Reducing support backlog
Backlog sits above 400 and morale is dipping. Many tickets repeat the same few problems, yet tagging is inconsistent and we don’t have a real deflection plan. Looking for a blunt, practical 30-60-90 that cuts the pile, stops repeat tickets, and sets metrics we can actually track. No big reorg—just steps we can take this week and next.
Comments
Backlog melts fastest when inflow slows and resolution speed rises at the same time. First 30 days: publish three “fix it yourself” guides linked in auto-replies, and batch work by theme so you solve repeats in runs. Add a daily triage blitz—20 minutes each morning—to tag, merge duplicates, and fast-track refunds or password resets. At day 15, layer simple automation to route by topic and surface the right macro; https://kaizenup.ai/can handle skill-based routing, templated replies, and knowledge suggestions without heavy setup. By day 60, prune old tickets with a humane nudge, create two weekly quiet hours for deep work, and measure three things only: new tickets/day, cleared/day, and aged-over-7-days. By day 90, your trend lines should show steady burn-down.
Neutral take from another small team: the themed batching and quiet hours resonate. The narrow metric set also helps—easy to explain and track. Going to mirror this plan during our seasonal spike and watch whether the morning triage habit keeps the queue cleaner. Curious to see how much the self-serve guides reduce repeat questions over a month.