As you work with the customer, you will need to determine if their issue is an Incident or a Service Request. You need to know the difference between the two so you can categorize the issue and initiate the correct process.
What's an Incident?
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User's issue: "Something is broken, and I need it fixed so that I can get my work done."
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Service Desk goal: To get user up and running as quickly as possible
What's a Service Request?
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User's issue: "I need something that I currently do not have to more effectively perform my job duties."
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Service Desk goal: To assist the user in requesting a service
Examples
| Incident | Service Request |
|---|---|
| My printer isn't working. | The color ink cartridge for our printer is empty; we need a new one. |
| My phone can't connect to campus wireless. | We have a new hire in our department who needs a phone for the new workstation. |
| My voice mail inbox isn't allowing me to delete messages. | I need some sort of flow-chart generating software. |