What is a case in Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

A case represents a single inquiry from a single customer that requires follow-up. It brings together the description of the issue, all communication throughout the process, who worked on it, and how it was ultimately resolved.

Why it matters more than an email thread

An email thread sits in a single inbox and disappears when that person is on vacation. A case is visible to everyone who should be able to help, it can be handed over, and it can be counted. Only when inquiries are registered as cases can you determine how many inquiries you actually receive, what they are about, and how long they take.

The case connects to everything else

A case is linked to the customer and can also be linked to an entitlement that determines what the customer is entitled to, a service-level agreement that governs deadlines, and a work order if someone needs to be dispatched. This connection is the main reason why customer service should be in the same system as sales and field service.

Common mistake at the outset

Many people create one case per email instead of one case per issue. This results in five cases for the same issue, making the statistics useless and forcing the customer to explain the situation again. Agree on the rule early on: one case follows the issue from the initial inquiry until it is resolved.