The requester in Zendesk refers to the person who submits a support ticket or request. This is usually the customer or end user who is experiencing an issue and needs help from the support team. The requester initiates the support process by submitting a ticket with details about their problem or question.
Why is the requester important?
The requester is a critical part of the customer support process for several reasons:
- The requester provides the initial information needed for the support team to understand and troubleshoot the issue. This includes details like what they were trying to do, error messages received, steps to reproduce the problem, and other relevant context.
- The requester is the person experiencing the problem firsthand, so they can provide feedback to confirm whether proposed solutions actually resolve their issue.
- The requester’s satisfaction determines whether the support interaction is ultimately successful. Providing a good customer experience and helping the requester resolve their issue should be the top priority.
- Issues experienced by the requester provide insight into problems or gaps in the product or documentation that need to be addressed.
- Good support teams will build relationships with requesters to better understand their needs and pain points over time.
In summary, the requester kicks off the support process and is the main stakeholder that support teams aim to help. Understanding and communicating with the requester is essential for delivering good customer service and improving the product experience.
How does the requester create a ticket?
In Zendesk, the requester can create a support ticket through several channels:
- Web portal – The requester visits the Zendesk web portal and submits a ticket through the customer submission form. They provide details about the issue and attach any relevant files.
- Email – The requester emails the support address, which then automatically creates a ticket in Zendesk. Details from the email like subject, body, attachments are added to the ticket.
- Mobile app – Through the Zendesk mobile app, the requester can submit tickets and interact with the support team.
- Help Center – If the Zendesk Help Center is enabled, the requester can submit tickets from there when they cannot find an answer.
- API – Customers with the Zendesk API can programmatically open tickets on behalf of their own customers.
- Chat widget – Interacting with a chat widget on the company website can create a Zendesk ticket to continue the conversation.
So in summary, the main methods are through the web portal, email, mobile app, Help Center, API, or chat widget. Zendesk makes it easy for requesters to submit tickets in the channel that is most convenient for them.
What information does the requester need to provide?
When submitting a Zendesk ticket, the requester should aim to provide the following information:
- Subject – A short summary of the issue or question.
- Description – Details explaining the problem or request. What were they trying to do, what errors occurred, what troubleshooting they’ve tried, etc.
- Attachment – Files, screenshots, or other resources that are relevant to the issue.
- Contact information – Name, email address, phone number, account name, etc. so Support can follow up.
- Priority – Set the urgency if it is a critical issue that needs immediate attention.
- Tags – Add tags to categorize and route the ticket.
Providing complete details up front enables the Zendesk agents to understand the context and quickly begin working on a resolution. If critical information is missing, the agent may have to spend time reaching back out to the requester to gather additional details.
What options does the requester have after submitting a ticket?
After a support ticket is submitted, the requester has several options to track progress and communicate with the team:
- Email notifications – Get emailed whenever the ticket is updated or receives a public or private comment.
- View status – Check the status in the portal to see if it has been solved, closed, or is still pending.
- Add comments – Add public or private comments to provide more information or ask questions.
- Attach files – Attach additional files to the ticket as needed.
- Rate experience – When the ticket is solved, rate their satisfaction with the experience.
- Reopen ticket – Reopen a closed ticket if the issue persists or recurs.
- View ticket history – Review all previous updates and communications on the ticket.
The requester can take advantage of these options to actively track the ticket status and collaborate with agents to reach a resolution.
How does the requester communicate with agents?
There are two main ways a requester can communicate and share information with agents in Zendesk:
- Public Comments – The requester can add public comments to the ticket which are visible to anyone with access to the ticket. Public comments are useful for general information that doesn’t need to remain private. Agents can also reply publicly to provide updates.
- Private Comments – For sensitive information, the requester can add private comments just visible to the support agents working the ticket. Other agents won’t see private comments. Agents may also respond privately for issues that require discretion.
Requesters are encouraged to use public comments for general communication, and private comments whenever privacy is required. Good communication ensures the agents have the information needed to resolve issues faster.
Additional requester communication options
Besides comments, requesters may also communicate through:
- Emails – External email exchanges will be attached to the ticket.
- Chat – If chat is enabled, real-time chat conversations can happen alongside the ticket.
- Phone calls – Notes from any phone calls will be added to the ticket as internal comments.
- Feedback surveys – Requesters may get follow-up surveys after ticket resolution to provide feedback.
How does the requester track ticket status?
Requesters have several methods to check the status of their Zendesk ticket:
Method | Details |
---|---|
Portal dashboard | Log into the Zendesk portal to view a dashboard of the requester’s tickets with current status. |
Status email updates | Receive email notifications when the status changes to Solved, Closed, Pending, etc. |
Ticket sidebars | The status displays prominently in sidebars on the ticket page. |
Ticket history | View the status history timeline and status changes on the ticket page. |
Mobile app | Check the status and updates via the Zendesk mobile app. |
The requester has full visibility into their ticket handling from initiation to resolution within the Zendesk system.
What can requesters do if they are unsatisfied with the support experience?
If a requester is unsatisfied with their Zendesk support experience, they have several recourse options:
- Rate the ticket poorly when prompted at close. This feedback flags issues for managers.
- Escalate to a manager. Most teams have escalation processes.
- Submit a new ticket detailing what went wrong. This creates a record.
- Request to speak to an agent to provide direct feedback.
- Send feedback to the support leadership team if available.
- Look for customer satisfaction surveys and provide constructive criticism.
From the company’s side, negative requester experiences should be taken very seriously as they indicate problems with the service quality or specific agents. Support managers will want to follow up to understand what needs improvement before the requester leaves for a competitor.
How should companies improve based on requester feedback?
Analyzing negative requester feedback should spur several improvement initiatives:
- Agent training – Provide coaching/training to agents on communication, troubleshooting, documentation, etc.
- Business process review – Examine support workflows to identify inefficiencies.
- Product fixes – Prioritize enhancements to address usability pain points.
- Updated resources – Improve Help Center content or FAQs to add missing info.
- Surveys – Gather more feedback on what needs improvement.
Continuous improvement based on requester feedback is key to maintaining high customer satisfaction over the long run.
Conclusion
In summary, the requester initiates help tickets in Zendesk, provides critical details so agents can troubleshoot, and collaborates to achieve issue resolution. They have options to track status, communicate via comments, and escalate issues if needed. The requester experience is a top priority, so their feedback helps drive ongoing support improvements. By empowering requesters and setting clear expectations, Zendesk enables agents to provide knowledgeable, efficient support.