Creating service desk request types

Request types let you define and organize incoming issues so your service desk team can more efficiently help your customers. If you're moving from an existing help desk application, you can add your existing request categories during this step. If you're setting up service desk request types for the first time: 

• Think about how your customer would write a request (e.g. 'Need a new monitor' vs 'Hardware Request'); 
• Break things down into smaller chunks (e.g. 'Help with printer configuration', 'Help with laptop problems', 'Help with software problems'); and
• Avoid specialist terminology (e.g. 'I need access to a system' vs 'Deploy SSH key').

By the end of this step, your project's request type page should look something like this: 

Create new request types

Let's go ahead and add two new request types, so you can familiarize yourself with the request type configuration options.

1. In your new service desk project, select Project administration > Request types.
2. In the new request type form at the top of the page, change the request type icon and enter the following details for a new "Get wi-fi access" request type. Note that a new request group will be created as soon as you enter a new name in the Groups field:
   
   Select Add when finished entering your request type details.
3. Create a second request type called "Purchase a new monitor" with the following details:
   Select Add when finished.
   
4. For the "Get wi-fi access" request type, select Edit fields to change which request form fields show up in the customer portal. These simplified fields help customers understand what information they need to provide when submitting a request. 
5. The "Summary" field should already be displayed in the Visible fields section. Click the "Summary" display name to rename it to "What do you need?", and add more field help details as shown:
    
   Select Update when finished. 
6. Select Add a field to add the "Priority" field to the request form and select Apply. 

7. On the Workflow Statuses tab, you will see the default Jira workflow status names displayed on the lefthand side. You can change how these statuses appear to customers by editing the "Status name to show customer" fields as shown:
   

8. Select View this request form to see how your changes appear in the customer portal.

Organize your requests with groups

A group is simply a label you can assign to each request type. Your request types are organized into tabs based on these group labels in the customer portal. To edit groups: 

1. Go back to the Project administration > Request types screen. You should see the following groups for each request type: 

   Request Type	Group
   "Purchase a new monitor"	Purchase requests
   "Get wi-fi access"	Access, General
   "Get IT help"	General
   "Request a new account"	General

2. In the Groups column, hover over and click the existing groups edit them. 
3. Add the Access group to the "Request a new account" request type and select Update. This request type will now appear on two tabs in the customer portal, making it easier for customers to find. 
4. Go back to your project and open the customer portal link from your project sidebar to see your requests organized into groups: 
   

Create a request from the customer portal

1. Keep the customer portal preview open, so you can create test requests from a customer's perspective.
2. Select the "Get wi-fi access" request type. 
3. Enter "Test wi-fi request" in the open field and select Medium priority.
4. Click Create to complete your request and view view the open request in the customer portal. 
5. Click Close to exit the customer view and return to your service desk project.