Ticket reassignment helps route a customer issue to the agent or group best equipped to handle it. A ticket may need to be reassigned when it reaches the wrong team, requires specialised assistance, needs escalation, or cannot be completed by the current assignee.

This article explains when to reassign a ticket, what information to review before reassignment, and how to provide sufficient internal context for a smooth ticket handoff.

Reassign a ticket when:

• The ticket is assigned to the wrong agent or group.
• The issue belongs to another department or support team.
• The issue requires assistance from a specialist or senior agent.
• The assigned agent does not have the required access or expertise.
• The ticket is approaching an SLA breach and requires urgent attention.
• The issue must be escalated to another support level.
• The assigned agent is unavailable or unable to continue handling the ticket.

Review the Ticket Before Reassignment

Before reassigning a ticket:

1. Open the ticket and review the latest customer message.
2. Review previous public replies and private notes.
3. Check the ticket status, priority, category, assigned agent, and assigned group.
4. Review any screenshots, attachments, logs, or recordings provided by the customer.
5. Check the applicable SLA timers, including the first response due, next response due, and resolution due times.
6. Identify the agent or group that should handle the issue.
7. Add a private note that explains the reason for reassignment and the next required action.

Reassign a Ticket to Another Agent or Group

To reassign a ticket:

1. Sign in to the BoldDesk Agent Portal.
2. Open the ticket you want to reassign.
3. Review the ticket conversation and properties.
4. In Assigned Agent, select the agent who should handle the ticket.
5. In Assigned Group, select the group responsible for the issue.
6. Update the Priority if the impact or urgency has changed.
7. Update the Status if your organisation uses a specific status for reassigned or escalated tickets.
8. Add a private note explaining the reason for the reassignment and the required next action.
9. Save the ticket changes.

Add a Private Note Before Reassignment

Add a private note so the receiving agent or group can continue handling the ticket without repeating completed troubleshooting or asking the customer for the same information.

Include the following details in the private note:

• The reason for reassignment.
• A brief summary of the customer issue.
• The troubleshooting steps already completed.
• The results of the investigation.
• The customer impact and urgency.
• The expected next action.
• Related ticket IDs, links, screenshots, logs, or recordings.
• Any applicable SLA risk.

Notify the Customer When Required

Reassigning a ticket does not always require a public reply. However, send a brief update when the reassignment may affect the expected response or resolution time.

The customer update should:

• Acknowledge that the issue requires assistance from another agent or team.
• Confirm that the ticket has been forwarded to the appropriate team.
• Explain any expected delay without exposing internal reassignment details.
• Provide the next expected update time when possible.

Reassign Tickets with SLA Awareness

Before reassigning a ticket, review its SLA timers and determine whether the handoff could cause a response or resolution breach.

Check the following:

• First response due time
• Next response due time
• Resolution due time
• Current priority
• Assigned agent and group
• Current ticket status

If the ticket is approaching an SLA breach:

1. Add a private note explaining the SLA risk.
2. Reassign the ticket to the appropriate agent or group.
3. Update the priority when required.
4. Notify the customer if the reassignment may delay the next response or resolution.
5. Follow your organisation’s escalation process if the ticket requires immediate attention.

Reassign a Ticket During Escalation

Ticket reassignment can be part of an escalation workflow. For example, a ticket may need to move from a first-level support group to a second-level, senior, or specialist group.

When escalating a ticket through reassignment:

1. Confirm why the issue requires escalation.
2. Identify the appropriate agent or group.
3. Update the Assigned Agent or Assigned Group.
4. Update the Priority or Status when required by your organisation’s workflow.
5. Add a private note explaining the reason for escalation.
6. Include the troubleshooting steps already completed and their results.
7. Specify the action expected from the receiving agent or group.
8. Mention any applicable SLA risk.
9. Notify the customer if the escalation may affect the expected response or resolution time.
10. Save the ticket changes.

What Happens After Reassignment

After a ticket is reassigned:

• The selected agent or group becomes responsible for the next action.
• The ticket conversation, public replies, private notes, and attachments remain available in the same ticket.
• The new owner can continue from the existing ticket history.
• The ticket continues to follow the applicable SLA policy.
• The customer can continue replying to the same ticket.

Best Practices for Ticket Reassignment

Follow these best practices when reassigning tickets:

• Review the ticket before changing the assignee or group.
• Reassign the ticket to the correct group when you are unsure of the exact agent.
• Add a private note before reassigning the ticket.
• Include the reason for reassignment and the expected next action.
• Mention troubleshooting steps already completed.
• Check SLA timers before reassignment.
• Avoid unnecessary reassignment loops between teams.
• Notify the customer if reassignment may delay the response or resolution.
• Do not close or solve a ticket only because it has been reassigned.

Troubleshooting

The Agent Cannot Be Selected During Reassignment

Possible causes

• The agent does not have access to the ticket’s brand.
• The agent is not part of the required group.
• The agent does not have permission to access the ticket.
• The agent account is inactive.

Resolution

• Reassign the ticket to a group that has access to the ticket.
• Contact an administrator to review the agent’s role, group, brand access, and ticket permissions.

The Reassigned Agent Cannot Access the Ticket

Possible causes

• The ticket is restricted by brand, group, or role permissions.
• The agent does not have access to the assigned brand.
• The ticket belongs to a group that the agent cannot access.

Resolution

• Assign the ticket to the correct group.
• Contact an administrator to review ticket access permissions.

The Ticket Was Reassigned Without Enough Context

Possible causes

• No private note was added.
• The issue summary was not included.
• Troubleshooting steps were not documented.

Resolution

• Add a private note with the issue summary, completed checks, customer impact, and required next action.
• Mention the agent or group if urgent action is required.

The Ticket Still Breached SLA After Reassignment

Possible causes

• The ticket was reassigned too close to the SLA due time.
• The new owner did not receive enough context.
• The ticket priority or status was not updated correctly.
• The ticket required escalation but was only reassigned.

Resolution

• Review SLA timers before reassignment.
• Add an SLA risk note when reassigning urgent tickets.
• Escalate the ticket according to your team’s workflow.
• Notify the customer if there is a delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can agents reassign tickets in BoldDesk?
   Yes. Agents can reassign tickets to another agent or group if they have the required permission and access.

2. Should I add a private note before reassigning a ticket?
   Yes. A private note helps the next agent or group understand the issue, what has already been checked, and what action is required next.

3. Does reassignment notify the customer?
   Reassignment is an internal action. If the customer needs to know that another team is reviewing the ticket, send a public reply.

4. Does reassignment affect SLA timers?
   The ticket continues to follow the applicable SLA policy. Always review the SLA timer before reassigning a ticket.

5. What should I do if I do not know which agent should handle the ticket?
   Assign the ticket to the appropriate group instead of a specific agent. The group can then route the ticket to the right owner.

6. Can reassignment be used for escalation?
   Yes. Reassignment can be part of escalation when a ticket needs to move to another agent, group, or support level.

Related Articles

1. How to Set Up Even Distribution Auto-Assignment in BoldDesk
2. How to Create SLA Policies in BoldDesk
3. How to Send Ticket Reminders and Escalation Emails Using SLA
4. How to Automate Ticket Escalation Across L1, L2, and L3