Mastering Zendesk Custom Objects – How to Optimize Your Support System

Introduction

Welcome to our blog post on Zendesk Custom Objects! In this article, we will provide an overview of Zendesk Custom Objects, discussing their importance in optimizing your support system.

Understanding Zendesk Custom Objects

Zendesk Custom Objects are a powerful feature that allows you to create and manage custom data within your Zendesk support system. They provide flexibility and customization options beyond the standard ticket and user data fields.

Custom objects enable you to store and organize data specific to your business needs. Whether it’s tracking orders, managing customer feedback, or streamlining complex processes, custom objects allow you to tailor your support system to your unique requirements.

Examples of Common Use Cases for Custom Objects

Here are a few examples of how businesses utilize custom objects in Zendesk:

• Managing product returns and exchanges: Custom objects can be used to create a streamlined process for handling product returns and exchanges, keeping track of relevant information such as return reasons, shipping details, and product conditions.
• Tracking customer feedback: Custom objects can help consolidate and manage customer feedback. You can create a custom object to store feedback details, including the customer’s contact information, the date of the feedback, and the specific product or service it relates to.

Creating and Managing Custom Objects in Zendesk

Now let’s dive into how you can create and manage custom objects in Zendesk. Here are some steps to get started:

Steps to Create a Custom Object

1. Define object schema and fields: Determine the fields and data types that your custom object will have. This could include text fields, drop-down menus, dates, or other custom field types.
2. Set up permissions and access control: Define who can view, edit, and manage the custom object data. You can set permissions based on roles or specific users.
3. Customize object views and forms: Decide how the custom object data will be displayed and accessed. Customize the views and forms to match your desired user experience.

Best Practices for Managing Custom Objects

Once your custom objects are set up, it’s essential to follow some best practices to effectively manage them:

1. Regularly review and update object schema: As your business evolves, your custom object requirements may change. Periodically review and update your custom object schema to ensure it continues to meet your needs.
2. Train support agents on object usage and workflows: Provide comprehensive training to your support agents on how to use and navigate custom objects. This will empower them to handle customer requests more efficiently.

Leveraging Custom Objects for Enhanced Support

Custom objects can be leveraged to enhance your support system in various ways. Let’s explore a couple of methods:

Creating Custom Workflows and Automation

Custom workflows and automation can save your support team valuable time and effort. Here are a few ways to automate tasks using custom objects:

• Using triggers and automations with custom objects: Set up triggers and automations to perform specific actions based on changes to your custom object data. For example, you can automatically assign tickets related to a specific product category to the appropriate support agent.
• Automating tasks and ticket routing based on custom object data: Create automated rules that route tickets to the right department or agent based on specific data in your custom objects. This ensures the tickets are handled by the most relevant team or individual.

Integrating Custom Objects with Other Zendesk Features

Zendesk offers an array of features that can be integrated with custom objects to provide a cohesive support system. Here are a couple of examples:

• Linking custom objects to tickets and user profiles: Connect your custom objects with tickets and user profiles to provide a holistic view of customer interactions. This linkage allows support agents to access all relevant information in one place.
• Using custom objects for reporting and analytics: Leverage your custom object data in Zendesk reporting and analytics to gain insights into trends, patterns, and customer behavior. This data can help you identify opportunities for improvement or areas where additional support may be needed.

Advanced Tips for Optimizing Your Support System

Getting the most out of Zendesk Custom Objects requires careful consideration of advanced optimization techniques and strategies. Here are a couple of tips:

Designing Effective Custom Object Relationships

Consider the relationships between custom objects and how they can best support your workflows:

• Utilizing one-to-many and many-to-many relationships: Explore the various ways you can establish relationships between custom objects to reflect complex business processes. This allows you to manage related data more efficiently and comprehensively.
• Implementing custom object hierarchies for complex workflows: Take advantage of custom object hierarchies to streamline and automate intricate support workflows. This ensures that the right information is captured and acted upon at each step of the process.

Employing Custom Object Validation and Data Integrity Measures

• Setting up field validations and required fields: To maintain data integrity, define field validations and set fields as required when creating your custom object schema. This ensures that agents and customers provide accurate and complete information.
• Implementing object-level validation rules: Implement custom validation rules at the object level to enforce specific business logic or constraints. These rules can help prevent data inconsistencies or errors.

Real-world Use Case Examples

Use Case 1: Streamlining Product Return Process with Custom Objects

Imagine you run an e-commerce business and want to streamline your product return process. By utilizing custom objects, you can create a custom object to track return requests. This custom object can capture relevant details such as return reasons, product conditions, and shipping details. It can also be linked to the associated ticket and customer profile, providing a comprehensive view of the entire return journey.

Use Case 2: Managing Customer Feedback with Custom Objects

Customer feedback is essential for improving your products and services. With custom objects, you can create a custom feedback object to centralize and manage customer feedback. This object can store information like the customer’s contact details, the date of the feedback, and the product or service it relates to. By linking this custom object to related tickets and user profiles, you can gain valuable insights and provide more personalized responses to customer feedback.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Zendesk Custom Objects offer a powerful solution for optimizing your support system. By creating and managing custom objects, you can tailor your support processes to your specific needs, automate workflows, and gain valuable insights from your data.

We encourage you to explore Zendesk Custom Objects and leverage the advanced features discussed in this blog post. By doing so, you can enhance your support system, improve customer satisfaction, and drive better business outcomes.