Businesses constantly receive numerous concerns, inquiries, and other requests from customers, employees, vendors, or other stakeholders. Collectively, these are known as service requests and it is the responsibility of the organization who is at the receiving end of these requests to address them promptly in a manner that is acceptable to the concerned stakeholders who initiated such requests.
However, there is a risk that some service requests may fall through the cracks, not only preventing them from addressing them promptly but may also lead to loss of confidence and trust from stakeholders. That is why organizations need to invest in a robust service request management system.
Service Request Management explained
Service request management provides a structured format for tracking and resolving all service requests. As such, a service request management system usually creates a ticket every time a service request is received and assigns the request to the appropriate person in the organization who is tasked to address and resolve the request.
In some cases, a service request may involve multiple layers that need to be put on hold, transfer to another member to resolve additional issues that fall within their purview, or the creation of a secondary ticket for an issue that has been discovered while working on the initial request. All this is done through the service request management software so every request can be tracked and resolved.
Difference from Incident Request Management
While service request management is often used interchangeably with incident request management, these two terms are actually different from each other. A service request is a formal request for an existing procedure or service the organization already provides while an incident request is a report of an unplanned service interruption.
Benefits of Service Request Management
Service request management provides a faster, more efficient way to deal with service requests and ensures that nothing falls through the cracks. It can also improve employee satisfaction and efficiency as employees are provided access to fast and accurate support for those requests so they can do their job more effectively. This also demonstrates to the employees that their needs matter to the organization and they are not forgotten or overlooked.
Service request management also helps strengthen brand relationships and loyalty. By quickly and efficiently tracking and resolving a service request, this also helps improve customer satisfaction and demonstrate how much they as customers are valued by the company
Best Strategies for Service Request Management
To ensure the efficiency of the organization’s service request management structure, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
1. Prioritize tickets with automation
Automation can help teams quickly sort through which tickets are high priority and need to be resolved immediately and which don’t need immediate attention. It can even resolve common requests and issues without manual input, such as password reset requests.
2. Create a service catalog
A service catalog is a complete collection of the services that can be provided, including how to perform each one, and serves as a knowledge base for people within the organization. Essentially, it serves as a guide for all team members when confronted with a new or complex issue and ensures that every ticket receives the same pattern and quality of service.
3. Optimize the fulfillment process with reports
Reports help keep track of the completion of a service request and determine the success of the process involved in the resolution of such request. Consistent reports can also help highlight the wins of the service request management solution and identify where there is a need for growth.
An effective service request management system is a must not only for client-facing organizations but also for any organizations that aim to effectively address their internal needs. Client and employee satisfaction have always played a crucial role in a business’ success and being able to address their concerns in an effective and satisfactory manner is what service request management brings to the table.
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