Click to see a larger view. We are very proud of our 97% “SLA Rate”

The “Diablo DXers” back office VK0EK support team is composed of passionate DXers like yourself (some you know as good friends). They are handling support for every aspect of this VK0EK DXpedition:

• Busted Calls
• Souvenir Order Questions
• Donations for Instant LOTW
• “When are You Going to _______” Questions
• “Can you go to this band and mode”
• Many, many more

As you can see – we have handled 907 tickets, and we are using the FREE Cloud Based product called Freshdesk. This is the same support system that the really fine people at Clublog uses – so it might be a little bit familiar to you.

The problem? We are getting way too many “Freshdesk Ticket Dupes“. Here’s how you can help:

1. Please do not respond to a ticket and say “Thank You”. I know it sounds odd – but it reopens the ticket and gives us double the work. We would rather that you use Twitter or Facebook or write a little something in a forum like eHam or QRZ DX Forum or your clubs news letter that you thought this was an effective way to do support of an Ultra Rare,  major and expensive DXpedition. You can also add a nice thank you to this Blog as a Comment – we would really appreciate any positive feedback for the team – on and off island. But NOT as a support ticket (hi hi)
2. Please try to be judicious in your request that the team open a band at a certain time for a certain part of the world. Now that we have a weeks worth of log data – and almost 30K QSO’s, we are using much more detailed database log analysis queries (Yes, using SQL) to really get down to the nitty gritty on where in the world there is a large unfulfilled ATNO need. PLEASE REMEMBER: our #1 Goal is to give out ATNO’s. We really want to open this up for little pistols and soon – and General class licensees too. We will always do our best to satisfy everyone’s wishes, but please remember there are many competing needs, wants and desires. And then there is “old Sol” – SFI = 87 and SSN = 13 (YIKES!)But we do have enough data now to know where the need is! And a lot of the data came from you! We just have too much of the same data. (Thanks). If you haven’t read our 10 Part Page on “How to Work Us”, please do – making a QSO requires discipline at both ends of the “circuit” . . . With such lousy solar conditions better antennas are required – there is no getting around that. I know – I worked the first 300 with 200 watts and a dipole with a tuner!
3. If you can hold off on asking to fix a busted call until after the DXpedition, we would appreciate that. We would MUCH rather that you simply work us again – rather than open a ticket and HOPE your QSO was good. We would MUCH rather that you rework us while there is still 12 days left in this DXpedition – and plenty of time to do so. If that one ATNO was busted and you really can’t rework us – then please do open a ticket. Remember – we are only 1/3rd into the DXpedition!

I will be writing about how valuable Freshdesk has been in supporting VK0EK, and will have a slide or two in my keynote at the Visalia Banquet Keynote. There are several aspects that made Freshdesk MUCH more valuable than we ever would have expected. We truly feel we have pushed the paradigm on supporting such large and “Most Wanted” DXpeditions. But the most important aspect is our behind the scenes support people – and so – please – lets make their job just a little bit easier.

You invested in this project and we take (YOU) the DXer very seriously.

73, Rich KY6R