How to merge Zendesk tickets?
manual vs. automated
Zendesk is a widely recognized customer support platform designed to help businesses manage and streamline their customer interactions across various channels. With its robust set of tools and features, Zendesk enables companies to deliver exceptional customer service by handling requests through email, live chat, social media, and phone calls, all within a centralized system.
In this article, we'll dive deep into the world of duplicate ticket management within Zendesk, placing the spotlight on the manual and automated methods of merging these pesky duplicates. By contrasting the benefits and drawbacks of each approach, we'll help you navigate the twists and turns of ticket management, ultimately steering you towards the most efficient and effective solution for delivering a top-notch, seamless customer support experience.
Why Do Duplicate Tickets Occur?
Duplicate tickets are a common challenge in customer support, and understanding their root causes is essential for effective ticket management. In this section, we'll explore a few typical scenarios that lead to duplicate tickets, including multiple requests from customers, channel-switching follow-ups, and third-party system interactions.
1. Customers Send Multiple Requests About the Same Issue
There are instances when customers might submit multiple requests regarding the same issue. They might be unsure if their initial request went through, wish to share additional details, or just can't wait for a response. As a result, multiple tickets for the same concern can pile up, leading to confusion and inefficiencies for the support agents handling the case.
2. Customers Use Different Channels to Communicate
Today's customers have numerous communication options, including email, live chat, social media, and phone calls. It's not uncommon for customers to switch between channels when seeking help, such as sending an initial email and then following up on live chat. When this happens, multiple tickets can be created for the same issue, even though the customer intended to submit just one request.
3. Third-party systems create tickets on behalf of customers
In the world of modern business, third-party systems have become essential tools to streamline customer interactions. Platforms like PayPal, Facebook, and other e-commerce systems can help businesses offer a seamless experience to their customers.
However, while these systems are a great asset, they can also cause some headaches for support teams. One of the biggest challenges is the creation of duplicate tickets for the same issue. This happens when these platforms use a generic email address, such as info@paypal.com, to create tickets on behalf of customers. Even though the ticket may include an identifier like a user ID or transaction number, the use of a shared email address can still lead to the creation of multiple tickets for the same issue.
These scenarios highlight the importance of effectively managing duplicate tickets within Zendesk to ensure an efficient and professional customer support experience.
Why Duplicate Tickets Can Cause Problems
So, why are duplicate tickets a big deal? Duplicate tickets can set off a chain reaction of challenges, affecting both the customer support team and the overall customer experience. Let's dive deeper into the potential pitfalls that may emerge from duplicate tickets:
1. Two Agents May Respond to Separate Tickets for the Same Customer
When customers submit multiple tickets for the same issue, it can lead to a situation where multiple agents are simultaneously working on the same problem. Moreover, with agents working on duplicate tickets, other customer inquiries may be neglected, leading to reduced efficiency for the support team.
2. Customers Receive Multiple Responses at Different Times
Duplicate tickets can be frustrating for customers and undermine their confidence in the support team. When customers receive multiple responses to the same issue from different agents, it can create confusion and reflect poorly on the company's professionalism. Receiving multiple responses can also be overwhelming and make it more difficult for customers to understand the resolution to their issue.
3. Inconsistency in Responses and Resolutions
Duplicate tickets can lead to inconsistent responses and solutions provided to customers. For example, one agent may offer a refund, while another may suggest a different solution. This inconsistency can negatively impact customer satisfaction and potentially damage the company's reputation.
4. Increased Likelihood of Errors
When multiple agents work on separate tickets for the same issue, the chances of making errors or providing incorrect information increase. These errors can further frustrate customers and prolong the resolution process.
5. Difficulty in Tracking Support Metrics
Duplicate tickets can mess with support metrics, making it difficult to precisely assess agent performance, response times, and resolution rates. This can lead to a skewed perception of the support team's effectiveness, ultimately hindering efforts to improve service quality.
By addressing the issue of duplicate tickets and implementing strategies to merge them, businesses can avoid these problems and ensure a more efficient, consistent, and professional customer support experience.
Merging Duplicate Tickets Manually in Zendesk
To skillfully merge tickets in Zendesk manually, simply adhere to these steps, as detailed in the Zendesk support guide:
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Navigate to your list of tickets in Zendesk and select the tickets you want to merge by clicking the checkbox next to each ticket.
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Once you have selected the desired tickets, click the "Bulk Actions" button at the top of the ticket list.
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In the "Bulk Actions" menu, click on "Merge tickets."
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A window will appear, allowing you to review the tickets you're merging. You can choose which ticket to keep as the primary ticket by clicking the radio button next to it. The primary ticket will retain its ticket number, and all other tickets will be merged into it.
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Click "Merge" to complete the process. The tickets will be merged, and all comments, tags, and other relevant information will be combined into the primary ticket.
Problems with Merging Tickets Manually
Although merging tickets manually is an effective way to address duplicate tickets, there are several drawbacks to this approach:
1. Time-consuming
The manual merging of tickets can devour precious time, particularly when a multitude of duplicates demand attention. This steals valuable time that agents could otherwise dedicate to helping other customers.
2. Prone to Errors
With manual merging, there's always a risk that agents will make mistakes, such as merging the wrong tickets or failing to merge all relevant duplicates. These errors can prolong the resolution process and frustrate customers.
3. Customer Frustration
When agents spend time manually merging tickets, customers may experience delays in receiving responses to their inquiries. Additionally, errors made during the merging process can lead to further confusion and frustration for customers.
Given these drawbacks, many businesses are turning to automated solutions to streamline the process of merging duplicate tickets in Zendesk, which we will explore in the next section.
Merging Duplicate Zendesk Tickets Automatically
Why Automating This Process
Automating the process can be a lifesaver for your customer support and result in better customer relationships all around. Here are just a few of the benefits associated with automating the merging of duplicate tickets.
1. Time Savings
Automation frees up agents' time, enabling them to concentrate on helping customers and resolving issues more effectively.
2. Reduced Errors
An automated system reduces the risk of human error in the merging process, ensuring that the correct tickets are merged and all relevant duplicates are addressed.
3. Improved Customer Experience
With tickets being merged automatically and almost instantly, customers receive a faster, more consistent response from the support team, leading to increased satisfaction.
How Merging Zendesk Tickets Automatically Works
An automated system for merging duplicate tickets involves a one-time configuration, after which it continuously checks for duplicates and merges them accordingly. Here's an overview of how this process works:
1. Configure the Automated System
Set up the automation rules, such as the merging window (i.e., the time frame within which tickets are considered duplicates) and the criteria used to identify duplicate tickets (e.g., email address, subject, etc.).
2. Continuous Duplicate Checking
Whenever a new ticket is created in the helpdesk, it is sent to the automated system for duplicate checking. If a duplicate is found based on the defined merging window and criteria, the tickets are merged into one.
3. Instant Merging
The automated merging process occurs almost instantly after a new ticket is created. As a result, agents will see the merged ticket before they even have a chance to work on the duplicate, ensuring they can focus on resolving the customer's issue efficiently.
By implementing an automated system for merging duplicate tickets, businesses can greatly improve their support team's efficiency, reduce the likelihood of errors, and enhance the overall customer experience.
How to Set Up Ticket Auto-Merging in Zendesk
To automate the process of merging duplicate tickets in Zendesk, you can use the Merge Duplicate Tickets app. The setup is straightforward and only takes a few minutes.
Follow these easy steps to enable automatic ticket merging:
1. Install the App and Register for a New Swifteq Account
Visit the Zendesk marketplace, find the Merge Duplicate Tickets app, and install it. After installation, register for a new Swifteq account or sign in with your existing credentials.
2. Define What you Consider to be a Duplicate Ticket
After setting up your account, you'll need to define your criteria for identifying duplicate tickets.
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Merging window: Set a time frame within which tickets are considered duplicates. For example, if you set a 24-hour merging window, tickets created more than 24 hours apart won't be considered duplicates.
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Merging criteria: Choose the ticket fields that must match for tickets to be considered duplicates. By default, tickets with the same email address are considered duplicates. However, you can add additional fields to be matched, such as Subject or Order Number.
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Filters: Add filters to include or exclude tickets from merging
You can customize the merging process further by adding filters to include or exclude specific tickets. For example, you can exclude tickets based on the customer's email address or the Group which the ticket was assigned. To add more filters, edit the conditions of the Zendesk trigger associated with the app.
And that's it! Once you've completed these steps, the Merge Duplicate Tickets app will automatically handle the merging process for you. This means your team won't have to merge tickets manually, saving time and reducing the risk of errors.
Conclusion
In summary, merging duplicate tickets manually can be a time-consuming and error-prone process, leading to various issues such as wasted agent time, customer confusion, and a negative impact on the company's professionalism. In contrast, automating the merging process offers numerous benefits.
Automating the process saves time for support agents, allowing them to focus on assisting customers and resolving issues more efficiently. It also reduces the risk of errors in the merging process, ensuring that the correct tickets are merged and all relevant duplicates are addressed. Moreover, automated merging provides a more consistent and faster response to customers, leading to increased satisfaction and a more professional image for the company.
By implementing an automated system for merging duplicate tickets, businesses can significantly improve their support team's efficiency, reduce the likelihood of errors, and enhance the overall customer experience. If you need any assistance or advice on how to set up the automated process by using the Merge Duplicate Tickets app, please reach out, we are always happy to help!