Managing and creating service requests are fundamental tasks in managing identities and services for Microsoft 365, a key aspect of the MS-100. Whether it’s for a small team or a large organisation, these tasks ensure productivity and smooth operations while using cloud and on-site Microsoft services. In this article, we will help you understand how to create and manage service requests in your Microsoft 365 environment.
Creating a Service Request
Service requests can be initiated when there are issues that require the assistance of the Microsoft 365 support team. Follow these steps to create a new service request:
- Firstly, it’s important to navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Next, select ‘Support’ from the navigation on the left side of your screen, after that click on ‘New Service Request’.
- Fill in the required fields such as “issue summary”, “additional details”, your “contact info” etc.
- Click ‘Submit’.
The information you provide at this stage is instrumental in ensuring that your request gets quickly routed to the appropriate teams for assistance.
Managing Service Requests
The Microsoft 365 admin center allows you to see all your organization’s service requests. To view all service requests:
- Navigate to the Microsoft 365 admin center.
- Click on ‘Show All’ followed by ‘Support’, and you’ll find ‘Service requests’.
- Click on ‘Service requests’ to get to the page where you can see all your service requests.
Through these steps, you can not only view all active requests but also look at the requests you have closed. On each service request, you can click on the request to view the detailed status, take actions such as escalation, provide more information or close the issue immediately if it has been resolved.
Importance of properly creating and managing service requests
It’s key to deal with issues swiftly and efficiently in a complex enterprise environment. When you create a service request properly:
- You ensure that your request is routed to the right support engineers, which minimizes delays.
- Accurate and comprehensive issue descriptions enable the support team to understand your problem better, which can lead to faster resolution times.
Similarly, managing service requests properly allows you to:
- Keep track of ongoing issues and avoid their recurrence in the future.
- Follow up, add new details, escalate or close issues efficiently based on circumstances.
Remember, having a proactive and efficient system in place for dealing with service requests is not just a prerequisite for taking MS-100 exam but it also helps in maintaining smooth operations in your organization. To make your MS-100 exam journey a success story, continue to practice and learn more about managing Microsoft 365 identities and services.
Practice Test
True/False: In Microsoft 365, a service request is a request made by an end-user to their local IT support team for an issue or requirement.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: A service request in Microsoft 365 refers to an official request made by a tenant or end-user to Microsoft, for addressing issues or requirements related to the services. It’s not necessarily directed towards the local IT support team.
Multiple select: Which of the following options are part of managing service requests in MS-365?
- (a) Creating a service request
- (b) Closing a service request
- (c) Reviewing service request status
- (d) Upgrading operating system
Answer: (a), (b), (c)
Explanation: Creating, closing and reviewing the status of a service request are all part of managing the request. Upgrading the operating system doesn’t directly relate to managing the service requests.
Single select: What is the maximum number of service requests a global administrator can open at any one time?
- (a) 5
- (b) 10
- (c) 25
- (d) No limit
Answer: (d) No limit
Explanation: There’s no limit to the number of service requests that a global administrator can open simultaneously in Microsoft
True/False: Once a service request is closed in Microsoft 365, it can’t be reopened.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Explanation: In Microsoft 365, a service request that has been closed can’t be reopened. However, a new one can be opened concerning the same issue.
Multiple select: Which of the following roles can create and manage service requests in Microsoft 365?
- (a) User Management Administrator
- (b) Service Administrator
- (c) Global Administrator
- (d) Billing Administrator
Answer: (b), (c)
Explanation: Service Administrators and Global Administrators have the necessary permissions to create and manage service requests while User Management Administrators and Billing Administrators cannot.
Single select: Which support option provides the fastest response for a service incident?
- (a) Web Form
- (b) Phone
- (c) Email
- (d) All provide the same response time
Answer: (b) Phone
Explanation: Phone support option generally results in faster response times compared to others for contingent service downtime incidents.
True/False: You need to provide your contact information every time you create a service request.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: Microsoft 365 saves your contact information from the first service request you create and uses this for all future service requests.
Multiple select: What information is necessary to create a service request?
- (a) Issue Title
- (b) Severity
- (c) Description
- (d) Your Password
Answer: (a), (b), (c)
Explanation: The Issue title, Severity and Description are necessary to create a service request, but your password is never required.
Single select: What level of issue would result in a 24-hour initial response time from Microsoft?
- (a) Severity A
- (b) Severity B
- (c) Severity C
- (d) Severity D
Answer: (c) Severity C
Explanation: Severity C is less critical issues that have workaround and it usually takes around 24 hours response time.
True/False: A service request can be marked as ‘Resolved’ by the user even while it is still in progress.
- True
- False
Answer: False
Explanation: ‘Resolved’ status can only be given to a service request by the support engineer or the system upon completion, not a user when still in progress.
Interview Questions
What is a service request in Microsoft 365?
A service request in Microsoft 365 is a type of ticket that is used to report issues or seek assistance from Microsoft’s technical support team.
How can you create a service request in Microsoft 365 admin center?
You can create a service request by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigating to the Support section, clicking on “New service request,” and then following the instructions provided.
Can service requests be managed by other users apart from the global admin in Microsoft 365?
Yes. Both global administrators and users with the necessary admin roles, like service support admin and helpdesk admin, can manage service requests.
How can you assign a service request to a specific administrator?
After creating the service request, you can assign it to a specific administrator by selecting their name from the Assignment drop-down field in the service request details.
Where can you view all open service requests in Microsoft 365?
All open service requests can be viewed in the Microsoft 365 admin center under the Support > Service requests section.
What information is typically needed when creating a service request?
When creating a service request, you would typically need to provide the issue’s details, priority, whether it’s impacting users, and any troubleshooting steps taken so far.
How can you close a service request in Microsoft 365?
A service request can be closed via the Microsoft 365 admin center. Navigate to the Support > Service requests section, select the service request that you want to close, and then click “Close request.”
How do you escalate a service request in Microsoft 365?
In the service request details, there’s an option to escalate the service request. This can be found under the “request escalation” feature or by calling Microsoft support directly.
How do you reopen a closed service request?
Closed service requests can be reopened by navigating to the closed requests section under the service request feature in the Microsoft 365 admin center and selecting the respective request to reopen it.
If a user does not have admin roles, can they still create a service request in Microsoft 365?
No. Only users with certain administrative roles can create service requests. If a user does not have admin roles, they should escalate their issue to their to an admin in their organization.
What is the function of the Service Support Administrator role?
The Service Support Administrator role allows users to open service requests with Microsoft and view their status of service requests and service health.
How can you check the status of a service request?
The status of a service request can be checked by going to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigating to Support > Service requests, and then locating the request in the Open or Closed requests list.
What is the purpose of adding an additional contact when creating a service request?
Adding an additional contact when creating a service request ensures that multiple people in your organization are informed about the status of the request. It can be helpful if the main contact is unavailable.
How long does Microsoft store closed service requests.
Microsoft retains the data from closed service requests for 30 days.
What is the function of the ‘Impact description’ field when creating a service request?
The ‘Impact description’ field is used to describe the impact of the reported issue on your organization’s work. This is important for Microsoft’s technical support to understand the severity and priority of the issue.