Understanding Default Agent Roles in Freshservice

Note: The new Access Controls feature will be available soon for all existing accounts ( accounts created before Sep 15th, 2020)

There are pre-existing default roles in Freshservice that cannot be modified. Agents with default roles will be able to view all tickets. If you are on the Estate or Forest plans, you can also create custom roles for agents within your IT Service Desk.

The SD (Service Desk) Agent :

This is the basic role you can assign to your IT support agents. These agents can create, reply, update, delete, and resolve Tickets. They can also create and edit Problems and Changes. On the CMDB/Asset Management module, SD Agents can create and edit CIs/assets. They can create and delete requestors, make new announcements, and publish and delete solutions. However, SD agents cannot delete Changes, Problems, or CIs/Assets. They also have no control over Releases.

The SD Supervisor

These agents can perform all agent-related activities and access reports, but cannot access or change configurations in the Admin tab. These agents can create, reply, update, delete, and resolve Tickets. They can also create and edit Problems and CIs/assets. These agents can view reports, have complete control over solutions and can create, edit, and delete requestors. However, SD Supervisors cannot delete Problems or CIs/assets and have no control over Changes, Releases, and Announcements.

The Admin

These agents can configure all features through the Admin tab but are restricted from viewing Account or billing-related information. The Admin also has complete control over tickets, problems, changes, releases, CIs/assets, solutions, and reports. However, the Admin does not have control over account management.

The Account Admin

The Account Admin has complete control over the help desk including access to Account or Billing related information and receives Invoices. This agent also has complete control over tickets, problems, changes, releases, CIs/assets, solutions, and reports.

The Problem Manager

This agent has full access to the problem module and can perform all agent-related activities. Problem managers can create and edit changes. They can view requestors, solutions, and reports. They can make and edit announcements and create and edit CIs/assets. However, they have minimal control over Tickets and Solutions and have no control over Releases.

The Change Manager

This agent has full access to the change module and can perform all agent-related activities. Change Managers can create and edit Problems, Releases, and CIs/Assets. They can make and edit announcements and view solutions and reports. However, change managers have very limited control over tickets.

The Release Manager

This agent has full access to the release module and can perform all agent-related activities. Release managers can create and edit Changes and CIs/Assets. They can make and edit announcements and view solutions and reports. However, Release Managers have limited control over tickets and no control over Problems.

The Configuration Manager

This agent has complete control over the CMDB/Asset Management module, including managing costs and configuration settings. However, they have little to no control over tickets, problems, changes, releases, and reports.

Note: You can also clone a default role within Freshservice.

Freshservice also gives you the option to create Occasional agents apart from your full-time agents. These people could be employees from other departments in your business like sales and marketing, who might need to login and take care of specific issues and requests from time to time. You are allowed to create unlimited occasional agents and you also won’t be charged for these additional agents every month. Instead, you can buy a bulk amount of ‘Day Passes’ from the Admin tab and issue one to your Occasional Agents every time they need to log in to your support portal.

Aside from this, you can also create new roles, specify exactly what actions agents with these roles can perform within your service desk, and assign those roles to agents. Once you create and save a new Role, you will be able to assign it to newly created and pre-existing agents by clicking on the Agents icon under the admin tab and clicking on the edit button.

The Role an agent plays also dictates which other agents they can delete, impersonate, and overrule.

What's the most basic role required for assuming identity or making changes to another agent's profile?

To be able to delete or edit another agent's profile, an agent needs to have at least operational admin controls, with the ability to manage agents.

This is also the minimum requirement for an agent to be able to assume the identity of another agent. However, an admin can not assume the identity of another agent who also has admin controls.

Being an Admin why am I unable to edit the role of another agent?

An Admin cannot edit the role of agents equal to, or higher up the admin access hierarchy than themselves. The exception to this is if you have Account Admin controls. Account Admins can edit and delete any agent, including other Account Admins. However, all agents including Account Admins are not allowed to view or edit their own Roles.