Interaction use in ServiceNow

[ACassidy]

I am looking for some advice please.

We are looking to introduce interactions into our Service Desk. My question is quite simple - do you all record everything as an interaction as standard and then generate any incidents from there or do you allow your Service Desk to make the decision based on the conversation with the colleague if it is an interaction or incident from the start?

[Amitoj Wadhera · Accepted solution]

Hi @ACassidy ,

Sure, here’s a simpler breakdown of the two approaches to handling interactions and incidents in your Service Desk using ServiceNow:

### Approach 1: Record Everything as an Interaction First

**Benefits:**
1. **Consistency:** Everyone follows the same initial step, making it easier to manage.
2. **Accuracy:** Agents can gather more details before deciding if it’s an incident or something else, reducing mistakes.
3. **Better Data:** Helps in tracking how many interactions turn into incidents, giving you better insights.
4. **Clarity:** Standard process makes it easier to train new agents.

**Drawbacks:**
1. **Extra Step:** Adds another step before resolving the issue, which might slow things down.
2. **More Training:** Agents need to learn how to properly convert interactions to incidents or requests.

### Approach 2: Let Agents Decide Upfront

**Benefits:**
1. **Faster Resolution:** Agents can address issues more quickly by categorizing them immediately.
2. **Simpler Process:** Fewer steps for straightforward issues.
3. **Empowerment:** Agents feel trusted and empowered to use their judgment.

**Drawbacks:**
1. **Inconsistency:** Different agents might categorize issues differently.
2. **Risk of Mistakes:** Without enough initial information, there’s a higher chance of misclassifying issues.
3. **Data Challenges:** Harder to track and analyze trends since the initial data isn’t as standardized.

### Best Practices

- **Clear Guidelines:** Provide agents with clear instructions on handling interactions and incidents.
- **Smooth Conversion:** Make sure converting interactions to incidents is quick and easy.
- **Regular Reviews:** Continuously check and give feedback on how tickets are categorized to maintain accuracy.
- **User Focus:** Keep the user experience in mind. The process should be efficient and not create delays.

### Recommendation

Starting with recording everything as an interaction can be a good way to ensure accuracy and consistency, especially if you’re new to ServiceNow or have a variety of requests. This approach lets you fine-tune your processes and training. As your team becomes more experienced, you can allow agents to make upfront decisions if that works better for your operations.

Choose the approach that best fits your team’s needs and the complexity of your service requests.

If you find my response helpful, please consider marking it as the 'Accepted Solution' and giving it a 'Helpful' rating. Your feedback not only supports the community but also encourages me to continue providing valuable assistance.

Thanks,

Amitoj Wadhera

[andreababch]

This is great information. I was wondering if everyone opens an Incident or Request each time from the Interaction. Otherwise, if it's just that they provided them how to do something, get access, etc. There is no Incident or Request recorded correct? We have been having a challenge when it comes how to log "How to" questions, so looking to see if everyone is just using the Interaction record and that is all.