A follow-up ticket in Zendesk refers to a new support ticket that is created to continue handling an existing customer request or issue. Often times, customer issues cannot be fully resolved with just a single support interaction. In these cases, follow-up tickets allow the conversation to continue over multiple touch points until the customer’s needs have been completely satisfied.
Some common reasons why follow-up tickets may be required include:
- The initial troubleshooting steps did not fully resolve the customer’s issue
- Additional information or documentation is needed from the customer
- There is a delay in resolving the issue, such as waiting on an internal team or vendor response
- The customer has new questions or requests related to the original issue
With follow-up tickets, support agents can provide ongoing, personalized service to customers until their issues are completely resolved. The follow-up tickets are linked to the original ticket, creating a complete picture of the customer service journey.
When to Create Follow-Up Tickets
There are a few key situations when follow-up tickets should be created in Zendesk:
Partial resolutions
If the customer’s initial ticket could only be partially resolved, a follow-up ticket should be created. This may occur if troubleshooting isolated the issue to a specific component, but a full fix still requires additional work. The follow-up allows work to continue where the previous ticket left off.
Status updates
Follow-up tickets can provide status updates to the customer. For example, if a request requires escalation or a vendor referral, a ticket can be created to keep the customer informed of progress. Timely updates improve customer satisfaction even when issues require longer resolution times.
Multi-step processes
For issues that clearly require multiple steps to resolve, follow-up tickets allow the steps to be tracked separately. This can apply to complex troubleshooting processes, legal/compliance reviews, equipment replacements, etc. Separate tickets for each step keep everything organized.
New questions/requests
Sometimes a customer will have new questions or requests related to an existing ticket. This often happens after a customer has used a product or service for a period of time following the original support interaction. A follow-up ticket containing the new questions can be linked to the old ticket for context.
Customer follow-ups
Proactively creating follow-up tickets can provide excellent customer service. Following up with a customer after a set period of time to check if their issue has been fully resolved shows you care about their satisfaction. These customer follow-up tickets can surface recurring issues or new needs to address.
Creating Follow-Up Tickets in Zendesk
Within Zendesk, agents have two main options for creating follow-up tickets – manually creating a new ticket, or converting an existing ticket to a follow-up. Here are the steps for each option:
Manually creating a follow-up ticket
1. Navigate to the original support ticket that needs a follow-up
2. Click on the “New Ticket” button to manually start a separate ticket
3. Fill out the new ticket form as usual, providing details on the follow-up item
4. On the new ticket, find the “Related Ticktes” section and relate it to the original ticket
5. The new follow-up ticket will now be linked and visible to anyone viewing the original case
Converting an existing ticket to a follow-up
1. Locate the existing support ticket to convert to a follow-up
2. Open the ticket and find the “Convert to Follow-up Ticket” option
3. Select this option and confirm you want to convert the ticket
4. The ticket will be converted to a follow-up ticket for the related original case
5. Update the follow-up ticket with any new details or information
6. The converted follow-up ticket will now be linked and visible as related to the original ticket
Either method allows you to effectively create follow-up tickets in Zendesk and maintain continuity for customer issues requiring ongoing support.
Best Practices for Follow-Up Tickets
There are some best practices that help ensure follow-up tickets are managed smoothly:
– Provide a clear summary of the reason for the follow-up in the ticket subject/description. This gives context without requiring reading the old ticket.
– Assign follow-up tickets to the same agent that handled the original ticket when possible for continuity.
– Set expectations on update frequency and follow through with status updates to customers.
– Link follow-up tickets bidirectionally to related original tickets using the “Related Tickets” feature.
– Set due dates on follow-up tickets to ensure items do not slip through the cracks.
– Review any notes, attachments, or activities from previous tickets to limit duplication of effort.
– Before closing follow-ups, verify the original ticket is also ready for closure.
– Use ticket forms to prompt agents to capture key details when creating follow-ups.
– Develop an escalation process for follow-ups that exceed standard resolution times.
Reporting on Follow-Up Tickets
Zendesk contains several reporting options to gain visibility into follow-up tickets and their performance:
Tickets by Follow-up Metric
This report shows the number and percentage of tickets that are follow-ups vs original tickets. It provides insight into follow-up frequency.
First Reply Time on Follow-Up Tickets
By filtering key metrics like first reply time to only follow-up tickets, you can check for differences in response speed vs original tickets.
Time to Resolution by Follow-up Status
Grouping resolution time by whether a ticket is a follow-up or not allows you to compare resolution performance. Are follow-ups resolving slower?
Customer Satisfaction by Follow-up Status
This view filters customer satisfaction scores specifically for follow-up tickets. If satisfaction is lower, extra focus on follow-ups may be needed.
Agents with Most Follow-Up Tickets
Determine which agents are generating the most follow-up tickets. Higher performers likely need better initial resolution while low performers may lack follow-through.
Sample Follow-Up Ticket Process
Here is an example process for managing follow-up tickets at a support organization:
Receiving tickets
– Tickets are received via email, web form, chat, phone
– Tickets are reviewed to identify any related to previous cases
– Related tickets are linked bidirectionally to surface the relationship
Resolving initial tickets
– Basic troubleshooting is completed to resolve straightforward tickets
– If more complex issues remain, a follow-up ticket is created for the needed next steps
– Any required items from customers, vendors, other teams are documented
Working follow-up tickets
– Follow-up tickets are assigned to original agent when possible
– Tickets are worked based on priority and established SLAs
– Regular status updates are sent to the requesting customer
– CRM is checked prior to closing to verify customer satisfaction
Monitoring process effectiveness
– Management uses Zendesk reporting to identify follow-up ticket trends
– Customer satisfaction ratings are reviewed for follow-up vs standard tickets
– Process adjustments occur as needed based on data and observations
Conclusion
Follow-up tickets are critical in Zendesk to see support cases through to final resolution. By proactively creating, linking, and monitoring follow-up tickets, organizations can provide complete and continuous support. Follow-ups demonstrate commitment to customers and help ensure their success. With the practices outlined, Zendesk can be configured to effectively utilize follow-up tickets as part of a complete support process.