Why do Incident SLAs look green in ServiceNow while users are still unhappy?
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2 hours ago
In our ServiceNow instance, Incident SLAs for response and resolution are consistently being met and reporting shows “green” performance. However, user feedback remains negative and we continue to see repeat incidents, reopenings, and escalations.
From an ITSM and ServiceNow perspective, why does this happen, and what changes can be made to better align SLA performance with actual user satisfaction?
Update / Solution:
This is a common and well-documented maturity gap in Incident Management. Green SLAs often indicate speed, not effectiveness.
Why SLAs look healthy while users are not:
SLAs measure time, not quality
An incident can meet SLA even if the fix is incomplete, temporary, or poorly communicated.Resolution validation is weak or missing
Incidents are closed without confirming the user’s issue is fully resolved, leading to reopenings or duplicate tickets.Repeat incidents are not escalated to Problem Management
The same issue is resolved repeatedly instead of being analyzed for root cause.Poor CI or service association
Without meaningful CI or service linkage, systemic issues remain invisible and unmanaged.Assignment churn hides real delays
Incidents bounce between groups but still meet SLA due to stop-the-clock behavior.
ServiceNow-specific improvements to close the gap:
Enforce Resolution Codes and Resolution Notes before closure
Track reopen rate and incident recurrence as primary KPIs
Require CI or service selection for Priority 1–3 incidents
Enable Problem Candidate creation for repeat incidents
Monitor reassignment count per incident to identify routing issues
Supplement SLAs with user feedback and XLAs, where applicable
Outcome:
Organizations that shift from SLA-only measurement to resolution quality and recurrence tracking typically see improved user satisfaction, reduced incident volume, and stronger alignment with ITIL Incident and Problem practices.
