I can sympathize with the user as well as the N3V helpdesk. As a user he/she becomes frustrated when their favorite program fails. This is where backups are a must, and the impetus to do backups only comes after the disaster strikes. I do practice what I preach here, ahem, after disaster struck. I was lucky, but I did lose a lot of valuable data.
Now regarding the helpdesk ticketing system. A ticketing system is supposed to help the technical staff prioritize their workflow,and to ensure that everyone is handled in an equal manner. The prioritization is set by the user in many cases. I believe the on-line form for N3V's helpdesk does have a pull-down for priority. Critical being system crashes to Low for nothing that can't wait, but good to let them know. Problems arise if the user doesn't choose the proper category, or priority for their ticket. If the user chooses a medium priority for a critical issue, then the ticket will be sorted as such.
We have to remember that some tickets may contain something this going to be difficult to replicate, and will take more time to investigate. This is where the problem lies. Many people think, and not just here in the forums, that once a ticket is in, there's a tech waiting to fix their problems. Unfortunately there are many tickets in a queue, and the techs are busy helping other people, and if the ticket is sorted incorrectly, it can get lost in the shuffle. This is why I always check my work queue of submitted tickets to see if someone has posted an update. I do the same here with N3V. I'll post a helpdesk request, and wait a day for a response. Later one if nothing comes up, I'll check the ticket status. If there's an update in the ticket, and somehow I missed the email, I'll respond. If I hear nothing, I'll post an inquiry on the status.
To be honest, I have never had a problem with the helpdesk system. I ensure what I am asking for help on is clearly spelled out, and be available to respond to inquiries and provide feedback when an issue arises.
We have to remember that there are only 2 helpdesk people at N3V, Zec and Aron. They have both done a great job handling the work that comes at them, and given the shear number of tickets they receive, they do this quite well. I know I handle over 650 people in-house, and they keep me hopping for a good 8-plus hours a day.
John