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Creating a Ticket

Create a new work ticket for tracking service requests with UTC-anchored due dates, full business customer support, and AI model updates

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OverviewWhat's a Ticket vs. a Job?Step-by-Step InstructionsAfter Creating a TicketQuestions

Overview

Tickets are the starting point for work in BlueClerk. When a customer calls with a request, needs an estimate, or reports an issue, you create a ticket. Tickets track the work from initial request through completion, keeping all the details organized in one place.

IMPORTANT: Due dates are UTC-anchored - Due dates are stored as date-only values at UTC midnight and displayed in UTC timezone. This ensures a due date of June 1st shows as June 1st for all users regardless of their local timezone, preventing date rollback issues in negative-offset timezones like US Central.

NEW: Full business customer support - When you create a ticket for a business customer, BlueClerk automatically creates a Property record (so the address appears in ticket forms), a contact User record (so contacts appear in dropdowns), and a CompanyMember linkage (so the contact is associated with the business). This ensures business customers work exactly like homeowner customers - addresses and contacts appear immediately after creation with no manual setup required.

NEW: AI model update - The AI chat assistant and website builder now use Gemini 2.5 Flash for all operations. This ensures continued service after Google retired the Gemini 1.5 models on [date].

What's a Ticket vs. a Job?

  • Ticket: The work request or scope - "Fix the leaky faucet in the master bathroom"
  • Job: A scheduled visit to perform the work - "Tuesday at 10am, John is fixing the faucet"

A single ticket can have multiple jobs (follow-up visits, parts ordering, etc.).

Step-by-Step Instructions

Creating a Ticket

  1. Click "Operations" in the sidebar

  2. Select "Tickets" from the flyout menu

  3. Click "New Ticket" button

  4. Fill in the ticket details:

    • Customer Type: Choose Homeowner, Builder, or Business
    • Customer: Search and select the customer (or create new)
    • Property: Select the property address (auto-created for new business customers)
    • Contact: Select the contact person (auto-created for new business customers)
    • Description: Describe the work requested
    • Due Date: When the work should be completed (displays in UTC to prevent timezone rollback)
    • Items: Add materials or services needed from your catalog
    • Photos: Upload images showing the issue or scope
    • Customer PO: Reference number if the customer provided one

  5. Click "Save" to create the ticket

Customer Type Differences

Homeowner customers:

  • Individual property owners
  • Property must already exist or be created separately
  • Contact is the homeowner user

Business customers:

  • Commercial entities, property managers, or businesses
  • Property, contact User, and CompanyMember are created automatically when you add a business customer
  • Contact dropdown shows all users linked to the business via CompanyMember records

Builder customers:

  • Home construction companies
  • Typically have multiple properties across subdivisions
  • Contact dropdown shows builder company contacts

Due Date Behavior

Due dates are stored as date-only values (YYYY-MM-DD) at UTC midnight:

  • Input: When you pick June 1st, it's stored as 2024-06-01T00:00:00Z
  • Display: Always shown in UTC timezone so June 1st displays as June 1st everywhere
  • Why UTC: Prevents "June 1st → May 31st" rollback in negative-offset timezones like US Central (-05:00 or -06:00)

This is a regression fix - the live tickets list previously formatted due dates without timeZone: 'UTC', causing rollback issues. The fix adds UTC timezone to all due date displays.

After Creating a Ticket

Once your ticket is created, you can:

  • Schedule a job to complete the work
  • Assign to a team member or subcontractor
  • Track status as work progresses
  • Convert to an invoice when complete

Questions

Q: What if the customer doesn't exist yet? A: Click "Add Customer" in the customer picker to create them first, then continue creating your ticket. For business customers, the property and contact will be created automatically.

Q: Can I create a ticket without a property? A: No - every ticket must be linked to a property. This ensures work history is tracked correctly. For business customers, the property is created automatically when you create the customer.

Q: Why does my June 1st due date show as May 31st? A: This was a bug in the old tickets list. Due dates are now displayed in UTC timezone to prevent rollback. If you're still seeing rollback, refresh the page - the fix applies to the live tickets list (/operations?tab=tickets).

Q: What's the difference between business and builder customers? A: Both are commercial entities, but builders are specifically home construction companies that manage subdivisions and new construction. Business customers are general commercial customers like property managers, retail stores, or offices. The ticket form and property/contact creation works the same for both.

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