Best Practice for Managing External Service Desk when Office is Closed?

AS_4u0iki

Hello, I am looking for advice for the management of External Service Desks. 

- How do you manage federal holidays and service desk responses?

- How/Where do you manage auto-responses when the office is closed?

- Would this is automated? Or a manual process?

@Ashton Bloom 

 

Seon Shakespeare

Hi AS,

Managing service desks during closures takes a mix of clear communication and smart automation. Here's how I'd handle it:

Before:

• Announcements: Use the service desk announcement banner to display closure dates. You'll find this in your service desk project settings.

During:

• Automated Responses (Jira Automation):

  • Auto-Acknowledge: Set up a rule to automatically acknowledge new requests received during the closure.
  • Set Expectations: Include a message in the auto-acknowledgment stating that the office is closed and when they can expect a response.
  • Categorisation/Prioritisation (Optional): You can even use automation to categorise or prioritise requests that come in during the closure, making it easier to tackle them when you're back.

  To set up these automations, go to "Project settings" -> "Automation" within your service desk project.

Manual Processes (If Needed):

• Limited Coverage: If you have a skeleton crew during the closure, adjust your auto-responses accordingly and set up a rotating schedule.
• Emergency Contact: For truly urgent issues, make sure your auto-response includes a clear escalation path or emergency contact method.

Basically, automate where possible, but keep a human touch for situations that need it.

Hope this helps!