I get it, your in game reporting system is built to filter people out and actually interact with players as little as possible, but the current set up is simply frustrating.
As it is it seems my only option is to post here and hope someone reads it.
[Moderator Edit: Removed misinformation.]
typically, if you are having trouble submitting a ticket it’s because you shouldn’t be submitting one. the goal is to filter out people who can’t be helped with tickets, not just filter out people in general. that said, the system isn’t perfect and sometimes you need to be creative in what topic you select.
if you’d share your issue, as generally as you’d prefer, we might be able to direct you toward an appropriate ticket topic.
This system has been in use for years. Your speculation is just that - speculation. It doesn’t make any of it fact.
No, it is not. It is to filter out things that GMs do not handle. GMs don’t need to “interact” with players most of the time. If you make a proper ticket they can fix it without needing to contact the player.
What is it that you want someone to read? You didn’t indicate in this thread what that is.
Is this the main reason you wish to open a ticket? I only ask because reporting via the in game system sends everything needed to the appropriate GM staff. Or was there another reason you needed to contact a GM?
Customer service, and development were not impacted to my knowledge. Community management was restructured with this event.
What in game issues are you currently experiencing that you need personal attention?
It’s built to filter people out so that tickets are only made for things that GMs can actually help with.
Activision, which means Activision Publishing, wouldn’t have any effect on Blizzard. Activision Blizzard (which is a holding company) on the other hand, would and did but only because they ordered the layoffs. And either way, guess what? Customer Support wasn’t targeted by Blizz to meet the requirements of the order.
Now, instead of spouting misinformed nonsense, why not cut to the chase and actually say your issue. People here would be able to help give you an idea of what to do.
Draugo, while I do not appreciate the narrative that is being pushed here, we can always help out whenever we can. Is there something that we can do for you?
this is one of the reasons why the system was changed.
people like to waffle.
in order for gms to be able to do their job efficiently, they need basic information about the issue.
it doesn’t matter how many people read your post, nobody is going to be able to help you, when you’ve given absolutely no hint at what your issue is.
That’s definitely one of the major reasons the support site is the way it is today. I’ve been with Blizzard Support for 10 years now, and we spent a WHOLE LOT of time when I first started just asking “What did you need?” because tickets would literally come in that just said “I need help” or “Item restoration please”.
Our current support system has been a constant evolution over the years to help us make sure we’re able to help as efficiently as possible so that players are not waiting weeks to get a simple reply - as was the case when I started.
I’m having difficulty dissecting what exactly your post is asking for help with as well, Draugo. Though, you do mention in-game reporting so it could be a couple of things…
We love having the opportunity to interact with players. Some of my best memories in as a Game Master have been fun phone calls or funky chats that went off the rails. For reporting though, we regularly heard feedback that submitting a ticket was too much work. If someone was being inappropriate in chat, you had to open up a menu and fill out a form - hoping you remembered/spelled the name correctly. Then you’d spend days waiting for a Game Master to come by and say “Thanks” before moving on. Believe it or not, this discouraged people from reporting things. Now, you simply right click the message and it gets flagged for Game Master review. Super simple and very quick!
The only other type of reporting I can think of would be bug reporting. Customer Support doesn’t work on the game directly and cannot fix bugs. So, this was another situation where you would open a form, fill out the details, wait for days and a Game Master would come by to let you know that they couldn’t fix that and you’d need to submit a bug report. Now, the website stops you and directs you to the bug report form so you don’t waste your time waiting on a ticket.
In closing, I’ll just reiterate that the support is constantly evolving to meet the needs of our players while aiming to make the services we provide as efficient as possible. It will continue to do so as we continue to operate.
When you’ve been playing the game for a decade, you probably know what something falls under. Their options are too limited and have a giant hole in legit things that can go wrong that you DO need help with.
Time played doesn’t have much bearing on this. People who have played for ages also knew you could submit about anything in the past, regardless if GMs could actually help. It clogged the queues.
Blizzard has the numbers on why this was changed, and they added live chat, which I absolutely love (very fast!). I’ve had very few tickets over the years, because I know bugs don’t go to GMs, and they can’t give me loot. I also know to check WoWhead when I’m stuck on a quest; I don’t ask a GM.
I’ve not found the ticket system cumbersome. If it’s not in there, and I’m still sure I need a GM, I can ask on Customer Support for help.
Like what specifically?
This is the issue. YOU think that the issue is something you need help with, when in fact, Blizzard has added self-help options so you don’t need to sit in the queue and wait.
On the other side, there are many things that a player thinks they need help with that a GM simply cannot. So instead of waiting hours, even days, for a “we can’t help”, they direct you to the resources where you can find the help immediately.
To be honest, playing the game for a decade actually works AGAINST you. For example, 10 years ago, if you needed an item restored, you needed to have a GM do it. Not anymore.