description, the level of service expected, it is important to include all supporting documentation such as screen prints, sample reports or any other helpful information. The supporting information you provide will help NWNS to analyse the problem and to present an efficient solution.

What’s next: Within minutes of submitting your service request, you should receive a confirmation e-mail notifying you that your request has been entered into our system and that a ticket number has been assigned. Typically you can expect operator response within 30 minutes of receiving such an e-mail confirmation.

Our service desk operator will first attempt to resolve your problem without organising for an on-site visit, however an on-site visit may be required after further investigation of the problem.

Summarising: NWNS receives all customer calls in a ticketing system. NWNS assigns a unique ticket number and priority ranking to all new incoming calls and responds to a call based on its ranking. The call receives a priority code as discussed under Call Priorities and Action. The NWNS Service Desk operator solves the problem, documents the solution, notifies the the customer and closes the ticket. If there is more to it, the operator can escalates the call to Customer Support or Development Support.

Every customer inquiry is important in its own right. In a perfect world, every request received by our support staff would be answered immediately and solved efficiently. Sadly, this is not a possibility, and NWNS customer service representatives will almost always find themselves with a list of issues to address. While we simply cannot fix every problem right away, we can continue to provide the best service possible by treating each request with the attention and concern that it deserves. This is why NWNS has implemented as system to prioritise tickets fairly and address the enquiries accordingly.

Call priority assignment

The NWNS ticketing system uses “Priority” to establish timescales and effort to respond to – and resolve an issue (aka ticket, incident, or service request). Priority is derived from an internally defined impact and urgency priority matrix:

• • Impact: measures the effect of an incident/service request (ex: number of customers affected/influenced by the incident).
  • Urgency: measures how long it will be until the incident has significant impact on the business continuity.

It’s important to understand that impact and urgency are not the same thing. Every customer deserves the same amount of attention. The point here is, however, that some requests just can’t wait.

The initial prioritisation is set by the customer (or more general, the request creator). Because we do not expect our customers to know all the definitions and attributes required to objectively determine priority levels, final prioritisation confirmation is done by the NWNS operator. And this is done after working with the customer to better understand the exact situation.

It is possible that the initially set priority needs to be updated while it is being handled. The NWNS operator working on the ticket, can choose to adjust the prioritisation if needed, as needed.

A little bit more background:

The ticket creator classifies the ticket through the service category options, as well as setting the priority. The creator will have the option to nominate the ticket as a major incident if they believe this is a priority 1 incident.  A major incident represents the most significant type of service disruption that merits specific communications, coordination and handling protocol to ensure focus on fast restoration of service.

• • Priority 1 – Impact high | Urgency high – high priority person(s) service request or activity with a strict deadline.
  • Priority 2 – Impact medium | Urgency high – core service desk request for information for upcoming (but not as strict) deadline.
  • Priority 3 – Impact low | Urgency high – request for service desk operator to complete job tasks in myNWNS.
  • Priority 4 – Impact medium | Urgency low – service / activity planning with an agreed date in the future.
  • Priority 5 – Impact low | Urgency low – information request regarding a new service / activity with no urgency associated.

Less abstract but for indication / reference purposes only:

• • High – first update to customer within 30 min, whenever possible. Further updates at regular intervals. If ticket not closed by the end of the day, escalation to NWNS Service Desk manager.
  • Medium – service affected but workarounds available. First update to customer within 2 hours. Further updates as required.
  • Low – respond to customer within one day or as soon as reasonably possible.

After priority assignment is set, “respond by” and “resolve by” target times are calculated based on the defined priority target times in the invoked SLA. The customer is then updated accordingly.  Regular updates are our way to communicate about the NWNS actions and progress towards ticket closure. 

Please note: how the ticket will be processed exactly including its timeline and (field) actions depends on the SLA between customer and NWNS. Some problems however may take longer to diagnose and resolve.

Service Desk support charges

Typically NWNS standard terms and conditions and the appropriate service fee applies. Other terms and conditions may apply if the customer has a valid maintenance – or retainer agreement with NWNS . If this is the case, the content of the agreement prevails.

Occasionally, the customer may require services that are not covered under a maintenance agreement and therefore, considered billable (extra). Examples include:

• • System or network recovery and cleanup resulting from an error on the part of the (end) customer.
  • Network degradation because of local interference, equipment or satellite failure (if applicable).
  • Network degradation because of local power issues that fall under the responsibility of the customer.
  • Support for hardware, operating systems, networks and troubleshooting other vendors’ services unless agreed differently.

When a request is deemed to be billable, the customer is informed immediately so that written approval to authorise the work can be organised and shared.  Unless agreed differently, customer will be charged the current NWNS service rates plus any incidental expenses. The NWNS Service Desk will inform its customers of the current rate and, if possible, an estimate for the total amount to be billed.

The NWNS escalation process ensures that NWNS provides customers the means to give an issue broader attention. We at NWNS are very committed to delivering high-quality support to all our customers and partners. If you need to escalate a case, our technical or management team is ready and available to help you quickly bring your issue to closure.

Types of Escalation

Escalations occur for a variety of reasons. An escalation management system allows NWNS to identify, track, monitor, and manage situations that require increased awareness and swift action. NWNS provides our customers and partners with the two types of escalation described below:

Functional Escalation – We use this process when the Service Desk team is unable to resolve the issue or stay within the agreed timeline (meaning, the targeted time for resolution is exceeded). We assign the issue to another team based on the skill set required to resolve the issue.

Hierarchical Escalation – We use this process as a communicative means to inform all the parties involved in a proactive manner of a potential SLA breach.

The essence of our escalation management is to bring order, structure, focused management attention, and additional resources to those customer situations which could otherwise result in a high level of customer dissatisfaction and/or damage to the service provider’s reputation.

When Should an Escalation be Initiated

For customers and partners who hold a valid support services or maintenance contract, an escalation may be initiated any time after the SLA response time. If you have worked through the standard NWNS support processes and with our teams and you are not satisfied with the level or timeliness of service you received, you can escalate accordingly. Additionally, an escalation should be initiated when there is tangible impact to your service environment, or there is high risk to the business operations.

What is the Process for Escalating a Case

The entry point into the NWNS escalation process is through your support case (aka Ticket). Please note that for an issue to be escalated, a Ticket must be created (NWNS will not accept escalations solely based on communications via email).

The reason behind this is to get multiple teams involved if need be in a consolidated manner. All communication between the engineer and case/ticket owner from the conception of the case should be documented within the case notes so all involved teams can view the progression of the issue.

How Can a Case be Escalated

• • Via Email: Send an email to helpdesk@nwns.org. Ensure you add the following details to your email for an effective event-based escalation process:
    
    • Ticket number.
    • Documentation of the issue in its entirety (the problem, replication steps, what has been done so far, and the last status of the case from the assignee.
    • The reason for dissatisfaction.

• • Preferred: Through the Support Ticket

You will be contacted by the assigned Lead or Manager and we will collaborate and develop a communication plan. As needed, a technical plan of action will be co-developed to ensure resolution of the issue. The Lead or Manager will also update your ticket of the case progression.

What are the Criteria  for Closing a Ticket

An escalation will be considered closed if it meets one or more of the following requirements:

• • The objectives that were initially agreed upon have been achieved
  • A satisfactory monitoring period has elapsed without problem recurrence
  • The escalation has been reviewed and an agreement reached to downgrade the case severity level
  • You have agreed that the issue is resolved
  • A mutually accountable decision has been made that the issue cannot or will not be resolved and this has been communicated to all parties

As part of our continuous improvement process, the escalation will be documented and reviewed to help NWNS to determine the steps that led to the escalation and how to avoid the issue from reoccurring.

Once resolved to the customer’s satisfaction, the situation is monitored for an agreed-upon period. The escalation team remains on standby and available in case the problem reoccurs during the monitoring period.

In the (unlikely) event you are unhappy with our service, we at NWNS want to do everything that’s in our power and possibilities to make you back happy. For this reason, NWNS welcomes your complaint, and we hope you will give us the opportunity to rectify the situation.

But we would like to receive your complaint in writing.

NWNS suggest to using the complaint form. Alternatively, you are free to put your complaint in any letter format as well.

At any time please remember the following:

• • NWNS encourages you trying to resolve the dispute with the company or individual before filing an official complaint with NWNS.
  • Please state your complaint clearly and concisely.
  • Please enclose copies of all relevant documents.
  • Please be accurate and fair in your comments. Remember, you are responsible for what you write.
  • Please understand that in order to resolve your complaint, NWNS may send a copy of your letter to the person or organization you are complaining about;
  • Your complaints and comments may be reviewed by attorneys.