Email-to-Incident is Costly Inefficiency! While we recognize this was once the common enabling, even expected practice, Email to Incident Ticket creation happened before there was IT Service Managment Best Practices, and before there were better ways to Transform Your IT Service Management experience for your agents and end users alike.
A modern ITSM system offers many ways of creating tickets and finding support solutions. Email is certainly one of them, however, in this article we are encouraging ITSM Professionals to use Standard Ticket Handling, Knowledge Creation, management and sharing, and improved user experience from whatever channel.
Why practitioners say to focus on value creation, transforming archaic Email to Ticket Handling Hassles?
~ Anonymous does not like change!
Introduction: Email-to-Incident is Costly Inefficiency
In today’s fast-paced business environment, IT Service Management (ITSM) plays a pivotal role in ensuring seamless operations and customer satisfaction. However, relying solely on email for incident handling and service requests can be detrimental to your organization’s efficiency and overall performance. In this article, we will explore the pain points, hidden costs, and dissatisfiers associated with email-based ticket handling. Moreover, we’ll delve into how leveraging ServiceNow ITSM capabilities can revolutionize your IT service experience.
We will cover current and advancing modern IT Service Management. The latest digital experience is Predictive Intelligence in ticket handling.
The Hidden Costs and Drawbacks of Email to Ticket Handling
While email is a ubiquitous tool for communication, using it as the primary channel for incident reporting and service requests comes with significant drawbacks:
Lack of Upfront Information: When users send an email to report an issue, they often provide limited information. This lack of context can hinder IT support’s ability to fully grasp the problem, leading to delays in issue resolution.
Content Loss: Emails often lack structured data, making it challenging to extract valuable insights for continuous improvement and problem management. Without a comprehensive ticketing system, your organization misses out on valuable data that could drive efficiency.
Operational Inefficiency: Relying on email can slow down operational efficiency. Tech support agents must manually process and categorize emails, resulting in increased response times and reduced overall productivity.
Statistics Illuminate the Focus on Value and Efficiency
Now, let’s explore some statistics that underscore the compelling reasons to transition from email-based ticket handling to ServiceNow ITSM capabilities:
Now, let’s explore statistics that underscore the compelling reasons to shift away from email-based ticket handling to ServiceNow ITSM capabilities:
- Cost per Ticket: Email can incur substantial expenses, ranging from $10 to $30 per ticket due to manual processing, request and incident categorization, and extended resolution times.
- ServiceNow Portal: Leveraging the ServiceNow portal can result in significant operational cost savings—up to an impressive 30% to 50% reduction for each incident or service request.
- Chatbot Created Tickets: Implementing a Virtual Agent (Chatbot) not only enhances the customer experience but also leads to a remarkable 60% reduction in ticket costs compared to email-based handling.
Comparative benefits of ticketing through Email, Service Portal, and Virtual Agent:
| Efficiency Factor | Email to Create a Ticket | Service Portal | Virtual Agent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quality Ticket Detail | Limited and Unstructured | Comprehensive and Structured | Comprehensive and Structured |
| Efficient Routing | Manual, Often Delayed | Automated and Instant | Automated and Instant |
| Correctly Transferred Tickets | Often Missed or Misdirected | Accurate and Consistent | Accurate and Consistent |
| Self-Help Support | Minimal | Available with Knowledge Base | Available with Knowledge Base |
| Ticket Deflection | Rare | Possible through Self-Help | Possible through Self-Help |
| Correct Form Selection | Often Confusing | User-Friendly Options | User-Friendly Options |
- Quality Ticket Detail: Service Portal and Virtual Agent use structured forms for comprehensive information. Email often lacks structure, resulting in incomplete data and manual follow-ups.
- Efficient Routing: Service Portal and Virtual Agent automate ticket routing promptly. Email requires manual intervention, follow-up, reclassification, and processing, potentially causing delays from higher priority incidents.
- Correctly Transferred Tickets: Service Portal and Virtual Agent consistently aid in creation and direction of tickets correctly. Email lacks context which leads to frequently misunderstood, transferred and misdirected tickets.
- Self-Help Support: Service Portal and Virtual Agent incorporate end user and support agent knowledge bases for fast, independent issue resolution. Email can only create a ticket, lacks this feature of outage notification and knowledge management.
- Ticket Deflection: Service Portal and Virtual Agent reduce ticket volume through self-help options, whereas Email lacks context and capabilities.
- Correct Form Selection: Service Portal and Virtual Agent guide users to the right form selection, reducing errors. Emails lack of forms and context leads to confusing ticket submissions that delay response and thus resoluton.
Consider modern ITSM channels for enhanced operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
ITSM Best Practices Overcome Where Email-to-Incident is Costly Inefficiency
To overcome the limitations of email-based ticket handling and modernize your IT service experience, ServiceNow offers a comprehensive suite of ITSM capabilities. Here’s how ServiceNow can accelerate support efficiencies:
Service Portal and Service Catalog: ServiceNow provides a user-friendly service portal and service catalog, enabling end-users to access self-help tools, browse service offerings, and submit service requests with all necessary information upfront. This streamlines the request process and minimizes delays caused by incomplete information.
Automated Routing: ServiceNow’s automation capabilities facilitate intelligent ticket routing based on predefined criteria. This ensures that incidents and service requests are promptly directed to the appropriate IT support teams, reducing resolution times.
Knowledge Management: ServiceNow offers robust knowledge management tools, allowing organizations to capture, share, and leverage collective wisdom. By harnessing this knowledge, IT teams can resolve issues faster and enhance overall service quality.
Virtual Agent (Chatbot): ServiceNow’s Virtual Agent empowers users to interact with a chatbot for quick issue identification and resolution. Chatbots can efficiently handle routine requests, freeing up human agents to focus on more complex tasks.
Conclusion: Email-to-Incident is Costly Inefficiency, Create Powerful Service Management Solutions
In today’s digital age, continuing to rely on email for IT service management is equivalent to ordering a pizza via email or phone when user-friendly food delivery apps are readily available. It’s simply not the most efficient or modern approach.
To accelerate support efficiencies, improve upfront knowledge gathering, and enhance the overall service experience, organizations must embrace ServiceNow ITSM capabilities. By leveraging the Service Portal, Service Catalog, automated routing, knowledge management, and Virtual Agent, you can streamline operations, reduce costs, and gain complete visibility across your hybrid estate.
It’s time to bid farewell to the pain points, hidden costs, and dissatisfiers of email-based ticket handling and propel your IT service management to new heights with ServiceNow. Say goodbye to email hassles and usher in a new era of efficient and satisfying IT support.
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