Staff:HelpServ Guide
In This Guide: |
How HelpServ works
HelpServ is a service bot designed to help with queues of questions (e.g., support requests). It is designed to work seamlessly in multiple channels at one time.
There is one-to-one mapping between HelpServ bots and the channels they act in; this is to allow private messages to work without having users specify a channel, making it easier to use. For example, HelpServ might be in #support, and Interview could be in #counterstrike; both would be bots of this kind, but would have completely separate user lists and data sets.
Each HelpServ bot has a set of "helpers", defined by the channel admins(s). For the remainder of this document, we will use "helper" to indicate someone on the help list for a channel, and "user" to indicate all other users. There are also "managers" and one "owner" for the bot.
There are two primary modes: "command mode" and "help mode." Helpers default to command mode, and other users default to help mode. Command mode uses a command parser similar to the standard services (i.e., NickServ, ChanServ, etc.). Help mode queues each user's messages into a virtual folder for later perusal by a helper. A helper who is actively using help mode may issue command mode lines by prefixing them with a "command word" for the channel (normally, "@").
Help mode
When a user joins the channel, a customizable greeting is sent. This greeting usually informs the user to private message the bot for assistance or to queue a question. It is recommended that this include a URL to a FAQ. The bot then shuts up until the user messages them again.
When a user messages the bot for the first time after joining, it opens a virtual folder for them. The time of the request is filed, and they're added to a queue. The virtual folder is kept active until a helper closes it, or the user is "lost"; when the virtual folder is closed, it is written out to a file along with some statistics (e.g., when it was opened, closed, when/if it was picked up by a helper, etc.).
A user is "lost" when:
- For QUIT-based queues, the user disconnects.
- For PART-based queues, the user parts the channel.
- For ACCOUNT-based queues, the account is unregistered.
The default mode for queues is CLOSE-based, which behaves as ACCOUNT-based if the user is authenticated and QUIT-based otherwise.
Command mode
The following commands are defined:
LIST
Usage: /msg HelpServ LIST
Provides a list of currently open requests, listing unassigned requests first, then assigned.
NEXT
Usage: /msg HelpServ NEXT
Assigns the next unassigned request to yourself.
PICKUP
Usage: /msg HelpServ PICKUP <reqid|nickname|*account>
Assigns the specified request to yourself.
REASSIGN
Usage: /msg HelpServ REASSIGN <reqid|nickname|*account> <helpers_nickname|*helpers_account>
Reassigns the specified request to another (online) helper.
CLOSE
Usage: /msg HelpServ CLOSE <reqid|nickname|*account> [reason]
Closes the specified request, along with a reason if given (which is stored with the request log)
ADDNOTE
Usage: /msg HelpServ ADDNOTE <reqid|nickname|*account> <message>
Appends a note to the specified request, which may be seen by other helpers.
Statistics
The following statistics are currently kept for all helpers:
- Time in channel (total, this week, this month)
- Number of requests "picked up"
- Number of requests closed
- Number of requests handed off (i.e., reassigned)
- Number of requests received
