Getting started with Helpdesk

Stop juggling emails, spreadsheets, and chat apps to handle customer support. Mantle's Helpdesk brings all your customer conversations into one place, with powerful tools to help you respond faster and build stronger relationships.

Whether you're getting dozens of support requests a day or just a handful, the Helpdesk gives you everything you need: a unified inbox, smart ticket management, AI-powered suggestions, and seamless integration with your customer data.

What you'll set up

Getting started with Helpdesk involves a few key steps:

1. Add your support docs - Import or create documentation that Mantle uses to help answer customer questions

2. Enable support channels - Set up email, chat, or Slack channels to receive and respond to tickets

3. Configure your inbox - Customize ticket settings, tags, and assignment rules

4. Optional: Add automation - Use Flows to route tickets, send auto-responses, and more

Step 1: Add your support docs

Before handling tickets, add a documentation repository. Your docs power two things: a hosted help center where customers can self-serve, and AI assistance that helps you draft responses.

To create your first docs repository:

1. Go to Helpdesk from the main navigation

2. Click Docs in the sidebar

3. Click Add repository

4. Choose whether to start fresh or import existing docs from Zendesk, Intercom, or other platforms

Your docs come with a fully hosted website where customers can search and browse articles. You can customize the look and feel to match your brand.

Tip: Even if you're starting with just a few articles, having docs set up means Mantle can suggest relevant articles to customers and help you draft responses faster.

Step 2: Enable a support channel

Channels determine how customers reach you. Enable at least one channel to start receiving tickets.

To configure channels:

1. Go to Helpdesk > Settings

2. Under Support channels, click Enable channel for your preferred channel type

Available channels

Setting up email support

Email is the most common channel. After enabling it, you'll need to:

1. Add an email address - Enter the address where you want to receive support emails (e.g., [email protected])

2. Configure forwarding - Set up email forwarding from your current support address to route messages to Mantle

3. Add a sending domain - To send replies from your own domain, add DNS records to verify ownership

Step 3: Your ticket inbox

Once you've enabled a channel, support requests appear in your inbox as tickets. Each ticket contains the full conversation thread, customer context, and tools to help you respond.

Ticket views

The inbox shows tickets organized by status. Use the tabs to filter what you see:

You can also create custom saved filters to quickly access specific ticket types, like high-priority issues or tickets from enterprise customers.

Step 4: Handling tickets

Click any ticket to open it. You'll see the conversation thread, customer information, and actions you can take.

Ticket details

The sidebar shows key information about each ticket:

• Priority - High, Medium, or Low urgency level

• Status - Open, Pending, or Closed

• Assignee - The team member responsible for this ticket

• Channel - Where the ticket originated (email, chat, etc.)

• Tags - Labels for categorization and filtering

• Customer - Click to view the full customer profile with subscription and usage data

Responding to tickets

Write your reply in the compose area at the bottom of the conversation. You can:

• Send a reply - Your message goes directly to the customer

• Add an internal note - Leave notes visible only to your team

• Attach files - Include screenshots, documents, or other attachments

• Use saved replies - Insert pre-written responses for common questions

Pro tip: Mantle can suggest responses based on your documentation. Look for the AI suggestions when responding to save time on common questions.

For more on ticket management—including statuses, assignment, tags, internal notes, and tracking multiple issues with Loops—see Working with tickets.

Configuring ticket settings

Customize how tickets are handled in Helpdesk > Settings.

Auto-tagging

Mantle can automatically tag new tickets based on their content. Enable auto-tagging to categorize tickets without manual effort:

1. Go to Helpdesk > Settings

2. Under Tickets, enable Automatically tag tickets when they're created

3. Add the tags you want available (e.g., billing, bug, feature-request, integration)

Assignment rules

Choose how tickets get assigned to team members:

SLA policies

Set response time targets to ensure timely support:

1. Go to Helpdesk > Settings

2. Under SLA policies, click Add SLA policy

3. Define first response time, reply time, and resolution targets

4. Optionally scope the policy to specific customer segments, channels, or agents

SLA policies help you track performance and identify tickets at risk of breaching your service commitments.

Optional: Add automation with Flows

Flows let you automate common helpdesk tasks. Some useful automations include:

• Auto-respond to new tickets - Send an immediate acknowledgment when customers submit a request

• Route tickets by content - Automatically assign billing questions to your billing team

• Escalate overdue tickets - Get notified when tickets approach SLA breaches

• Close stale tickets - Automatically close tickets with no response after a set period

To explore flow templates:

1. Go to Helpdesk > Settings

2. Click Browse flows

3. Select a template and customize it for your needs

What's next?

Once you've completed the basic setup, explore these features to get even more from Helpdesk:

• Support widget - Embed help and chat directly in your app

• Helpdesk automation - Build flows to handle repetitive tasks

• Support analytics - Track response times, ticket volume, and team performance

• Team settings - Add team members and configure roles