iCarol Help Center

iCarol Help Center

What is the iCarol Help Center?

  1. The iCarol Help Center offers access to:
    1. Knowledge Base: a collection of help articles and video tutorials to assist in learning and using iCarol
    2. Community: a place to share tips and tricks and ask and answer questions from other iCarol users, stay informed with iCarol Announcements, and create, comment and vote on Ideas to communicate directly with iCarol Product Management
    3. Tickets: submit questions and requests directly to the iCarol Support Team
  2. The Help Center is integrated in your iCarol system and is accessed by clicking 'Help' in the left hand menu
  3. There are no additional fees to access the Help Center
  4. Click here for more information about Standard Support in iCarol, including hours and ways to contact the Support Team, and to learn more about available Premier Support packages

Who can Contact iCarol Customer Support?

Users set as Designated Support Contacts are the only individuals at your organization who can create and update support tickets.  Only users with the 'Admin' security level can start a chat from the Help area of iCarol. These individuals are responsible for communicating with the iCarol Support Team about anything your organization may need assistance with.

We ask that the rest of the people at your agency please submit their questions about iCarol to one of your Admin users, who in turn may ask us for help on issues they cannot address themselves, or with our available training materials.

How to Set, Edit or Update Designated Support Contacts

  1. Click 'Admin Tools' in the left hand menu
  2. Click the 'Contacts' tab
  3. Use the drop-down menus next to 'Main Contact' and "Second Contact' to select a contact
  4. Click the 'Save all settings' button
Only users with the 'Admin' or 'Supervisor' security level can be set as Designated Support Contacts.  Your system comes with two Designated Support Contacts; if you feel you need more Designated Support Contacts, please submit a ticket to iCarol Support requesting this.

How to Contact the iCarol Customer Support Team?

The Support Team is here to help your organization. In order to have efficient, prompt and documented responses to your inquiries, we greatly prefer that Designated Support Contacts contact the iCarol Support Team by (1) starting a Live Chat (Admins only), or (2) creating a ticket from the 'Help' area of iCarol.

How to start a live chat with support in iCarol:

  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click the first browser tab, labeled 'iCarol - Online Support' to return to the 'Help' page in iCarol
  3. If you're an Admin user, you'll see a button that displays 'We're Online!' next to it in the upper right hand corner of the screen.  Click the button, enter in the requested information, and then press 'Enter' to begin a live chat with a member of the iCarol Support Team. If a member of the Support Team is unavailable, the message next to the button will display an offline message

How to create a Ticket in the iCarol Help Center:

  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Tickets' in the middle of the page
  3. Click the 'Add ticket' button
  4. Follow the prompts and instructions on this page to enter all necessary information; remember the more detail you provide will help the Support Team recreate the issue and help resolve issues more promptly.
  5. If others at your agency need to be kept informed regarding this ticket, please enter their names or email addresses in the 'CCs' field at the top of the 'Submit a ticket' page
  6. Click the 'Submit' button, and a member of the Support Team will reply to assist you 
Ticket Notes:
  1. Please keep each ticket focused on a particular topic. By putting different topics into separate tickets, it makes it much easier for us to route your request to the right person on our team. Within any given topic though, feel free to ask multiple related questions
  2. When adding the 'Subject' to your ticket, try to have it be concise and clear to reflect the topic of the ticket.  Please try not to create tickets with generic subjects like 'Question' or 'Need Help'.  Please note that the iCarol Support team may change the subject of your ticket at any time if needed.  This means that if you need to reference a specific ticket, please reference the ticket number, and not the ticket subject, as the subject may change at any time, but the number will always remain the same
  3. If you have a question, or are reporting a problem, include as many details as you can, including screenshots and step by step instructions whenever possible
  4. Use the 'Client Priority' field in the ticket to indicate how the issue affects your organization
  5. Our team aims to give every ticket an initial response within 24-48 hours. Tickets that are simple for us to address are also usually completed in that time. More complex tickets can take longer; just how long depends on the individual cases, but we do our best to complete all tickets in a timely manner
  6. When the iCarol Support Team responds to your ticket, a notification will be sent to the main email address listed in the vols-staff profile of the person who submitted the ticket, and the responses will also appear when viewing the ticket in iCarol from the Help Center.
  7. After you initially create the Ticket in the Help Center as outlined above, it is ok if you prefer to respond to the ticket through your email, but it's important you create the ticket in the Help Center
  8. If you are responding to an open support ticket, please do not create a new support ticket, but rather, locate the existing support ticket and respond to it.  This will help keep us organized and make sure all of our communication is tracked as needed
  9. It's a good idea to create a process where every Designated Support Contact reviews their 'Open' cases periodically to ensure they've provided all necessary information in tickets marked as 'Awaiting Response From Client'
Submitting a ticket as outlined above is the preferred method because it allows the Support Team to:
  1. Correctly attribute the ticket to an Admin user at your Agency
  2. Ensures that you are prompted to provide all details necessary to address your inquiry
  3. Keeps all communication, including past tickets, in one place for easy reference
  4. Receive streamlined information, leading to improved response time and quality to you
If there is ever an instance where you can't get into your iCarol system, you can go to www.iCarol.com to start a live chat from our website, or email support@icarol.com which will automatically create a ticket. You can also call our support phone number to leave a voicemail which will automatically create a ticket at 1-888-4-iCarol (1-888-442-2765). 
If you have user accounts in several iCarol system, you MUST submit tickets using the Help Center, when you are logged into the system with which you need assistance or have a questions about.  This ensures that the ticket is attributed to the correct person and the correct iCarol system.
If more than one person needs to be kept informed about a specific ticket, please add the additional people as CC's on the ticket.  Designated Support Contacts, by default, can only see tickets that they submit themselves, or that they are CC'ed on.  Said another way, Designated Support Contacts cannot see all tickets submitted by others at their agency UNLESS they are CC'ed on these tickets.

Managing Tickets

Viewing Tickets

To view tickets you have submitted, or that you have been cc'ed on:
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Tickets' in the middle of the page
  3. By default, you will be shown tickets that are currently 'Open', and that were submitted by you.  'Open' tickets can have one of three statuses:
    1. Open - the ticket is awaiting a response from the iCarol Support Team
    2. Awaiting Response from Client - the Support Team is awaiting a response from someone at your organization
    3. Review and Close - the issue has been resolved, and the Support Team has asked that the ticket be reviewed before it automatically closes
  4. To view tickets in a different status, click 'Closed' or 'On Hold' next to 'Status'.  'Closed' tickets only have one status, 'Closed'.  'On Hold' tickets can have one of three statuses:
    1. In Progress - The Support Team is currently investigating or working on the ticket
    2. Escalated - the ticket has been escalated to another iCarol Team to be addressed or resolved
    3. Awaiting Resolution - the ticket has been assigned a work item number and is currently with the iCarol Technology Team to be addressed or resolved
  5. To view tickets you have been CC'ed on, click 'My CC'ed tickets' next to 'Created by'
  6. To view the details of a specific ticket, click the 'Subject' of that ticket

Replying to a Ticket

To reply to a ticket:
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Tickets' in the middle of the page
  3. Locate the ticket you would like to reply to by clicking the appropriate 'Status' and/or 'Created by' option
  4. Click the 'Subject' of the ticket to view the details
  5. Click the 'Reply' link in the upper right hand corner of the ticket, under the subject
  6. In the text box, type your reply
  7. Click the 'Send' button
You can also reply to a ticket via the email notifications will receive when tickets are created and replied to.  Using your email program, reply to the notification, and this will update the ticket the same way as using the Help Center does.

Closing a Ticket

To close a ticket:
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Tickets' in the middle of the page
  3. Locate the ticket you would like to reply to by clicking the appropriate 'Status' and/or 'Created by' option
  4. Click the 'Subject' of the ticket to view the details
  5. On the right hand side of the screen, you will see a section labeled 'Ticket Properties'.  Scroll to the bottom of this section and click the 'Close ticket' button
  6. In the pop-up that appears, click 'Yes'

Knowledge Base

The Knowledge Base is a collection of help articles and video tutorials to assist in learning and using iCarol.  It is always being updated and added to, so check often whenever you are trying to learn more about how to do something in iCarol.  All users have access to the Knowledge Base, regardless of their security settings.

Searching the Knowledge Base

There are several ways to search for Knowledge Base articles and videos, as follows:
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Type a word or phrase to search for in the search box at the top of the page.  By default, this will search all areas of the Help Center, which includes the Knowledge Base, Community and Tickets.
  3. To limit your search to just the Knowledge Base, click the arrow at the end of the search text box, and choose 'Knowledge Base'
  4. Click the 'Enter' key, or click the magnifying glass in the search box to run the search
  5. Search results will appear; click the name of the Knowledge Base article to view it
OR
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Knowledge Base' in the middle of the page
  3. In the upper right hand corner of the screen, type a word or phrase to search for in the search box
  4. Press the 'Enter' key, or click the magnifying glass in the search box to run the search
  5. Search results will appear; click the name of the Knowledge Base article to view it
OR
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Knowledge Base' in the middle of the page
  3. The Categories that Knowledge Base articles are categorized under are displayed on the screen, along with the first five Knowledge Base articles in that Category
  4. If you see an article you would like to view, click the name of the article
  5. If a particular Category has more than 5 articles within in, you will see a 'More' link.  Click the link to see the full list of Knowledge Base articles in that category
  6. To view an article, click the name of the article

Viewing a Knowledge Base article

  1. When you view a Knowledge Base articles, at the top, under the name of the article, will be listed the 'Table of Contents' for the article.  You can click on any of the headings to 'jump' to that section of the Help article
  2. In the upper right hand corner of the Knowledge Base article, next to the name of the article, you will see a print icon.  You may print any Knowledge Base article you like to assist you and others at your agency in learning iCarol
  3. To the right of the content of the Knowledge Base article, you will see a list of the other articles in the same Category as the article you are viewing.  You can click the name of any of these articles to view them
  4. Also to the right of the content of the Knowledge Base article, under the list of articles in the same Category, you will see a list of Related Articles.  You can click on the name of any of these articles to view them

Community

The Community section in the Help Center is where you can communicate with other iCarol clients and the iCarol Product Management Team.  The purpose of the Community is to share ideas, questions and knowledge with other iCarol clients via the Discussion section, communicate directly with the iCarol Product Management Team about ideas you have about enhancements or new developments you'd like to see in iCarol via the Idea section, and stay informed about iCarol via the Announcement section.  All users in your system have access to the Community, regardless of their security settings.

Searching the Community

There are several ways to search the Community, as follows:
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Type a word or phrase to search for in the search box at the top of the page.  By default, this will search all areas of the Help Center, which includes the Knowledge Base, Community and Tickets.
  3. To limit your search to just the Community, click the arrow at the end of the search text box, and choose 'Community'
  4. Click the 'Enter' key, or click the magnifying glass in the search box to run the search
  5. Search results will appear; click the name of the Community article to view it
OR
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Community' in the middle of the page
  3. In the upper right hand corner of the screen, type a word or phrase to search for in the search box
  4. Press the 'Enter' key, or click the magnifying glass in the search box to run the search
  5. Search results will appear; click the name of the Community article to view it
OR
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Community' in the middle of the page
  3. By default, what you will first see on this page is a list of all recent posts made in all sections of the Community.  The most recent post will be shown first, then the next most recent, etc.  If you see an article you would like to view, click the name of the article to do so
  4. You can view the most recent posts in a specific section of the Community by clicking 'Discussion', 'Announcement' or 'Idea' at the top of the page
  5. To view an article, click the name of the article

Viewing a Community Post

  1. After you click 'Community' on the main Help Center page, you are taken to a page that shows all recent posts made in all sections of the Community - Discussion, Announcement and Idea.
  2. Each post on the page will show the title of the post, followed by the first few sentences of the post, then a line that states who made the post, which section of the Community it was posted in (Discussion, Announcement or Idea), how long ago the post was made, how many replies are on the post, who made the last reply on the post, and when the last reply was made on the post
  3. To view a post, click the title of the post
  4. In the upper right hand corner of the Community post, next to the name of the person who made the post, you will see a print icon.  You may print any Community Post you like to share with others in your agency
  5. To the right of the name of the post, you will see a 'Follow' button.  You may click this button to 'subscribe' to the post and receive notifications when replies are added to the post
  6. At the bottom of a Community post, you will see a 'thumbs up' icon.  You may click this icon to 'Like' the post.
'Liking' an Idea Post is also how you 'Vote' on the Idea.  Voting on an Idea tells the iCarol Product Management Team that you think this is a good Idea and you would like to see it added to iCarol in the future.

Replying to a Community Post

To reply to a Community post you are viewing:
  1. Scroll to the bottom of the post to find the reply text box.  It will be labeled with 'Reply to (name of person who made the post)'
  2. Type your response in the text box labeled with 'Type your reply here'
  3. If you would like to attach a file to your reply, under the reply text box, click 'Attach a file'
  4. If you would like to be notified of replies and other activities on the post, under the reply text box, next to 'Notify me of activities on this topic', click the slider button to turn it 'on'
  5. When you are ready to submit your reply, click the 'Comment' button

Submitting a Community Post

To submit a new community post, follow these steps:
  1. In your left side menu, select 'Help'.  This will automatically open the iCarol Help Center in a second browser tab.
  2. Click 'Community' in the middle of the page
  3. In the upper right hand corner of the page, click the 'Add Topic' button
  4. In the 'Topic Type' drop-down menu, choose if you would like to post your message to the Discussion section, or the Idea section
  5. In the 'Title' text box, type a name for your post.  Try to have it be concise and clear to reflect the topic of the message
  6. In the 'Description' text box, type your message
  7. The 'Category' drop-down menu only has one selection, so you can keep this selection at 'User Community'
  8. In the 'Sub Category' drop down menu, choose what area of iCarol your post refers to.  If none of the selections fit, please use 'General Discussion'
  9. Please do not add 'Tags' to your post
  10. If you would like to be notified when a response is made to your post, next to 'Notify me when a response is made'. click the slider button to turn it 'on'
  11. If you would like to attach a file to your post to further explain and illustrate your message, click 'Attach a file'
  12. You may save your post as a draft by clicking the 'Save as draft' button
  13. You may preview your post before completing it by clicking the 'Preview' button
  14. When you are ready to submit your post, click the 'Post' button

Idea section

The Idea section of the Community is where you can communicate directly with the iCarol Product Management Team about ideas you have about enhancements or new developments you'd like to see in iCarol.  Product Management loves to hear from our clients, so please post any ideas you have!

Idea Statuses

Every idea that is posted to the Idea section is reviewed by the iCarol Product Management team.  The Idea will have no status until it is reviewed.  Once the Idea is reviewed, it is assigned to a status as follows:
  1. Maybe later - iCarol Product Management may consider developing this idea at a later date
  2. Under review - iCarol Product Management is currently reviewing this idea
  3. Working on it - the idea is currently in development with the iCarol Technology team
  4. Implemented - the idea has added to iCarol
  5. Will not implement - the idea will not be implemented into iCarol

Filtering Idea Posts by Status

When viewing the Idea section, you can filter which Ideas you would like to view by the status they have been assigned, or by those with no status, or those with the most votes.  To do so, follow these steps:

      • Related Articles

      • Training Webinars: iCarol Help Center

        During this training participants will learn how to navigate the iCarol Help Center to promote self-guided learning and conversations with the iCarol team and other customers. We will discuss: Finding training materials using the Knowledge Base ...

      • Logging on to iCarol

        How to Sign on to iCarol Before you can access the information stored within your iCarol system, first you must enter your individual credentials to login. To log into iCarol, complete the following steps: Open your browser and go to ...

      • Live Chat Help Seekers Information

        Live Chat Help Seeker Connection Status This functionality was enhanced in April 2019. In Messaging 1.0 and 2.0 Live Chat conversations, a 'Connection Status' message appears within the iCarol vols-staff conversation window, indicating if the Live ...

      • Diagnose Reports of Slowness in iCarol with Inspect - Network - Waterfall details

        OBJECTIVE: If slowness is experienced in iCarol, the following steps can be taken to investigate and help determine if the slowness is a result of the iCarol server, or the user’s internet/network connection, by using the Inspect > Network > ...

      • Training Webinar: Help Center Deep Dive

        During this training participants will learn: What is the Help Center Support Tickets Knowledge Base and Training Plans Community Additional Support Options