Stalled Tickets — No Customer Response

3 tickets now — confirmed pattern.

Pattern Description

Tickets where the agent asks a clarifying question, the customer never responds, and the ticket is eventually closed without resolution. The customer's original problem likely remains unsolved.

Evidence

• Ticket #4172 — Customer reported defective hard drives and requested a return/exchange. Agent asked what made the customer think the drives were defective. Customer never replied. Agent sent the same question again 13 days later. Ticket was closed without any resolution.
• Ticket #4157 — Customer reported one A4500 GPU running 70% slower. Agent asked to swap GPU between slots. Customer never confirmed. Agent sent identical follow-up loop-back weeks later. Closed without resolution.
• Ticket #4150 — Customer reported fan speed issues and wrong rail kit on 3 servers. Agent provided troubleshooting steps. Customer stopped responding. Closed for inactivity after 4 weeks.

Impact

• Unresolved customer issues — The customer's defective drives remain unaddressed
• Wasted agent time — Agent sent two follow-ups that didn't advance the case
• Ticket metrics — These tickets inflate resolution time statistics (9,544 business minutes for Ticket #4172)

Recommendations

1. Provide actionable guidance in the first response — instead of just asking "what's wrong?", give the customer a specific diagnostic checklist they can follow (e.g., SMART tests, error logs, model numbers)
2. Vary follow-up messaging — don't repeat the same question; escalate the ask or offer alternative paths (e.g., "If you'd like to proceed with a return, here's what we need...")
3. Set clear timelines — "If we don't hear back within 7 days, we'll close this ticket. You can reopen it anytime by replying."
4. Consider proactive RMA guidance — for cases where the customer is clearly asking about returns, provide the RMA process overview even while gathering details

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