5 Simple Steps To Set Up Zendesk For Your Help Desk

Implementing help desk software is just the first step in creating an excellent user experience for your customers. Any service should be designed with ease of use at its core and Zendesk is one of many tools that can make your customer support process a lot smoother. But how do you set up Zendesk? It’s not always the most straightforward tool out there and the initial setup can take some time, even for those with experience working with customer support software. You might even find yourself feeling a little stuck at some point but don’t worry, we’ve all been there! This article will give you detailed instructions on how to set up Zendesk.

Section 1: Install Zendesk

The first thing you’ll need to do is to install Zendesk. This is a straightforward process but there are a couple of things you should know before proceeding. When installing Zendesk, it’s important to pick the “Install Zendesk” option as opposed to “Install Zendesk with an Existing Database.” This will create a brand new database for your Zendesk instance. The Zendesk database is your central hub for all information relating to your help desk. Without it, you won’t be able to access anything. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you have everything set up correctly before you proceed with the installation. You don’t want to be stuck with a broken database.

Section 2: Create Users and Permissions

After launching Zendesk, you’ll need to create users and permissions for your agents.. Permissions are the rules that dictate which features a user is able to access. For example, you can choose to disable certain user features if a user is assigned to a specific role. The first step in creating users is to create agent groups. This will be used to assign users to the correct tickets. Once you’ve created the agent group, you can move on to creating individual users. Here, you can create users with a name and email address, assign them to one or more of the agent groups you created earlier and select the permissions they need, relevant to their role.

Section 3: Add Channels

Now that you’ve created users and assigned them the appropriate permissions, you’ll need to add channels. This is how you’ll allow users to interact with your help desk. There are plenty of options when it comes to picking channels to add. Zendesk supports a wide variety of communication channels, including email, live chat, phone calls, SMS, social media, etc. Depending on the type of business you have, you can select the channels that will be the most beneficial. For example, if your customers are predominantly younger people, you will likely want to add social media as a channel, or if you want to reduce the volume of inbound calls, then WhatsApp integration for Zendesk is a great idea.

Section 4: Use Zendesk Guide

The next thing you should do is use Zendesk Guide. This is the official Zendesk help center that will help you learn all the features within the platform. You’re unlikely to remember all the features of Zendesk even if you’ve used it before. This is especially true if you’ve been using the same help desk tool for years on end—Zendesk is always evolving so you might not be up to speed with the functionality of the latest version. Zendesk Guide gives you all the information you need on each of the features and gives you a general overview of the help desk software. You can use it as a refresher resource or as a way for first-time users to get acquainted with the tool.

Section 5: Complete The Setup Process

At this point, you’ve launched Zendesk, created users, groups and channels, and set up Zendesk Guide to help your customers access self-service support. The last thing you need to do is complete the setup process. Some important settings here include what happens when a customer submits a ticket, how tickets are prioritized, etc. It’s important that you spend some time going through this process to make sure you’re creating the best help desk possible.

Section 6: Conclusion

In conclusion, the implementation process of Zendesk can be overwhelming, especially for those who are new to it. However, the benefits that come with the help desk software are worth it. It can help you save time and money, and enable you to provide the best experience to your customers. With that said, it’s important to remember that implementing help desk software can be a long and arduous process.
If you’d like some expert input to ensure your Zendesk is installed correctly, optimized for your specific business case, and integrated with the other systems you use, Adelante can help. We’re certified Zendesk Partners, and we offer a quick and easy Zendesk Express service that will get you up and running in as little as a week.

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