Automation of routine tasks has revolutionized jobs and the economy. Although automation is a huge threat to job availability, it certainly does make our lives easier.

IT consulting companies are often at the forefront of automation, streamlining, and innovation. One trend that they employ is having a ticket system to keep track of HR matters and even invoicing.

You may have seen the words “open ticket” and “pending,” but what do they mean? More importantly, what are the differences between them?

Keep reading for four important differences between the two terms.

Ticket Terminology

There are usually five stages, or statuses, of ticket support. These include: New, Open, Pending, On-hold, or Solved.

New tickets are generally submitted by a customer and have not yet been assigned to an agent. When a ticket changes status from” New,” it can no longer return to “New” status.

A ticket becomes Open when it is assigned to an agent. However, sometimes an agent needs more information from a customer or client to progress the case. This is where Pending comes in handy. It indicates the agent needs more information before they can continue to work.

On-Hold status is similar to Pending, but is not always used by companies.

Solved means the case has been completed, and the customer or clients questions/concerns have been thoroughly addressed.

Four Differences Between “Open Ticket” and “Pending”

Now that we have the terminology behind ticketing figured out, what are the key differences between “Open” and “Pending”?

1. Level of Involvement

Some tickets never land in “Pending” status because a customer or client provides all information upfront and the HR/IT specialist can quickly solve the case. These tickets go from being “Open” straight to “Solved.” Pending status means that the agent needs more information and is, therefore, more involved than an Open ticket.

2. Customer Involvement

Although some Pending statuses mean that an agent is awaiting word from a supervisor on how to proceed, this is not always the case. Sometimes, they need a customer’s help as well, such as order number, case details, etc.

3. Speed of Resolution

Generally, the more back and forth required to solve a case, the longer it will take. Because Pending cases require more information, they may take longer than an Open case. Of course, that really depends on the complexity of the case.

4. More Top-Down Decisions

Pending cases will generally involve managers and supervisors more than an Open case. Some decisions need to be made at the upper levels of management, and the Pending status is the only way to illustrate this need.

Final Thoughts

You want to be able to better manage customer support tickets. Learning the terminology and differences between statuses is an essential part of this process.

Open tickets are often handled by the agent themselves, whereas Pending tickets require supervisor decision-making or additional details from a customer.

For more information on IT management and how to streamline your business, explore our blog.