Glossary Customer Service Management
Learn about the terms and concepts that are unique to Customer Service Management.
A
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
auto responder
Feature that automatically sends email notifications to customers and watch list members when a new case is created. Auto-Responder suggests content by comparing the short description of a case with those of existing knowledge
articles.
To learn more about auto-responder notifications, see Configure Auto-Responder notifications.
advanced work assignment
Capability that automatically assigns work items to agents based on their availability, capacity, and skills. Advanced Work Assignment pushes work items such as cases, chats, or tasks, to qualified agents using work item queues, routing conditions, and configurable assignment criteria.
To learn how to configure Advanced Work Assignment, see Configure Advanced Work Assignment for routing email interactions.
- Also known as
- AWA
asset contact relationship
Relationship between an asset related to a customer account and one or more customer contacts. This relationship limits access to the asset information to the assigned contacts.
To learn about asset relationships, see Create asset contact relationships.
auto routing
Automatically directing records to the appropriate agent based on predicted values.
To learn more about auto routing, see Using Auto-Responder for case deflections.
- Also known as
- auto routing
B
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
business location
A business location enables you to model both internal and external organizational structures, ensuring customers are properly supported while giving agents the right level of visibility into customer data.
To learn more
about business locations, see Business Location 360 components.
- Also known as
- BL
business portal
Self-service web portal for B2B customers, providing integrated access to knowledge articles, community forums, service catalogs, and chat bots, enabling customers to browse products, place orders, and manage order cases.
To learn more about using the business portal, see Using the Business Portal.
C
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
customer data model
A customer data model is a structured framework that defines how customer-related information is stored, organized, and managed across an organization. It standardizes key data elements such as customer profiles, accounts,
contacts, and relationships, ensuring consistency and accuracy across systems.
To learn more about customer data models for B2B2C, see Customer data models for B2B2C.
- Also known as
- CDM
community properties
Configurable attributes that define the behavior, appearance, and access controls of a ServiceNow Community instance. These properties govern how users interact with the community portal, including settings for moderation,
content visibility, user roles, engagement metrics, and integration with knowledge bases or case management systems.
To learn more about communities, see Exploring Communities.
community setup
Configuration of the ServiceNow Community platform, where users can engage in peer-to-peer support, share knowledge, and collaborate on product-related topics. It involves defining community properties, assigning roles such as moderators and
contributors, and integrating the community with knowledge bases and case management systems.
community moderation
Structured process of managing user-generated content within the ServiceNow Community to ensure quality, relevance, and adherence to platform guidelines. Moderators review unanswered questions, assign them to appropriate experts, and provide follow-up actions such as requesting
clarification, linking to documentation, or marking solutions.
To learn more about configuring moderation filers, see Moderate a community.
computer telephony integration
Feature that customers can use to integrate the Customer Service Management (CSM) with telephony providers, enabling agents to handle inbound and outbound calls, identify customers quickly, and capture case information.
- Also known as
- CTI
channel partners
External organizations like resellers or system integrators that collaborate with an enterprise to sell products and services, and can be managed through Partner Relationship Management.
To learn more about channel partners, see Partner Relationship Management.
customer central
Unified view of customer data, combining self-service and live interactions, customizable to include metrics like customer health and churn risk. Customer central consolidates customer data such as account details, interaction
history, and self-service actions into a single interface.
To learn more about customer central, see Customer Central.
case workflows
Sequence of steps and tasks designed to manage and resolve a case from initiation to closure. Case workflows automate processes such as case creation, routing, task assignment, and resolution tracking to ensure consistency,
efficiency, and compliance. They provide agents with a guided path to handle customer issues, leveraging automation to reduce manual effort and accelerate resolution.
To learn more about case workflows, see Case management for Customer Service Management.
- Also known as
- case management
case type
Categories of cases with specific data and processes required to resolve different types of issues, supporting varied departmental or product-specific processes.
To learn more about case types, see Customer service case types.
category filters
Filters that help users narrow down the available items in the service catalog based on specific categories.
connect workspace
Workspace to enhances the efficiency of customer service agents. It provides a unified interface where agents can manage and respond to chat requests, voice calls, and other customer interactions seamlessly.
D
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
demand forecasting
Predicts future customer service demand by leveraging historical interaction data to generate accurate volume forecasts.
To learn more about demand forecasting, see Demand Forecast in Workforce Optimization for Customer Service.
E
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
entitlement
Specific services, support levels, or product access a customer is eligible for based on their service contract, subscription, or purchase history. It acts as a rule-based framework that governs whether a customer is
authorized to receive assistance or access certain features, ensuring service delivery aligns with contractual obligations.
F
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
field technician
Service professional who travels to customer sites to address customer issues. Responsible for installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and servicing installed products at customer locations.
G
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
gamification
Use of game-like elements and principles such as points, badges, leader boards, levels, and challenges into non-game environments to enhance engagement, motivation, and participation.
To learn more about gamification, see Administer gamification.
I
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
internal data
Information about people within the organization, such as managers, agents, and employees. Internal users can belong to different user groups and be assigned roles such as customer or consumer service agents and managers. This
data is essential for identity management, access control, collaboration, and compliance with organizational policies.
install base management
The install base management helps track the products and services that are purchased by a customer along with the detailed configuration for each installed item. It provides a structured way to monitor customer assets, their
configurations, and usage details, enabling proactive service operations and improved customer experience.
To learn more about Install Base Management, see Data management for Customer Service Management.
- Also known as
- install base
install base characteristics
Attributes associated with an install base item that provides detailed information about its configuration and service requirements. These characteristics help organizations manage product-specific details for proactive
service operations, case management, and maintenance workflows.
To learn more about the attributes, see Install base characteristics.
- Also known as
- IB characteristics
intelligence solutions
AI-driven tools that enhance the application through machine learning, search automation, and natural language processing.
To learn more about intelligence solutions, see Intelligence.
- Also known as
- intelligence
incident
A record that documents a disruption or potential disruption to a service.
K
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
knowledge base
Repository of articles and information that helps agents and customers resolve issues. Contains categorized articles that address common issues, provide guidance, and support case resolution, and can be configured for internal
use by agents or externally for customers.
knowledge workflow
Process and steps that involve creating, reviewing, publishing, and maintaining knowledge articles within the Knowledge Base.
To configure a knowledge workflow, see Activate Now Assist Skills.
- Also known as
- knowledge generation
knowledge product entitlement properties
Settings and configurations that define the permissions and access rights for users to specific knowledge articles or products.
To install entitlement properties, see Components installed with Knowledge Product Entitlements.
L
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
list control
Settings that determine how related lists are displayed and managed within forms, including options to enable or disable editing.
M
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
moderator
User responsible for overseeing community interactions and ensuring compliance with guidelines.
moderation filters
Configurable criteria used to identify and manage community content that requires moderator attention. These filters help surface unanswered questions, flagged posts, or discussions that meet specific conditions such as
inactivity, sentiment score, or topic relevance allowing moderators to prioritize and respond effectively.
moderation tasks
Structured activities and responsibilities undertaken by a moderator to manage community content. These tasks ensure that the session runs smoothly, participants remain engaged, and data collected is accurate and
actionable.
N
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
Now Assist
Refers to generative AI experiences on the ServiceNow AI Platform. With Now Assist, you can improve productivity and efficiency in your organization with better self-service, faster answers and recommended actions, and empower users to search more effectively.
To learn more about Now Assist, see Exploring Now Assist for Customer Service Management (CSM).
O
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
outsourced service provider
A third-party organization contracted to deliver services on a company’s behalf, such as customer support or field services, operating under agreed service levels and policies.
omni-channel support
Unified communication system that enables customers to interact with service teams across multiple communication channels such as email, chat, phone, and messaging apps while maintaining a seamless and consistent
experience.
To learn more about omnichannel, see Omnichannels for communicating with customers.
- also known as
- omnichannel engagement
P
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
performance analytics dashboards
Preconfigured dashboards that provide users such as customer service agents and managers with insights into data trends, business processes, and areas for improvement. Examples of Performance Analytics dashboards include the
Customer Service Agent dashboard and the Customer Service Management dashboard.
To learn more about analytics, see Configure the Platform Analytics Solution for Self-Service Analytics for Customer Service.
- Also known as
- performance analytics dashboard
process mining
A business intelligence tool to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks by creating process maps. Process mining helps visualize process execution, discover root causes of performance issues, and automate data-driven
improvements.
To learn more about process mining, see Integrating with Process Mining.
- Also known as
- process optimization
proxy contact
Role or function within an organization that allows certain employees to act on behalf of others, typically in customer service or case management scenarios. This role enables employees to perform tasks such as creating,
viewing, and managing cases for customers or partners, even if they do not have direct access to the customer's account. The purpose of this role is to facilitate efficient handling of customer interactions and ensure that cases are
managed effectively.
Q
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
quick start test
Tests that you can use to validate your instance after making configuration changes such as applying an upgrade or developing an application. Copy and customize the quick start tests included with an application and run them
with the default demo data provided with the application plugin.
R
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
resolution notes
Notes added to an incident when it is resolved, detailing the solution.
- also known as
- resolution comments
reverse matching
Process in which incoming records, such as customer service cases or incidents, are compared against existing records in the system. This comparison helps identify duplicates or related items, ensuring that similar issues are
grouped together and handled efficiently.
To learn more about reverse matching, see Reverse matching.
- Also known as
- reverse search
record categorization
Process of using machine learning models to evaluate text and predict field values on case and interaction records.
S
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
service contract
It is a contract between a seller and a customer that represents products and services sold under agreed terms and conditions, prices and period.
service catalog
Enables organizations to provide their customers with self-service opportunities from customer portals. A service catalog can include different types of catalog items such as goods or services, order guides, and record
producers that enable users to create records. Customers can access service catalogs from customer portals to make requests and track request status.
To learn more about service definitions for catalogs, see Service definitions with catalog items.
service definition
Specifications of service requests tied to particular case types, connecting products, services, and case types to facilitate quick access for agents and customers.
To learn more about service definitions, see Service definitions.
skill prediction
The process of forecasting the skills required to handle future customer service interactions based on historical data and trends.
To set up skill prediction, see Setting up skill prediction in Workforce Optimization for Customer Service.
status trigger
Condition or event that causes a change in the status of a case. For example, a case might move from Open to In Progress when an agent starts working on it.
special handling notes
Important information about individual records and user's details. The notes can be assigned a status, priority, and expiration date. Special handling notes can be displayed on an embedded list or a related list on a record
form or in a pop-up window that appears when a user accesses a form.
T
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
test suite
Collection of tests that run in a specific order. Test designers typically create a test suite to test an application or a group of related features. They can schedule test suite executions and initiate any required client test
runners.
V
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
virtual agent
A conversational bot that provides user assistance through conversations with the customer or allow the customer to escalate the conversion to a live agent.
To learn more about the customer service virtual agent
conversations, see Customer Service Virtual Agent conversations.
- also known as
- chat bot
variable set for Customer Service Management (CSM)
Pre-defined set of variables that can be added to catalog items to capture additional information, such as account and contact details.
W
Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.
workspace
Unified interface that consolidates multiple tools and data views into a single screen, enabling customer service agents to efficiently manage cases, interactions, and tasks.
To learn more about the workspace, see CSM Configurable Workspace.
- Also known as
- CSM workspace
work plan
Structured framework used to organize, track, and execute documentation or product development tasks across features, epics, and releases. It typically includes entries for each feature or enhancement, along with associated
epics, progress status, multimedia requirements, plugin updates, and domain separation details.