When Two MSPs Collide: The Never-Ending Tech Support Ticket Loop

Cinematic scene of two MSPs communicating over a persistent helpdesk ticket issue.
In a dramatic cinematic style, this image captures the tension between two MSPs as they navigate a ticket that just won't close, highlighting the challenges of offboarding clients and the intricacies of helpdesk communication.

There’s a special kind of magic that happens when two IT teams, armed with similar ticketing systems and just enough automation, find themselves in a technological tug-of-war. Imagine a ticket so stubborn, so unyielding, that no matter how many times you close it, it springs back to life like a zombie in a B-movie. Sound unbelievable? Strap in for the saga of “The Ticket That Just Would Not Close,” a real-life tale from the trenches of tech support.

It begins innocently enough: two managed service providers (MSPs) are in the process of handing off a client. All tickets must be closed, all boxes checked, and both sides are eager to be done. But as anyone who’s worked in IT knows, things rarely go according to plan—especially when automation is involved.

The Curious Case of the Immortal Ticket

At the heart of this story is a seemingly simple process. Both MSPs use ticketing systems that, upon closing a ticket, send a courteous email to the other party: “If you feel this is not completed, please reply to this email.” Straightforward, right? That’s where the trouble begins.

Here’s what unfolded, according to Reddit user u/speddie23:

  1. MSP A (our storyteller) marks the ticket as complete, triggering a closure notification to MSP B.
  2. MSP B, dutifully following protocol, closes the ticket on their end, sending their own closure notification right back.
  3. Here’s the kicker: the incoming closure notification is interpreted by the ticket system as a reply—which, per the system’s rules, automatically reopens the ticket.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 ad infinitum.

It’s like watching two polite robots, each holding the door open for the other, insisting “after you!” until the end of time. Except, in this case, the door is a stubborn ticket that refuses to stay closed.

Automation: Friend or Frenemy?

Automation is a beautiful thing—until it isn't. This story perfectly illustrates how well-intentioned features can spiral into comic chaos when two systems interact in unexpected ways.

Ticketing systems are designed to make life easier: automated notifications, seamless handoffs, and the ability to track every interaction. But here, identical auto-responses create a feedback loop, with each system interpreting closure emails as cries for help. The result? A never-ending game of “Whack-a-Ticket,” with both MSPs frantically closing and reopening the same issue.

It’s a cautionary tale for anyone designing IT workflows: sometimes, the smartest systems can be outsmarted by their own logic. When you automate communication, always consider what happens when your system talks to someone else’s—and what happens after that.

The Human Override: The Ultimate Bug Fix

The endless loop finally ended not with a patch or a script, but with a little human ingenuity. Someone (probably a weary tech on the other side) manually changed the email address in the ticket, breaking the cycle and allowing both sides to finally close the ticket for good.

It’s a testament to the enduring necessity of human intervention, even in the age of automation. No matter how sophisticated our tools become, there will always be situations that require a manual touch—and a bit of outside-the-box thinking.

Lessons Learned (and Laughed About)

So, what can we take away from this ticket tango?

  • Test cross-system interactions: Don’t assume your automations only affect your own workflows. When collaborating with other organizations, test the full end-to-end process.
  • Don’t underestimate the power of a well-placed manual edit: Sometimes, the simplest solution is the best.
  • Always keep your sense of humor: IT is a serious business, but stories like this remind us that even the best-laid systems can be tripped up by a perfect storm of automation.

Have You Survived an Infinite Loop?

We want to hear your tales from the tech support trenches! Have you ever encountered an unstoppable ticket, an email chain that wouldn’t die, or an automation gone rogue? Share your stories in the comments—let’s celebrate (and commiserate) together.

And remember: when the machines start talking to each other, sometimes all you need is a human to tell them to hush.

Inspired by u/speddie23’s post on r/TalesFromTechSupport. Read the original thread here.

Original Reddit Post: The ticket that just would not close.