Admin, DSO, and Principal Role-Based Training

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Module 1: Why We're Changing the Inquiry Process

Background and Overview

This document is a companion to the LTS Admin, DSO & Principal training course from HIVE Strategy. It covers how admins, DSOs, and principals will document, manage, and resolve guardian inquiries within HubSpot.

Training Modules at a Glance

Here is how this system will allow us to reach that goal:

One place for context

The system gives you one spot to see every note or question you need to be aware of, and one spot to find the context you need to respond to and resolve it. That means less time searching for information, and guardians won't have to repeat the same information to several different team members.

Nothing falls through the cracks

The system clearly shows which questions have been addressed and which still need follow-up, so we know every guardian gets an answer without relying on sticky notes or email threads.

Understanding trends

Logging every question, even ones you answer immediately, helps us see common questions guardians are asking. Over time, that data can point to opportunities to give guardians a way to find answers on their own, saving your time for the questions that really need your attention. For example, if guardian after guardian asks about the same campus event, we can consider creating a resource so your team isn't answering the same question over and over.

Visibility into communication

If a guardian comes to you frustrated, saying a question was never answered, you'll have documentation showing exactly when and how it was addressed, helping avoid "he said, she said" situations.

 

Module 2: How the Inquiry Process Works

High Level Process Flow

At a high level, every inquiry is managed, recorded, and logged in HubSpot as a ticket, a digital record of the guardian's question.

Tickets can be created in two ways:

1. Emails

An email to your campus's primary inbox automatically creates a ticket. If the question relates to attendance, a withdrawal request, or a new enrollment request, it will automatically be assigned to you.

2. Phone calls, voicemails, and in-person questions

When a guardian calls, leaves a voicemail, or stops by in person, the secretary fills out a short form — the Family Support Card — on the guardian's record. Submitting that form creates a ticket, which routes the same way an email would.

Once a ticket exists:

1. It's sent to the appropriate team member — either the registrar, a secretary, or an DSO/admin — depending on the category of the question.
2. Once a ticket is escalated or within one of the categories your team owns, it will live in your team’s unassigned queue until an available team member picks it up.
3. You'll respond to and resolve the ticket entirely within HubSpot's Help Desk, where you can see historical notes, other team members' notes, and all related emails.
4. Once you close the ticket, the question is resolved and we know the guardian's question has been fully answered.

Four Ways Tickets are Sent to Your Team

There are a few situations in which a ticket will be sent to the admin, DSO, or principal team:

1. Category match: the ticket is categorized as Academic Concern, Behavior or Discipline, Request to Speak to an Admin, or Complaints/Concerns.
2. Escalated mid-conversation: a secretary or registrar is working a ticket and determines the conversation needs to be brought to an admin, DSO, or principal.
3. Escalated on intake: a guardian calls, emails, or stops by, and the secretary determines the issue needs to be escalated immediately, regardless of category.
4. SLA time period passes: if the assigned secretary or registrar doesn't respond within the expected timeframe, the ticket automatically escalates to your team.

 

Module 3: Help Desk Overview

Ticket and Help Desk Overview

This module will walk you through the help desk and provide an overview of important terminology.

Ticket Views

Views are how tickets are sorted, and meant to help you quickly find tickets you need to be aware of.

 

Important Views

My New Tickets: Always start your day in this view. This will show you any new tickets that you need to address.

In Progress: These are tickets that you are still working through.

Honorable Mentions

Assigned to Me: Will show you all of the tickets that you own.

My Mentions: Will show you any ticket where another team member has tagged you in an internal note, regardless of who owns the ticket.

Following: Will show tickets that you have chosen to follow.

Drafts: Will show any ticket where you started to draft an email but have not sent it yet.

 

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Your Inbox

Your inbox shows a preview of the tickets within the view you’ve selected

 

Clock Icon

The clock icon indicates how soon a response is required to hit our SLA goals:

Grey: A response is due in more than an hour
Yellow: A response is due in less than an hour
Red: A response is overdue

 

Tickets with a yellow clock icon should be worked first, then move into the grey.

 

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Center Column

The center column shows the history of communication, including external emails and internal notes.

Email Tickets

For tickets created via email, the original email from the guardian will show as the first item in the center column.

Any subsequent emails, ticket updates, or internal notes will show in sequential order.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Phone or In Person Tickets

For tickets created through the family support card, the center column will initially be blank.

However, the ticket description can always be found on the right hand side.

Any subsequent emails, ticket updates, or internal notes will show in sequential order.

 

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Response Box

The response box below the center column allows you to send emails to the guardian and log internal notes, which are not visible to the guardian.

Sending Emails

Clicking allows you to format text.

Clicking allows you to insert a link.

Clicking allows you to insert an attachment.

Clicking allows you to use HubSpot’s AI tools.

The button allows you to insert snippets, pre-set blocks of copy used to answer common questions.

And the button will send the email to the guardian.

 

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Leaving Notes

The Note tab in the response box will allow you to create an internal note.

If you type @ and a team member’s name, they will be notified and the ticket will show in their My Mentions view.

This note is not visible to guardians, only internally.

IMPORTANT: Always leave a note if you discuss something over the phone or in person, so the record of communication stays complete.

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Right Hand Column

The right hand column will show all the contextual information you need around the inquiry.

SLA Time

The highlighted text will show you when a response is due.

 

Following a Ticket

If you select Actions > Follow Ticket, the ticket will stay in your Following view and you will receive notifications around ticket updates.

 

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Ticket Owner

The ticket owner field shows who on the team is responsible for responding to and resolving the ticket.

Ticket Status

The ticket status property indicates which stage in the resolution process we are in.

Category

The category property powers the assignment (ticket owner) and the priority.

Ticket Description

The ticket description will always show the initial question that the guardian asked.

Priority

The priority indicates how urgent a response is needed to the guardian.

 

 

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Ticket Summary

The ticket summary shows an AI generated overview, summarizing the history of a ticket

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Related Guardians

The related guardians card shows which guardian initially asked this question.

 

Students

The students card shows which student this guardian is inquiring about.

 

Other Tickets

The other tickets card shows all other questions (tickets) this guardian has asked.

 

 

 

 

My Teams Unassigned

Any ticket that comes in under your categories, or that gets escalated, lands in the My Teams Unassigned view. This is the most important view to check regularly. We always want this number to be zero.

 

Claiming a Ticket

If you're available to take on a ticket, click on it and go to the Ticket Owner field on the right-hand side. Select the dropdown and choose your name.

This assigns the ticket to you and indicates that you are responsible for responding to and resolving this ticket.

 

 

 

My Tickets

Once you assign yourself a ticket, it's removed from My Teams Unassigned and moves into your My Tickets view. It stays there and it's your responsibility to respond to, work, and resolve it until you close it out.

 

Module 6: Responding to Your Tickets

Step 2: Respond to Tickets in the My Tickets View

Once you have claimed a ticket, you will respond to the guardian either via email or over the phone.

SLA Time & Priority

Every ticket shows an expected time to first reply and time to close in the top right corner, along with a clock icon in your inbox:

— Red: the response or close time is overdue. Respond to these first.

— Yellow: the SLA is approaching quickly. Respond to these second.

— Grey: you have a comfortable amount of time to respond.

Responding via Email

The response box functions like an email inbox. Draft your reply and click Send to deliver it to the guardian. Any reply they send back will also show in the center column.

Responding via Phone or In Person

You're also welcome to call a guardian or speak with them in person. You can find their phone number under Related Guardians on the right-hand side.

 Leaving Notes & Tagging Team Members

Use the Note tab to log an internal note, which are never visible to guardians. To bring in another team member, type @ followed by their name; they'll be notified and the ticket will show in their My Mentions view. Any ticket where someone tags you will also show in your own My Mentions view.

 

Module 7: Closing Your Tickets

Step 3: Closing Your Tickets

Once you've reached a resolution with the guardian, you will need to close the ticket. This indicates that we have fully answered the guardian’s question or addressed the guardian’s  need and no further action is needed. 

Closing a Ticket

Select the Ticket Status dropdown on the right hand side and click Closed.

Once you select closed, a form will appear on the right hand side with a few fields that are required to fill before the ticket can be closed.

 

 

 

 

 

Resolution Overview

Document how the question was resolved and what the outcome was.

This lets anyone reference back to a closed ticket without digging through notes and emails, and it helps us push back on any "he said, she said" situations.

SLA Breached & SLA Breached Reason

If you or the original owner were unable to respond to or resolve the ticket within our SLA timeframes, the SLA Breached property will say Yes and you will need to document the reason why we were unable to meet the SLA expectations.

 

SLA Breached & SLA Breach Reason

By default, SLA Breached is set to No and SLA Breach Reason is N/A.

If the ticket goes over its expected response or close time, SLA Breached will switch to Yes, and you'll need to select a reason from the dropdown provided.

Once the Resolution Overview and SLA Breach Reason (if applicable) are filled in, click Save to close the ticket.

 

Module 8: Cheat Sheet, Support, and Resources

Your Cheat Sheet and Support Options

As an Admin, DSO, or Principal, you will be responsible for:

Checking your Help Desk in the morning, around noon, and before you head out for the day:

1. Important: Check the My Team’s Unassigned view regularly and assign yourself any tickets you’re available to resolve
2. Respond to any tickets in the My Tickets view and close the ticket or document next steps.
3. Close tickets and document SLA Breach Reason when appropriate.

 

How to Get Support

1. Start here: Check the LTS resource knowledge base for a step-by-step overview of the process.
2. HubSpot Knowledge Base: Search HubSpot's knowledge base for additional guidance on using the tool itself.
3. Reach out to Kristen or Janet with any process questions not covered in the landing page or Knowledge Base.

 

Quick Reference: Key Tips

1. Every guardian interaction becomes a ticket: phone and in-person via the secretary's intake form, email automatically.
2. Tickets in your categories, and any escalated tickets, are unassigned by default. You must claim them from My Teams Unassigned.
3. Always log a note any time you speak with a guardian by phone or in person.
4. Always complete the Resolution Overview when closing a ticket.
5. Internal notes are never visible to guardians. Use them freely, and tag colleagues with @.
6. If a reason isn't listed in SLA Breach Reason, select N/A and document the real reason in the Resolution Overview