Let’s clear this up right now. Half of your IT tickets are probably categorized wrong. And that’s costing you time, money, and sanity.
The whole incident versus service request thing confuses everyone. Your users don’t know the difference. Sometimes your techs don’t either. I’ve seen companies where everything gets logged as an incident because nobody wants to think about it. But getting this wrong messes up everything. Wrong categorization means wrong priority, wrong team, wrong process. A simple software install sits in the emergency queue while real problems wait.
Here’s what really matters. Understanding the difference cuts resolution time by 35%. Proper routing alone saves 2 hours daily per technician. And users actually get what they need when they need it.
| Quick Reference | Incident | Service Request |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Something’s broken | Need something new |
| Planning | Unplanned/unexpected | Planned/expected |
| Urgency | Usually high | Usually low |
| Process | Restore service ASAP | Follow standard fulfillment |
| Example | Email server down | Request new software |
| SLA | 1–4 hours typical | 1–5 days typical |
What’s the Key Difference Between Incidents and Service Requests?
ITIL defines incidents as “unplanned interruptions to IT service,” while service requests are planned, routine requests – basically broken versus needed.
Think of it this way. If something worked yesterday but doesn’t work today, that’s an incident. If someone wants something they never had, that’s a service request. Incidents are surprises. Nobody woke up planning for the email server to crash. These need immediate attention because the business stops until they’re fixed. Service requests are expected. Someone needs Office installed. They want VPN access. These are normal, routine asks that follow a standard process. Nothing’s broken, they just need something.
Understanding how are Rekall services different than standard IT company services helps clarify the distinction between incident and service request handling. The confusion happens in the middle ground. Password resets feel like incidents to users but they’re actually service requests in most cases. Unless the password system itself is broken, then it becomes an incident.
How Do You Tell Incidents and Service Requests Apart?
Five critical differences separate incidents from service requests: planning, urgency, impact, process, and outcome requirements.
Unplanned Emergency vs Planned Request
Incidents hit you out of nowhere. Server crashes at 3 AM. The network goes down during a presentation. The database corrupts randomly. You can’t schedule these. Service requests get planned. Even “urgent” software installs are still planned activities. Someone decided they needed something and asked for it. That’s planning, even if it’s last-minute planning.
Immediate Fix vs Scheduled Fulfillment
Incidents demand immediate action. When email stops working, you don’t schedule a fix for next Tuesday. You fix it now because the business can’t function. Service requests follow a schedule. The new laptop setup might take 2 days. Software deployment happens during maintenance windows. These have timelines but not emergencies.
Service Restoration vs Service Provision
Incidents restore what was already there. The goal is getting back to normal, not improving anything. Just make it work like it did before. Service requests provide something new or different. Adding features, granting access, and installing applications. You’re enhancing, not fixing.
High Impact vs Low Risk
Incidents often affect multiple users or critical systems. One database failure might impact hundreds of people. The business impact is immediate and visible. Service requests typically affect one person or a small group. If Bob’s software installation fails, Bob has a problem. The company keeps running.
Fast Response vs Standard Process
Incident management focuses on speed over everything. Find the fastest fix, worry about root cause later. Document later. Just restore service. Service request fulfillment follows established procedures. Order approval, license verification, and installation checklist. Speed matters less than doing it right.
| Comparison Factor | Incident | Service Request |
|---|---|---|
| Planning Status | Unplanned/unexpected | Planned/requested |
| Urgency Level | High to critical | Low to medium |
| Business Impact | Service disruption | Service enhancement |
| Resolution Goal | Restore quickly | Fulfill correctly |
| Process Type | Emergency response | Standard workflow |
| Typical Timeline | Minutes to hours | Hours to days |
| Approval Needed | No (fix first) | Yes (before action) |
| Cost Consideration | Secondary concern | Primary concern |
What Exactly Is an IT Incident in ITIL?
An incident is “an unplanned interruption to an IT service or reduction in quality” requiring immediate restoration to minimize business impact.
ITIL gets specific about this. Incidents have clear characteristics that separate them from everything else:
- Unexpected nature: Nobody saw it coming or could prevent it
- Service disruption: Normal operations can’t continue
- Urgent restoration needed: Every minute counts
- Business impact: Real work gets blocked
- Temporary fix acceptable: Workarounds beat perfect solutions
Common incident types include hardware failures, software crashes, network outages, security breaches, and performance degradation. Anything that stops people from working normally.
The keyword is “unplanned.” Even if you know old servers might fail someday, when it actually happens, that’s still an incident. You didn’t plan for it to fail at 2:47 PM on Tuesday. Incidents don’t care about business hours either. They happen on nights, weekends, and holidays. That’s why incident response teams need 24/7 coverage or at least on-call rotations.
What Exactly Is a Service Request in ITIL?
A service request is a formal request for something new or changed that follows pre-approved, low-risk standard procedures.
Service request management handles the routine stuff that keeps businesses running but isn’t broken:
- Expected and routine: These requests happen regularly
- Pre-approved types: Standard catalog items
- Low risk: Won’t break anything if done wrong
- Defined fulfillment process: Step-by-step procedures exist
- Scheduled completion: Has SLA but not an emergency
Think new user onboarding. Software installations. Access requests. Hardware upgrades. Password resets. Moving equipment. These happen every day in predictable ways. Service requests come from a catalog, usually. Users browse available services, pick what they need, submit a request, and get it fulfilled. Like ordering from Amazon but for IT services. The beauty of service requests is predictability. You know how long each type takes. You can batch similar requests. You can even automate many of them.
Which Category Does Your Situation Fall Into?
Clear examples help, but watch for gray areas – password resets and permission changes often get miscategorized.
Clear Incidents
Server crashes are obvious incidents. The exchange server dies, and nobody gets email. That’s an unplanned service interruption. Network outages fit perfectly. The WiFi stops working across the building. Unplanned, affects everyone, and needs an immediate fix. Security breaches are always incidents requiring proper incident response planning for law firms to handle effectively. Application errors are disrupting service count, too. The accounting system throws errors and won’t process invoices. A business process blocked equals an incident.
Clear Service Requests
New user accounts are classic service requests. HR says someone starts Monday, IT creates accounts. Planned, routine, follows standard process. Software installation requests are straightforward. Someone needs Adobe Creative Suite. Not broken, just needed. Standard fulfillment applies.
Hardware refresh requests fit here. Laptop replacement after 3 years. Planned, budgeted, scheduled. Access permission changes for existing users are service requests. Promoting someone who needs new system access. Expected change following approval.
Gray Areas
Password resets confuse everyone. If users forget passwords, that’s a service request – nothing’s broken. But if the password system fails, preventing resets, that’s an incident. Minor configuration changes blur lines. Adjusting email signatures is a service request. But if configuration errors break email delivery, the incident territory.
| Situation | Usually Incident | Usually Service Request | Depends On |
|---|---|---|---|
| Password Reset | No | Yes | Unless system failure |
| Slow Performance | Yes | No | If below SLA threshold |
| New Software Install | No | Yes | Unless breaks existing |
| Printer Not Working | Yes | No | If was working before |
| Email Rule Creation | No | Yes | Standard configuration |
| Database Corruption | Yes | No | Unplanned disruption |
| VPN Access Request | No | Yes | New access needed |
| Application Crash | Yes | No | Service interrupted |
How Do You Handle Each Type Correctly?
Incidents need speed-focused restoration while service requests follow structured fulfillment workflows with proper approvals.
Step 1: Quick Classification Using Decision Criteria
First question: Is something broken that was working? Yes means incident. No means probably a service request.
Check urgency next. Can the business function without this? If no, likely incident. If yes, probably a service request. Consider scope. Multiple users affected? Systems down? Business process blocked? These point to incidents. Single user needs? Enhancements? These suggest service requests.
Step 2: Route to Appropriate Team and Process
Incidents go to whoever can fix the fastest. Skip normal approval chains. Escalate immediately if needed. The incident manager coordinates everything. Service requests follow catalog workflows. Route to fulfillment team. Check approvals. Verify licensing. Follow the runbook. No shortcuts, even if users complain.
Step 3: Apply Correct Resolution Method
Incident resolution accepts any fix that works. Reboot the server. Restart the service. Apply workaround. Perfect solutions come later during problem management.
Service request fulfillment demands completeness. Half-installed software helps nobody. Partial access creates security risks. Do it right or don’t do it. Documentation differs, too. Incidents need quick notes during resolution, detailed documentation after. Service requests document each step during fulfillment.
Step 4: Close with Proper Documentation
Incident closure confirms service restoration. Users verify they can work again. Note the workaround if applicable. Schedule root cause analysis separately. Service request closure confirms successful delivery. User accepts the fulfilled request. All checklist items complete. Asset records updated.
What’s the Fastest Way to Classify Any Request?
Four quick questions instantly classify 95% of requests, preventing costly misrouting and delays.
Step 1: Is Something Broken Right Now?
Ask this first always. If yes, you’ve got an incident. Doesn’t matter what broke or why. Broken equals incident until proven otherwise. If nothing’s broken, move to the next question. But be specific – “broken” means not working as it previously did, not “missing feature I want.”
Step 2: Was This Unexpected?
Unexpected failures are incidents, even if the impact seems minor. One user’s email stopping unexpectedly is still an incident, just a lower priority. Expected requests are service requests. “I knew I’d need this software eventually” makes it a service request, even if they need it urgently now.
Step 3: Does It Need Immediate Attention?
True urgency indicates incidents. Can’t process payroll. Can’t access patient records. The manufacturing line stopped. These need immediate action. Fake urgency doesn’t create incidents. “I need this software RIGHT NOW” for a non-critical task remains a service request. Urgent service request, maybe, but still a service request.
Step 4: Is Normal Service Interrupted?
Service interruption equals incident. Period. Even partial interruption or degraded service counts. No interruption means a service request. Adding new capabilities, changing existing services, requesting resources – all service requests if nothing’s actually broken.
How Do You Train Users to Submit Correctly?
Simple portal design with “Something is Broken” vs “I Need Something” buttons improves classification accuracy by 60%.
Portal design matters more than training when setting up IT help desk services with clear categorization.
Make two big buttons on your portal:
- “Something is Broken” (red, leads to incident form)
- “I Need Something” (green, leads to service catalog)
Examples help tons. Under “Something is Broken” list: Can’t log in, Email not working, Application crashed, Printer error, Network down.
Under “I Need Something” list: New software, Password reset, Access request, New equipment, Account creation. Training should be visual and quick. Don’t explain ITIL theory. Show real examples from your environment. “When Outlook crashes, click Something is Broken. When you need Office installed, click I Need Something.”
Regular reminders work better than one-time training. Add tips to ticket confirmation emails. Put classification guides in email signatures. Make it impossible to forget.
What Are the Most Common Classification Mistakes?
Password resets, urgent requests, and performance issues cause 70% of misclassification, creating delays and wrong priorities.
Password resets top the confusion list. Users think “I can’t log in” means an incident. But forgotten passwords are service requests. Only authentication system failures are incidents. Urgent service requests get mislabeled as incidents constantly. “I need this software for a meeting in an hour!” Urgent? Yes. Incident? No. Nothing’s broken.
Performance complaints blur lines:
- Slow computer: Could be either, depending on the cause
- Slow internet: Usually an incident if below normal
- Slow application: Incident if was working fine before
Training issues create false incidents. “The system doesn’t do what I want” isn’t an incident if it never did that thing. That’s a service request for training or enhancement. New user setup gets confused too. Can’t log in because the account doesn’t exist? Service request. Can’t log in because the authentication service failed? Incident. Configuration requests labeled as incidents waste everyone’s time. Changing email signatures, adjusting screen resolution, and modifying preferences – all service requests unless something broke.
People Also Ask
What happens if you classify an incident as a service request by mistake?
Misclassifying incidents as service requests delays resolution and breaks SLAs. Real incidents sit in fulfillment queues for days while service degrades. Users get frustrated, escalations increase, and resolution costs triple. Always err on the side of incident classification if unsure – it’s easier to downgrade than upgrade urgency.
How do you handle password reset requests – incident or service request?
Password resets are service requests 95% of the time. Users forgetting passwords is expected and routine. But if the password reset system fails, preventing all resets, that becomes an incident. The key question: Is the password system working normally? Yes means service request, no means incident.
Can a service request become an incident during fulfillment?
Absolutely. Service requests become incidents when fulfillment breaks something. Installing software that crashes servers creates an incident. The original request stays open, but you spawn an incident to fix what broke. Handle the incident first, then complete or cancel the service request.
What are the different SLA requirements for incidents vs service requests?
Incidents have aggressive SLAs based on impact and urgency. Critical incidents need resolution in 1-4 hours. Service requests have relaxed SLAs based on type and complexity. Standard software installs might have 3-5 day SLAs. The difference reflects the business impact of delays.
How do ITIL 4 changes affect incident vs service request classification?
ITIL 4 framework maintains the same basic distinction but emphasizes value streams and user experience. Classification focuses more on business impact than technical categories. The core difference remains – unplanned disruption versus planned fulfillment – but with greater emphasis on user outcomes and value delivery.
