How to Practice Help Desk Triage Using ChatGPT and osTicket

I was watching one of my osTicket videos and realized… most tutorials show you how to use a tool, but not how to think like a help desk agent. I think it’s a good idea to repeat tutorials multiple times to really develop a skill. But here, we’ll be focusing on osTicket specifically.

I’ve been testing an idea that I honestly believe is a great way to practice. Not only will you get better at using osTicket over time, but you’ll also improve your ability to work with future ticketing systems in real job settings.

How to Set It Up

So here’s what you do: After installing and configuring osTicket (refer to parts 1 and 2 of my osTicket tutorial on the Novex IT YouTube channel), you can use the same test users and email accounts from the demo. It’s easier than creating brand new ones.

Log in as an agent through the osTicket admin (analyst) login page. From the dashboard, click on the “Tickets” tab, then select the “New Ticket” subtab.

Instead of using the end-user portal to submit a ticket, you’ll simulate a phone call: pretend the end user is on the phone, and you are creating the ticket live as you speak with them.

Using ChatGPT to Simulate a Call

This is where ChatGPT comes in. Use the following prompt to simulate the call:

“Pretend you are a user calling into the help desk with a simple problem. I want to practice triage and filling out tickets within my ticketing system. Do one line at a time, and I will respond as the Help Desk agent, and you still respond as the end user/customer.”

You can also try this prompt after trying the first one:

“Pretend you are an end user with problems with (insert simple problem).”

Ask Clarifying Questions, One at a Time

From there, ask one clarifying question at a time — just like a real support call. I find that note-taking is easier this way.

Use the blank space in the “New Ticket” form to take notes during the simulated conversation. After the “call” ends, go back and fill out the rest of the ticket fields using the information you gathered.

If you prefer more structure, prepare a short list of clarifying questions ahead of time. Paste them into the form and type the simulated user’s answers under each one. The goal here isn’t to fix the issue — it’s to collect the right information for the ticket.

Practice Active Listening and Speaking

When using ChatGPT, try using the Dictate feature to speak your prompts out loud. This gives you a chance to practice how you’d explain or confirm things verbally.

For example, say something like:

“Okay, I understand that your issue is X, Y, and Z — is that correct?”

You can even click Read Aloud to listen to ChatGPT’s response. This can really help simulate a realistic phone call.

Evolve the Practice Over Time

After a few rounds of this, try moving away from pre-written questions. Instead, respond naturally — as you would during a live call. Once the ticket is complete, you can even pretend to work it to completion. Of course, you’re not actually resolving anything here — it’s just an exercise in thinking like a help desk agent.

Final Tip

You may want to create a new team in osTicket just for these simulations, so your practice tickets stay separate from other test data. For example, if your simulated ticket involves a service outage, you might create a team like “Critical Services Support” or “Client Access Team” — something realistic to help reinforce how triage maps to specific teams in a real environment.

Practicing this way helps you build confidence, structure, and habits that will translate directly into real-world help desk environments.