Here is what I know after 30 years in IT
I have lived this problem. Not read about it. Not consulted on it. Lived it — managing techs, chasing customers, staring at reports that told me nothing useful while the real answers were buried somewhere I could not easily get to.
Activity vs. Resolution
Techs can be busy all day without closing a single ticket. You see them touching a dozen tickets, updating notes, and logging time. But if nothing gets resolved, it’s just noise. A tech may be working hard, but if they’re not closing, it’s a problem. You need to know resolution rates alongside activity. A tech who looks busy but isn’t closing is a coaching problem waiting to happen. If you don’t catch it, it turns into a staffing decision.
Late Notes and Unbilled Time
Late notes and backdated entries are a red flag. They mess with billing and payroll. A tech who updates tickets days later may be hiding unbilled time. On flat contracts, this is a margin killer. PSAs don’t show you this without digging. You need to see when notes are added and time is logged. If a tech consistently logs late, it’s a pattern. It could be a process problem or a tech who needs guidance. Either way, it affects revenue.
Customer Ticket Overload
Some customers have too many open tickets. It looks like good business, but it’s a trap. If a tech is touching these tickets without closing them, it’s not helping. You need to see which customers have high ticket counts and low resolution rates. PSAs don’t highlight this. You have to dig. A customer with too many open tickets may be a pricing issue or a tech allocation problem. Make the call before it affects service quality.