3.3 Completing the Service Request

Basics​

Of course, the goal of the Service Implementation phase of the Service Model is to resolve all issues and close tickets. While you want a positive resolution to all service requests, sometimes a ticket may have to be closed without addressing a customer’s request.

When working with a customer, there may be additional steps to take to close a ticket completely based on whether the customer is satisfied or not. Some of the steps that may be taken to close a ticket so the customer is satisfied are to:

  • Recap the resolution with the customer;
  • Offer additional support; and
  • Thank the customer.

In many departments, technicians and other personnel who respond to customer service requests can benefit from having a checklist, script, sentence starters, or a template for completing service requests. Scripts can be a little impersonal until the staff member is able to internalize them. These job aids should go beyond simply copying and pasting information from the Knowledge Base, which many clients have already read online and tried. Whether verbally or in writing, such as an email, the use of job aids are intended to help IT staff provide respectful and courteous service to customers while also fully documenting the resolution for the department.

Sometimes, service requests will be completed but not to the customer’s satisfaction. They can be requests that are not covered in the service catalog or otherwise not supported by the IT Department. They could also be requests that rely on interactions with other departments, vendors, or services that you have no control over. Even though the customer may not be happy with the closing of the request, sometimes it has to be done.

Complete, accurate documentation is important for closing any service request. That documentation should include any feedback from the customer, if it is appropriate. If during the process of resolving the issue, a better method or strategy was determined, or perhaps a new issue was successfully resolved, determine how a Knowledge Base article on the issue can be updated or created so that other members of the department can quickly address similar issues in the future.
 

Here are additional resources you may find useful:

Complete the following task or self-assessment:

  • How will staff know work is completed?

Your Department may want to create a checklist of certain requirements to help staff determine they have successfully completed a service request. This may include any review from supervisors or managers that may need to sign off on work.