# Implement a support level differentiation

**URL:** <https://meta.discourse.org/t/implement-a-support-level-differentiation/203709>\
**Category:** Product Support\
**Created:** [September 16, 2021, 9:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/implement-a-support-level-differentiation/203709 "2021-09-16T09:42:12Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 1

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**Author:** ![lavrenkov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/lavrenkov/32/234205_2.png) [@lavrenkov](https://meta.discourse.org/u/lavrenkov)\
**Post date:** [September 16, 2021, 9:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/implement-a-support-level-differentiation/203709/1 "2021-09-16T09:42:12Z")

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Hi!

We are planning to implement multi-tier pricing. Each package will have different terms of support. So we need to make it convenient on the forum for customers and the support team. Let’s say we have 3 tiers:

1. Free. Answer on the forum is not guaranteed.
2. $100. Forum reply is guaranteed within 2 days.
3. $200. Forum reply is guaranteed within 1 day.

So, we need the support team to easily identify which tier has a user and act accordingly. I came up with the following requirements on the forum’s side.

1. The tier should be easily found on the topic page. Preferably in a single click on a user.
2. The tier should be assigned and unassigned by API.
3. The tier should be visible only to the staff members.

I tried to experiment with custom badges, which look like a perfect fit at the first glance.

1. Badge is displayed just by clicking on the user avatar. In the worst-case scenario, if the user has lots of badges you should click one more time to check all the badges.  

2. Badges could be assigned and unassigned by API.

3. However, I have an issue with the 3rd point. Looks like I can’t make a private badge, which only staff members can find. Please let me know if I’m wrong here. It will solve the problem and we will go with badges.

I checked if we can implement that using the Groups as well.

1. I was able to create a group that is visible only to staff members. But the group can be found only on the profile page, which is not 100% convenient. Then I decided to make a group a primary one and set an icon for it. It worked, but everyone see the icon on the user’s avatar.  

2. We can assign and unassign groups by API.

3. Group can be visible only to staff members, but the icon is visible to everyone.

Groups functionality again almost meets the requirements but is not perfect. Is it possible that the icon is visible according to the security settings of the group?

Please advise if there is any other functionality that can help implement support tiers.

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