Password resets are the most common ticket the Help Desk receives. Almost all of them are resolved by the user themselves, in the self-service portal, in under two minutes — provided you guide them clearly.
The walkthrough
- 1
Verify the caller
Follow the approved identity verification process before anything else.
- 2
Confirm they can receive their recovery method
A reset link sent to an inbox they cannot open is the most common dead end. Check this before starting.
- 3
Direct them to the self-service portal
Read the address slowly, or send it in the ticket. Do not assume they will find it from a search engine — lookalike sites exist.
- 4
Stay on the line while they complete it
Most failures happen at the confirmation step. Being present turns a callback into a resolved ticket.
- 5
Have them sign in to one real service to confirm
Email is a good test. A reset that was never verified tends to come back tomorrow.
- 6
Note the outcome in the ticket and close it
Record which method worked; it speeds up the next contact.
When it is not a password problem
- Repeated lockouts within minutes — usually a saved password on a phone or tablet still trying the old one. Ask what other devices are signed in.
- Correct password, still refused — check whether the account is expired, disabled, or a graduate who has transitioned to alumni access.
- Multi-factor prompts never arrive — this is an MFA enrollment issue, not a password issue. Different path, different escalation.
- Password works on one service only — that points at the individual service, not the account.