Overview

This article covers how best to engage with us so you get the right help, by the right people, at the right time. And how to escalate an issue if you feel you are not receiving an adequate response from us.

Cases

At Emersion, all work is managed and tracked via cases. This includes sales engagements, consulting requests, technical support issues, work orders, project deliverables, account queries and development projects. 

Whilst we understand sometimes the situation calls for it, we request that you kindly do not email staff directly as a matter of practice. Our systems have alerts built in and staff are dedicated to actively managing queues of work. Due to the overwhelming number of emails our staff receive daily, it is regrettable that many direct emails are lost or missed, resulting in frustration. We request all clients use our channels below so we can ensure you get the best service possible.

When referring to the issue with Emersion staff, you will be expected to provide a case number. If you have not yet raised a case, our staff will request immediately that you do so. To update a case in writing, you can do so via emailing a reply to any case notifications or via the Engage Portal.

When you raise a case, you will receive an automated reply with a case number. The case will then enter a queue awaiting triage by an Emersion staff member.

If there is not enough information to proceed, the case will be returned to you to provide more information. When enough information is supplied, the case will be assigned to a staff member who will be responsible for managing the case and completing it based on the assigned priority.

Time-Sensitive or High Priority Support Matters

All cases raised via email are assigned a default priority and are triaged as time allows. If your issue is time sensitive or high priority, follow the steps below: 

1. Log into the Engage Portal.
2. Click Raise a Case and then select the type of case it is.
3. Provide as much information as you can about the problem.
4. Clearly state the importance in the Impact, Urgency and Client Priority fields.
5. Submit your case.
6. Follow the case up with a phone call to +61 3 8658 9400.

Customer Service Case Types

When submitting a Customer Service case, please provide us with the following details:

• A detailed description of the problem (e.g. what were you attempting to do? What were you expecting to see vs what you actually saw happen?)
• The conditions to reproduce the issue
• Any errors you have received
• Record IDs where the problem arose (e.g. service ID, note ID, account ID)
• Details regarding what checks you have performed to try and isolate the problem yourself, such as any screens shots that support your concern, or report output that reflects what you are seeing.
• Screenshots of the user interface you were accessing - including any error messages displayed on screen. This is very important to assist us in identifying where to attempt reproduction of a reported issue.

When we receive this information we can proceed with investigating your issue. Customer Service cases raised where there is no evidence of investigation performed by you will be returned to you to provide more information.

Where a code bug is identified and can be reproduced by our support team, the service desk will escalate the matter to the Development team with the status updated to reflect this. You will also be automatically updated during the case lifecycle to reflect its current status.

What is Not Support?

Where the issue was not caused by a system fault, or a code bug. In these cases, Emersion may be engaged to rectify the data at the user's cost.  This includes:

• Human error when entering data
• Incorrect assumptions regarding the behaviour of the system.
• Not following explicit instructions provided to you via a case, a phone call or on the Emersion Knowledge Base.
• Performing actions that we expressly advise not to do via a case, a phone call or on the Emersion Knowledge Base.

Requests to fix these issues must be raised as Work Requests and a quote provided for sign off before the work will be completed.

For submissions of requests, bugs and fault reports for Emersion’s API where it is suspected Emersion is at fault, you must provide detailed API request / response logs.

Finance Case Types

Onboarding Case Types

Project Case Types

This channel is specifically for clients who are undergoing an approved project with Emersion. Whilst your project is in progress, all matters regarding the project and project deliverables are tracked and managed via the PMO.

If you are undertaking a larger formalised project, it will be overseen by the PMO.  Depending on the project, one or more work cases may be raised.

Sales Case Types

Existing clients can submit a quote request during times where you need Emersion undertake work for you that we typically have done for you in the past, and for which you are happy to be invoiced immediately for upon completion. Examples include:

• Enabling a downstream retail service provider
• Importing data
• Fixing any issue raised to support where it was found that a system fault had not occurred.
• Updating records in bulk because it is undesirable to do so via the user interface
• Double-check the configuration of a package, package plan, rate card prior to enabling and ordering new services
• Feature Requests / Enhancements may also be requested via this method
• Training / Consulting Requests

Once we have enough information to quote, we will provide an estimate of time or fixed fee. Time-based quotes are billed at the time & materials rate in your contract. All projects and work requests must be paid in advance unless a written variation is granted by senior management.

Approving Quotes

Quotes must be approved in writing on the case before any work will proceed. Acceptance by direct email to a staff member, or by phone is not acceptable.

Handover to the PMO

Accepted quotes are queued with the PMO (Project Management Office) who performs an oversight function.  A new case will then be created and assigned to the team that will undertake the work. The original case will remain as a linked object.

Prioritisation of Paid Work Requests

Prioritisation of work requests is conducted based on need and after consideration of the impact to other projects that are currently underway.

You will be notified when work commences, and throughout various stages through to completion.

Updating Your Case via Email

Emersion prefer clients use the Engage Portal for checking on the statues of, and updating existing cases.

For those times where a quick email reply may suffice, the system will automatically add your email to the case and notify all contacts. Please only ever reply via email to notifications from the Salesforce platform.

Failure to correctly reply will result in either a duplicate case being created, or Emersion not receiving your update. In either case, this often results in unnecessary frustration as the Emersion staff member who is assigned to your original case does not know that you have attempted to update it. Emersion will not be held responsible and no SLA claim will be valid for clients who fail to update cases appropriately and correctly.

Priorities and Escalations

Emersion works hard to ensure that the appropriate resources and level of focus are applied to requests to ensure a timely resolution. However it is not always possible for us to attend to your request straight away. The Service Level Agreement (SLA) provides for response times that match the urgency and impact level of the issues raised in the case.

1. Emersion will prioritise Critical issues above all other work.
2. We will prioritise scheduled work (projects and work requests) following Critical and High issues.
3. Medium and Low issues will be actioned in accordance with the following policy:
   1. In order of the assigned priority
      1. Cases rated as 2-Medium will be actioned before those rated at 3-Medium, 4-Low, etc
   2. Cases with the same severity will be addressed in order of the queue (oldest case first).

Issue Priority / Emersion SLA

When selecting a priority via the portal, the following table lists the mapping to an Emersion SLA and a general description. If the impact and urgency fields are not utilised during case creation, the default priority for the case type will be applied.

Changes in Priority

Emersion is sensitive to the fact that sometimes changes in priority can occur. If you are waiting for a case to be addressed, and the matter is becoming time sensitive, it is essential that you update the case before it becomes time-critical so we can reprioritise your case. Please include a reason for requesting a case escalation. Explaining why a case has become more urgent assists us greatly and ensure all clients receive the right level of support at the right time.

When to Escalate

If after you have checked the status and updated the case, you are still not satisfied with the progress of your request, you are invited to escalate directly to a Manager. By invoking the escalation process, additional levels of Emersion management attention, procedure reinforcement and resource prioritisation are brought to bear on resolving your support request.

Use the escalation procedure only when:

• you believe that the SLA time frame for a technical support issue has not been met. Please refer to SLA time frames in your agreement.
• the delivery date on a Work Order has not been met and you have not been provided with a new date.
• the priority of your issue changes or becomes time-critical or time-sensitive.
• you have attempted to contact the person allocated to your case and have been unsuccessful.

Do not use the escalation procedure to:

• Demand Emersion resolve a Severity 3, 4, 5 technical support matter if we have given you a valid workaround.
• you have made no attempt to contact the resource(s) allocated to the case and request an update (you can see who is assigned your case via the Emersion Support Portal).

Who Should I Escalate to?

If you need to escalate an issue, please try the following points of contact in order that they are listed.

Please call +61 3 8658 9400 and slect Support.

• Dean Cowan                 Team Leader
• Sharon Carpenter        Manager
• Paul Dundas                 CEO