You should not need a secret handshake to get unstuck. Talentelly separates self-serve content (blog index, knowledge links) from in-product help surfaces and human support when something is broken, unclear, or legally sensitive.
Self-serve first (fastest path for “how do I…?”)
- Blog — feature walkthroughs and real-world context; good for onboarding new admins. Start with Getting started if you are new.
- Admin → Help → Knowledge — curated shortcuts into articles so you are not maintaining two conflicting FAQ docs.
Example: New volunteer coach Tom needs to print rosters. He searches the blog for “print”, finds reports and printing, and follows the preview-first guidance—without emailing support during a Sunday match.
Admin help area (for people already in /admin)
The in-product help hub is tuned for operators:
- Cards or links to high-traffic topics (users, bulk, entity).
- Paths to open a ticket when the answer is not documentation-shaped (bug, billing dispute, data recovery)—Support tickets, create ticket.
Example: Finance manager Neha is in payments and sees an unexpected charge code. She opens help, finds the billing FAQ link; if that does not match her contract, she tickets with invoice number and screenshot—not a vague “payment wrong.”
Commercial questions sometimes belong on Contact instead of an engineering ticket—use the channel your contract names.
Opening a ticket that gets solved quickly
Include signal, not noise:
| Include | Why |
|---|---|
| Entity name | Support routes to the right tenant |
| URL or screen name | “Entity → Admins” not “the settings place” |
| Approximate time (with timezone) | Correlates with logs |
| What you clicked vs what you expected | Separates UX confusion from defects |
| Screenshot (blur PII for minors) | One image beats ten paragraphs |
Weak ticket: “Upload broken, fix ASAP.”
Strong ticket: “Bulk upload on Sat 6:12 PM IST stuck at Processing for Northfield School. File: import_v3.csv, 212 rows. Screenshot of job detail attached. Expected: Completed or error count.”
When to escalate vs troubleshoot locally
| Situation | First step |
|---|---|
| Validation errors on import | Fix sheet using error row hints; re-upload — bulk operations |
| Wrong name on certificate | Fix profile or source data, re-issue per reports |
| Cannot log in | Password reset, check spam for email |
| Suspected data loss | Stop bulk operations; ticket with job ID |
| Legal / DPA / breach concern | Security contact per contract, not public chat — security article |
Example: A school thinks a student record vanished. Before panicking, an admin checks Users search with old email, duplicate merge history, and group filters—often the record exists under a typo. If truly gone, ticket with last known ID.
Channels and expectations
- Contracted SLA channels (email, portal) for production issues.
- Social DMs are poor for PII and audit—avoid sharing child data in Instagram messages.
- Feature requests belong in product feedback loops; support tickets about “please add X” may be re-routed.
Tips
- Runbook for volunteers: One-page PDF: who to call, what to screenshot, when to escalate—link to admin help from your wiki.
- After releases: If help articles lag a UI change, note the screen version in your internal wiki until docs catch up.
- Praise is data too: When support solves something fast, ask what doc gap would have prevented the ticket—feed that back to your knowledge owner.
Related: Security · Admin dashboard