How to create contacts from existing users

[Tomko]

We have a large number of existing users (sys_user) who are, in effect, account managers for our customer accounts.  As we bring CSM online, we would like to be able to select these users as contacts for CSM Cases.  Of course, when I try to create a customer_contact record for an existing user, I get the message that the user already exists.

I get the relationship between customer_contact and sys_user, and I know I could swap the reference for contact on Case from customer_contact to sys_user, but I am hesitant to do so.  I also know that I could delete the existing user records for these people, and create fresh contact records, but that isn't appealing.

Any thoughts on this?  The end goal is really that we can select any of the account's contacts, as well as designated (for that account) users for the Case Contact.

[parag-mone]

Hello Tomko,

I would like to understand whether account managers are part of your organization or are part of the customer's organization.

If they are part of your service/customer success organization then you should not really define these users as "Contacts".  They should be captured as "Account Team" member.

For example, 

- I have defined new responsibility called "Account Manager" 

- Added "Joe Employee" as an account manager for customer account "Tom Tom Networks"

When a new case is created, you can define a business rule which will look at the account team members and will add the account team members to the Case watchlist.

If the account manager is part of your customer's organization then you will need to convert these account managers (existing sys users) as a contact. This can be done by -

1. Update User record and change "Class" field to "Contact" instead of "User"

2. Remove existing roles and assign appropriate CSM roles to the Use record.

Thanks,

Parag Mone

[Tomko]

Hi Parang - 

I considered the account team member option.  I'm just struggling with them in a Case creation persona, in that they are closer to partners than anything.

These folks won't have any CSM roles, rather they will be logging into the CSM portal and submitting Cases via Record Producers.  These record producers will be the same ones that customers will fill out (with the exception that they will be able to select from a list of accounts in their portfolio).  They'll also be calling into the customer service center, and agents will be creating cases for them on behalf of the accounts they represent.

In those cases, the account reps would be in the same role as any contact on the account, and the customer service center would need to know to contact them for questions or updates regarding the Case.

Outside of CSM, they are employees of the company just like anyone else, and need to show up as users when interacting with the ITSM service portal.  Conceivably they might even be fulfillers themselves, so they need to have the flexibility to be given ITIL and other roles.

[Tomko]

I think your suggestion of converting the class for these people from user to contact makes sense, and it was an option I'd previously considered.  I'd just need to be sure that this won't cause problems elsewhere (as in the above where I mentioned that these are corporate employees who need to be able to do whatever our other users do - potentially including acting in an ITIL role capacity).

[michaelguillory]

Please see https://hi.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0639072.  ServiceNow says you should never have a user with both "internal" and "external" roles.  ITIL is internal and CSM is external.  If you have ever been through a CSM training course with ServiceNow, they will mention it there too.  Hope this helps.