Best Practices For Switching From Zendesk Classic Chat To Zendesk Messaging

Introduction

As businesses strive to enhance their customer support experience, many are making the switch from Zendesk Classic Chat to Zendesk Messaging. Zendesk Messaging offers a more versatile and comprehensive platform for engaging with customers across multiple channels. To ensure a seamless transition and maximize the benefits of Zendesk Messaging, it is essential to adopt best practices. In this article, we will explore eleven key practices to consider when switching from Zendesk Classic Chat to Zendesk Messaging.

1. Duplicate Pre-Chat Form with Flow Builder Answers

To collect essential customer data and route them to the right agent, it is crucial to duplicate the pre-chat form from Zendesk Classic Chat using the Flow Builder. This ensures that important information is gathered before the conversation starts, allowing agents to personalize their support and resolve issues more efficiently.

2. Utilize Contact Drivers Instead of Department Selection

Instead of asking customers to select a specific department, present them with contact driver options that represent common reasons for contact. This allows your business to better determine which department can handle each query. Add appropriate tags to the transfer step and use triggers to route contact driver tags to the appropriate agent group, streamlining the support process.

Also read: Zendesk Proactive Messaging

3. Set User Expectations with Business Hours Condition

Instead of relying on an offline form, leverage the business hours condition in Zendesk Messaging. This feature allows you to set user expectations by displaying a message indicating your support hours. By clearly communicating when customers can expect a response, you manage their expectations effectively.

4. Close Tickets Promptly Using Macros and Automations

In Zendesk Messaging, it is important to close tickets soon after they are resolved. This prevents clutter and allows new conversations to create fresh tickets. Create a macro that closes tickets and use automations to apply the macro when the conversation reaches a resolved state. This practice ensures a clean and organized ticketing system.

5. Implement Omnichannel Routing with Round Robin Algorithm

With Zendesk Messaging, you can leverage omnichannel routing to distribute tickets evenly among agents using a round robin algorithm. This ensures a fair workload distribution and enhances the efficiency of your support team.

6. Train Agents to Utilize Unified Agent Status and Monitor with Explore Live Dashboard

Encourage your agents to make the most of Zendesk Messaging's unified agent status feature. This feature allows agents to set their availability and indicate their current status, such as "available," "busy," or "away." Monitor your agents' statuses and performance using the Explore live dashboard to ensure optimal productivity and responsiveness.

Part 1 of our “Tips For Moving from Zendesk Classic Chat to Zendesk Messaging” video

7. Sign up for Agent Activity Historical Data EAP

Take advantage of Zendesk's Agent Activity Historical Data Early Access Program (EAP). This program provides detailed agent statuses and activity information from the past 30 days. By gaining insights into agent performance and behavior, you can make data-driven decisions to improve support operations.

8. Manage Inactive Conversations with Messaging Activity Routing

To handle inactive conversations, enable messaging activity routing. This feature automatically reassigns conversations to available agents if the initial agent doesn't respond within a specified timeframe. It ensures that customer inquiries are promptly addressed, reducing the risk of delays or unresolved issues.

9. Utilize Ticket Statuses for Inactive Messages

Empower your agents by training them to effectively utilize ticket statuses in Zendesk Messaging. Create specific statuses for handling inactive messages, such as "waiting for customer response" or "follow-up required." Agents can then prioritize and manage their workload efficiently.

10. Consider SunCo Integration to Automate Inactive Message Handling

For a more streamlined and efficient approach to managing inactive messages, businesses can explore the option of integrating Zendesk Messaging with SunCo. It empowers organizations to automate the entire process of handling inactive messages, including timely follow-ups and proactive customer engagement, leading to improved response rates, enhanced customer satisfaction, and a significant reduction in agent workload.

Also read: All You Need To Know About Zendesk Sunco

11. Configure CSAT for All Messaging Channels

To measure customer satisfaction, configure the Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) feature across all messaging channels. This allows customers to provide feedback on their support experience, helping you identify areas for improvement and gauge customer sentiment accurately.

12. Use Skill-Based Routing within Omnichannel Routing

Zendesk Messaging now offers Skill-Based Routing as part of its Omnichannel Routing capabilities. Leverage this feature to assign tickets to agents with specific skills or expertise. By routing conversations to agents who are best equipped to handle them, you can enhance the quality of support provided. Skill-Based Routing ensures that customers receive accurate and efficient resolutions to their queries, leading to higher customer satisfaction.

Part 2 of our “Tips For Moving from Zendesk Classic Chat to Zendesk Messaging” video

Conclusion

Switching from Zendesk Classic Chat to Zendesk Messaging opens up a wealth of possibilities for enhancing your customer support operations. By implementing these best practices, you can maximize the benefits of Zendesk Messaging and deliver exceptional customer experiences. From efficient data collection and routing to agent training and automation, these practices will set you on the path to success in the world of modern customer support.

Do you need some help with your own transition from Zendesk Classic Chat to Zendesk Messaging? Let’s have a chat and see if we can give you a hand with it!

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If you’d rather figure it out yourself, we have some tips for that too, so why not take a look at our ebook by clicking the image below?

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