Staff User Walkthrough

This document covers all features accessible to staff members (users with role = 'staff').

Overview

Staff members have moderation capabilities to maintain platform health:

• View and respond to support tickets
• Manage disputes and resolutions
• Issue and manage store warnings
• View platform deposits and transactions
• Access platform statistics
• Manage item categories

Staff Panel Access

All staff pages are under /staff/. Staff members see a "Staff" link in the navigation bar.

Access Requirements:

• User must have role = 'staff' or role = 'admin'
• Session authentication required

Pages and Screenshots

1. Staff Dashboard

Main staff panel overview.

URL: /staff/index.php

Features:

• Quick stats overview
• Links to all staff sections
• Recent activity summary
• Pending items count

2. Staff - Stores

View and manage all stores on the platform.

URL: /staff/stores.php

Features:

• List of all stores
• Store status (active/inactive)
• Store owner information
• Links to store detail pages
• Option to issue warnings

3. Staff - Support Tickets

View and respond to all support tickets.

URL: /staff/tickets.php

Features:

• All tickets across all users
• Ticket status (Open, In Progress, Resolved)
• Priority indicators
• Assigned staff member
• Links to ticket threads

4. Staff - Disputes

Manage transaction disputes.

URL: /staff/disputes.php

Features:

• List of all disputes
• Dispute status (Open, Resolved)
• Linked transaction information
• Buyer and seller details
• Resolution actions

• View dispute details
• Read claims from both parties
• Resolve dispute (full refund to buyer)
• Issue partial refund
• Close dispute in vendor's favor

5. Staff - Warnings

Issue and manage store/vendor warnings.

URL: /staff/warnings.php

Features:

• List of all issued warnings
• Warning status (Active, Acknowledged, Resolved)
• Target store information
• Warning reason/description
• Create new warning
• Resolve/close warnings

6. Staff - Deposits

View platform deposit transactions.

URL: /staff/deposits.php

Features:

• All deposit transactions
• Deposit status
• Amount and currency
• User/store attribution
• Note: Staff cannot modify deposits, view-only

7. Staff - Statistics

Platform-wide statistics and analytics.

URL: /staff/stats.php

Features:

• Total users count
• Total stores count
• Transaction volume
• Active disputes
• Revenue metrics
• Time-based trends

8. Staff - Categories

Manage item categories.

URL: /staff/categories.php

Features:

• List existing categories
• Create new categories
• Edit category names
• Delete unused categories
• Category usage counts

9. Staff - Marketplace View

How staff sees the regular marketplace.

URL: /marketplace.php

Features:

• Same as regular marketplace
• Staff nav items visible
• No special marketplace permissions

10. Staff - Ticket Detail

Individual support ticket management.

URL: /support/ticket.php?uuid={ticket_uuid}

Features:

• Full ticket conversation thread
• Reply as staff
• Change ticket status
• View user information
• Note timestamp for all messages

Staff Role Matrix

| Area | Permission | |------|------------| | Support Tickets | View all, Reply, Change status | | Disputes | View all, Resolve, Partial refund | | Warnings | View all, Create, Resolve | | Deposits | View only | | Statistics | View only | | Categories | Full CRUD | | Users | No access (admin only) | | Config | No access (admin only) |

Navigation Flow

Staff Navigation:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Logo]  │ Marketplace │ Vendors │ Settings │ ... │ Staff │ Logout (user)         │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
                                                      │
                                                      ▼
                                            ┌─────────────────┐
                                            │  Staff Panel    │
                                            │  ────────────── │
                                            │  Dashboard      │
                                            │  Stores         │
                                            │  Tickets        │
                                            │  Disputes       │
                                            │  Warnings       │
                                            │  Deposits       │
                                            │  Stats          │
                                            │  Categories     │
                                            └─────────────────┘

Key Workflows:

1. TICKET RESOLUTION:
   Staff → Tickets → View Ticket → Reply → Set Status → Resolved

2. DISPUTE RESOLUTION:
   Staff → Disputes → View Dispute → Review Claims → Resolve/Partial Refund

3. WARNING WORKFLOW:
   Staff → Warnings → New Warning → Vendor Acknowledges → Staff Resolves

Dispute Resolution Process

1. Dispute Created: Transaction frozen, both parties can add claims 2. Staff Review: Read claims from buyer and seller 3. Resolution Options: - Full refund: Buyer gets all funds back - Partial refund: Split funds between parties - Vendor favor: Vendor receives funds 4. Transaction Updated: Status changes to CANCELLED (with refund) or RELEASED

Security Notes

• Staff role checked on every staff page
• Staff cannot escalate to admin
• All staff actions are audit logged
• CSRF protection on all POST actions
• Rate limiting applies to staff replies