This article provides agencies with tips and important information about how to contact our technical support team and follow the life cycle of a support case.
First, we suggest that you create an account for access to the portal so you have product documentation and training resources whenever you need them, 24/7.
Second, account holders should use the portal to submit technical issues noted at the agency, to inform Avail as soon as an issue arises. Once a case is created, you can easily track its progress toward resolution as Avail's technical support team will use the portal to share information with you to keep you well- informed.
Contacting Technical Support
Normal Customer Support Hours
- Monday-Friday 7am to 8pm EST
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AvailTec Portal
- The portal is accessible to you 24/7 and response time is based on office hours noted above
What happens outside of regular office hours?
Critical System Outages or Payroll Issues
Outside of normal business hours, please feel free to contact our 24-hour support 365 days a year.
- Call 814-234-3394 (press option 1)
- Wait for automated service to provide instructions for 24-hour support.
Best Practices
System Outages or Payroll Issues
- Do call the main support line
- Do provide detailed steps of what happened and who it is affecting including usernames and error messages
- Don’t send an email to support
- Don’t submit a case in the portal
- Calling for system outages or payroll issues will result in the most immediate action
- See Case Priority Examples
Low or Medium Support Cases
- Do submit a case through the customer portal
- Don’t send an email to support
- Don’t call the main support line
WHY: Our staff is 100% focused on monitoring the customer portal as the main communication line for agency requests and reported issues. Emails are a secondary platform and response time will likely be delayed.
WHAT TO INCLUDE: Be sure to add detailed comments in each case to provide our technical support team with all required information.
Please follow the correct steps:
1. Create the case for your agency needs
2. Enter all pertinent details
3. Track your case / use it to send and receive information about the case
2. Please close the case when it's been resolved/ enter any comments as preferred
Case Priority Examples
- Critical (Call): Entire fleet is down; All buses can’t communicate to dispatch; passenger info on myStop is down; Payroll (PR) check processing; PR ACH filing; Avail system is down
- High (Call): Multiple buses in fleet are down; User not able to log into scheduling package; Scheduled publish did not work; PR and PR setup processing issues
- Medium (Portal): Cannot access non-critical reports; Driver cannot log in to one vehicle; equipment issues that impact one vehicle; Timepoints or trigger boxes are incorrect; Finance Suite process issues (AP, AR, GL); WO and Inventory process issues
- Low (Portal): New MyAvail account request; MyAvail password reset; Update on RMAs; General questions; New announcement requests
Case Communication
- Do respond to case portal comments with a case portal comment
- Do attach screenshots or examples to your portal comment if requested or if it provides further triage assistance
- Do close your case after the case has been updated to Pending Customer Review
- Don’t send a reply via email (the portal comment email notification states DO NOT REPLY in the body of the email)
- Don’t call the main support line asking for an update on a case
- Don't let your case auto-close if you feel the issue is fixed/completed
Case Status Overview (Standard Cases)
The following statuses are typical for standard support cases. Review Case Status Definitions for the full list of case statuses and definitions.
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New
- We received your case and it’s waiting in our queue for the next available support engineer
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In Progress
- Your case is assigned to a support engineer, and we are actively working on the issue
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Waiting on Customer
- We sent a portal comment to the case contact and waiting for a reply
- Do reply to the case in a timely manner via portal comment
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Pending Customer Review
- Avail support team determines the case is complete and can be closed
- If you do not feel the case is complete, please send us a portal comment in the case
- Close the case if you feel the issue is fixed/completed
- Don’t send an email or call support
- Don't let your case auto-close if you feel the issue is fixed/completed (Cases will auto-close after 10 days in this status
Case Resolution
Case resolution times will vary based on priority level. Software bugs and feature requests do not adhere to this schedule.
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Critical
- Normal business hours = 2 hrs
- Outside business hours = 4 hrs
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High
- Normal business hours = 1 business day
- Outside business hours = 1 business day
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Medium
- Normal business hours = 5 business days
- Outside business hours = 5 business days
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Low
- Normal business hours = 10 business days
- Outside business hours = 10 business days
Return Materials Authorization (RMA) Requests
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Submitting RMAs (Major equipment covered under warranty)
- Do RMA requests can be processed through the AvailTec Portal
- Do check your RMA status via the AvailTec Portal
- Don’t call the main support line for RMA status
- If you submit an RMA and the turnaround time is urgent, please add it to the Return Reason Summary and choose Yes for Vehicle Out of Service
- If you need to check on your RMA status, first check the RMA details page in the customer portal. If you have additional questions please email rma@availtec.com
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Spare parts quotes/orders
- If there is physical damage to the item or it gets damaged in transit it is not covered under warranty and may result in a billable transaction.
- Email quotes@availtec.com
Support Feedback
Every time a case is closed a survey is emailed to the case contact. Avail uses these surveys to measure the success of our support team and ensure that all cases are resolved satisfactorily.
- Do complete each survey you receive from a closed case
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Don’t delete survey emails without completing them
Support values your feedback and we will follow up on surveys that are deemed unsatisfactory. We also like to report positive feedback to our support and leadership teams.
How You Can Help
- Use the portal to submit non-critical issues
- Refrain from emailing issues to the Support Team
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Call (814) 234-3394 Option 1 for all critical system outages
- Follow instructions for our 24-hour support if the call is outside of normal business hours
- Ensure new team members who will be submitting support tickets have access to the portal and have been trained by Avail
- Register for the customer portal here: Register for the AvailTec Portal