For every need that an end-user has of IT, there should be an acceptable response from the service desk. For every IT activity that affects an end-user’s ability to work, there should be proactive communication from the Service Desk, explaining what to expect. Service Desk should act as the single point of contact for end-user interaction with IT. As such, Service Desk is primarily responsible for the perception of IT by the end-users. If a company is experiencing end-user dissatisfaction with IT, then the Service Desk is the first place to look for answers.
As the central point of contact for end-users, all communications with end-users should be directed through the Service Desk. This provides an authorized source of information for end-users that is not dependent on end-users recognizing particular IT staff. For instance, email from IT to end-users should all come from a Service Desk alias so that end-users recognize it as official information from the IT organization.
The Service Desk is not concerned with root cause identification, which seems counterintuitive for many. However, clear delineation of goals and responsibilities is one of the ways in which ITSM improves efficiency and effectiveness of IT service delivery. Therefore, it is important to recognize exactly which process area is responsible for root cause identification and to keep the reasons for that distinction clearly in mind.