Deckhand Support

Answer support tickets and pull up customer records from your phone. If something is not working, this page should cover it.

Contact

Email simon@simonholman.dev and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Please include your device model and iOS version if you're reporting a problem — it helps me track things down faster.

Getting started

What do I need to connect Deckhand to my portal?

Two one-time steps on the server, both configuration rather than infrastructure:

• Lift the IP restriction. The portal API only answers allow-listed addresses, and a phone's address changes constantly. Set a strong API access key in your portal's configuration and enter the same value in Deckhand's setup screen. Treat it like a building key.
• Generate API credentials on your own admin profile, then enter the identifier and secret. Because the credential belongs to your admin account, replies are attributed to you and permissions follow your role.

Enter your portal URL along with those credentials on the sign-in screen. Deckhand verifies them before saving.

Why does it ask for Face ID?

Your credentials are stored in the device Keychain behind a Face ID / passcode gate, so a ticket queue and customer records aren't exposed to anyone who picks up an unlocked phone.

Frequently asked questions

My sign-in fails or the app can't reach the portal

• Check the portal URL is exactly right, including https://.
• Confirm the API access key in the app matches the one set on the server, and that the API credentials are active on your admin profile.
• If the API still refuses, the IP restriction is the usual cause — a correct access key is what lets a changing phone address through.

How do I reply to a ticket and set its status at once?

Open a ticket, write your reply, and choose the resulting status before sending — both are applied in a single action. Canned replies are searchable by name or body, and you can attach photos or screenshots from your library, which are downscaled and re-encoded on the way out.

What's the difference between a reply and a note?

Replies are visible to the customer; internal notes are not. In the conversation view, notes are styled so they can't be mistaken for a customer-visible reply.

How do I look up a customer?

From any ticket, one tap opens the customer panel — alerts first (suspended, overdue, inactive), then contact details, services, open invoices, domains and recent tickets. To reach a customer without a ticket in hand, use the Clients tab to browse the directory or search by the start of a name, company or email.

Will I be notified about new tickets?

Deckhand refreshes in the background and posts a local notification, plus a live badge, when new tickets arrive. Because there's no push server, this depends on iOS granting background time, so notifications can be delayed rather than instant. Keeping the app off Low Power Mode helps.

A phone was lost — how do I cut off access?

Revoke that one API credential pair in your portal's admin area. Its access stops immediately, and no other device is affected.

Where does my data go? Is it private?

Deckhand talks only to your own portal — there's no server of mine in the middle, and nothing is collected about you. See the Privacy Policy for details.

Feedback

Have an idea or a feature request? I'd love to hear it — just drop me a line at simon@simonholman.dev.