Enter a code to uniquely define this contract type and a brief description. The description appears in the lookup that displays when you select service types.

The product line relates the service type to a set of general ledger accounts. Whether the system uses this product line depends on Use Item Prod Line in SSM Accounting Control. If this is No, the system uses the product line of the service type in effect; otherwise, the item product line.

When you post a contract invoice, the system credits the product line Sales and Sales Discount account. You can modify accounts on contract lines if Modify Sales Accounts is Yes in SSM Accounting Control.

You can also use the product line of the service type in Call Activity Recording. If the system finds no charge or revenue product line for service activity and Use Item Prod Line in SSM Accounting Control is No, the system uses the product line of the service type in effect.

Duration defines the default length of a contract. In service contract types, the duration is in months, while in warranties, the duration is in days. In contracts, the system calculates the contract end date by adding the duration of the service type to the contract start date.

A response time states the length of time and its unit of measure within which your service department should respond to a call. The response unit can be minutes, hours, or days. The response time must be expressed in integer values. A response time of up to 168 hours (1 week) can be specified. After that, the unit of measure must be days.

If you are not using an escalation sequence, Call Maintenance uses the response time to calculate the Next Status Date and Time values according to the following rule:

For example, a call has a service type with the following characteristics:

For this service type, you expect to respond within three hours of taking the call. It also means you provide this service only Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Enter a valid contract price list defined in Service Pricing Maintenance (11.17.1). The system uses this price list as the default price list code for contract quotes and contracts based on this service type. It determines what to charge the customer for coverage of items on the contract.

The contract price determines the amount the customer is invoiced for the contract itself. Invoicing for service activity is separate.

The restocking charge is a percentage deducted from the credit price of a returned item on an RMA. Customers can perceive restocking charges as penalties, but you might apply them to cover the labor and expense of refurbishing and repackaging returned items.

Enter a valid repair price list defined in Service Pricing Maintenance (11.17.1). The call price list sets the default for the same field in Contract Quote Maintenance and Contract Maintenance. The system uses the price list from the contract as the default in Call Quote Maintenance and CAR for calls covered by contracts that reference this service type.

Repair price lists can specify prices for items consumed in a service activity and labor and expenses recorded in CAR. The call price list also determines credits for items exchanged in CAR, using the Exchange UM value from Call Management Control, and fixed prices using the Fixed Price UM value.

If you set up an expense cost price list with the same code as the call price list, Call Activity Recording uses it to determine standard costs for expense items.

During the receipt segment of RMA processing, the system uses the credit price list you assign to the service type to determine the credit amount for a returned item. If you define a restocking charge on the service type, the system reduces the credit price by that percentage.

This field affects processing of linked RMA receipt and shipment lines.

No: You process the receipt of a defective item before you can issue a replacement. You can print a packing list, but you cannot ship the replacement item.

Yes: You can issue replacement items regardless of the number of items received.

A reference-only field that indicates whether this service type is exclusively for processing RMAs.

Indicate whether you want to enter transaction comments for this service type.

The Priority field sets the opening priority of calls in Call Maintenance. The lower the number, the higher the priority. For example, a call with a priority of 1 is more urgent than a priority 50 call.

You can also assign call priority by end user in End User Data Maintenance (11.9.1). The system uses any nonzero call priority on an end user’s record instead of the service type. You can also set call priority in Service/Support User Preferences. Escalation sequences can affect call priorities.