As an organization in the current dynamic business world, reducing costs while maintaining a high level of support is always a top priority. With budgets tightening and customers demanding more, you need solutions that can maximize your resources and boost efficiency.
With Zendesk app automations, you have the power to automatically handle repetitive, time-consuming tasks that were once only possible with human intervention. By automating resolutions for common questions and issues, your agents can focus on higher-value work. The results speak for themselves: reduced handle times, increased agent productivity, improved customer satisfaction, and cost savings that directly impact your bottom line. In this article, we will explore the value of automations and how they can revolutionize your customer service operations. The possibilities for automation are endless, as are the rewards.
The value of Zendesk app automations
Using Zendesk’s automation tools to streamline processes and reduce costs is an easy win for customer service teams. By implementing automations, you can cut manual effort and redirect your agents’ time and energy to high-value tasks.
Zendesk’s pre-built automations, like automatically closing resolved tickets or routing tickets to the right team, provide quick wins. You can also build custom automations tailored to your needs. Some options include:
- Automated ticket categorization: Reduce misrouted tickets by automatically applying categories or tags.
- Auto-response: Send an immediate acknowledgement when tickets are received. This satisfies customers and buys time for agents to respond.
- Ticket merging: Consolidate duplicate tickets, so agents don’t waste time responding to the same issue twice.
By implementing just a few automations, you can cut costs, enhance productivity, and improve the customer experience.
Time savings
One of the most significant benefits of using Zendesk’s app automations is the time savings it provides. By automating routine tasks, such as assigning tickets, sending follow-up emails, and updating customer records, companies can respond to customer inquiries faster and more efficiently. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
In addition, automating routine tasks can reduce the workload on employees, freeing up their time to focus on more complex and value-added work. This can lead to increased productivity and job satisfaction, which can help reduce employee turnover.
Cost savings
Another benefit is that implementing Zendesk app automations can result in substantial cost savings for organizations. By automating various customer service processes, businesses can optimize resource allocation and eliminate the need for additional staff members. Instead of hiring more employees to handle increasing customer demands, companies can rely on automation to scale their operations efficiently.
Additionally, automated workflows reduce the likelihood of human errors and the need for manual interventions, minimizing the potential for costly mistakes. By ensuring accuracy and consistency in customer service operations, businesses can avoid financial repercussions and preserve their reputation.
Calculating the potential time and cost savings
To determine how much time and money Zendesk App automations can save your support team, use an ROI calculator. This tool allows you to input details about your support operations and the types of automations you want to implement to receive an estimate of your potential savings.
For example, if an automation saves 5 minutes of an agent’s time per ticket, and your team handles 500 tickets per day, that’s over 2,500 hours saved per year. At an average hourly rate of $18, that’s $45,000 in potential savings that can be reinvested into your team. The more automations you set up to automatically handle common and repetitive issues, the higher your time and cost savings will be.
How to calculate your potential ROI
To determine the potential return on investment (ROI) from Zendesk app automations, calculate the estimated cost savings and productivity gains.
Calculate Current Costs
First, determine your current annual costs for the tasks you want to automate. This includes:
- Employee wages for time spent on repetitive tasks
- Overtime pay required to complete high-volume tasks
- Any fees paid to third-party services
Add up the total cost for these manual efforts over the past 12 months. This is your current annual cost for these tasks.
Estimate Cost Savings
Next, estimate how much of these costs can be reduced through automation. For example, if automating a task currently taking agents 2 hours per day can save 30 minutes of time, that’s a 50% reduction. Apply that percentage to the annual cost of that task to determine potential savings.
Do the same for any third-party fees that can be reduced or eliminated. Add up all potential cost savings to get your total estimated annual cost savings from automations.
Calculate productivity gains
Determine how automation can increase productivity through:
- Faster resolution of support tickets
- Quicker response times
- Improved customer satisfaction
Estimate how automation may improve key performance indicators like these by a percentage and apply to current annual figures. Add to your total estimated cost savings.
Compare to Zendesk pricing
Finally, compare your estimated annual cost savings and productivity gains to Zendesk’s pricing for the apps and automations you want to implement. If the potential ROI outweighs the costs, app automations are likely worth the investment for your team.
Continually track key metrics before and after implementing automations to determine actual ROI and make adjustments as needed to maximize the benefits. Automations can transform costs into gains, reducing expenses and driving efficiency for substantial rewards.
Implementing Zendesk app automations
Even though the general implementation is a straightforward process, it requires a strategic approach. Begin by identifying areas where automation can provide the most significant benefits and align with your business goals. Then, engage with your customer service team to understand their pain points and tailor the automation workflows accordingly.
Processes that are repetitive, high-volume, and require little human judgment are often good candidates. Teams should evaluate how much time agents currently spend on these tasks and the potential time savings from automation.
Teams must also consider which types of automations – macros, triggers, or workflows – are appropriate for the selected business processes. Macros are best for simple, repetitive actions while triggers and workflows allow for more complex logic. Teams should start with basic automations, then build upon them over time.
To accurately calculate the ROI of Zendesk automations, teams need to quantify time savings and cost reductions. The time agents save from automation can be allocated to more strategic work, allowing teams to scale without additional hiring. Teams should track metrics like handle time, tickets solved per agent, and customer satisfaction to determine the impact of automations.
When first implementing automations, teams should start small by automating one or two simple processes. This allows teams to become familiar with the tools and see quick wins. A positive team culture is an important component of the successful implementation of automation. Teams can then build upon initial successes by adding additional automations over time in a gradual, methodical manner.
With proper analysis, planning, and gradual implementation, Zendesk automations can significantly reduce costs by streamlining and optimizing processes. Automations allow teams to do more with less by enabling agents to focus on high-impact work. By taking the time to thoughtfully implement automations, teams will maximize the benefits and return on their investment in Zendesk.
Final tip
Zendesk’s app automations offer a powerful solution for optimizing customer service operations, saving time, and reducing costs. By automating routine tasks, businesses can boost efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
Our ultimate recommendation is to strategically embrace automation, foster team collaboration, and reap the rewards of streamlined operations. To further organize your Zendesk workflow, explore middleware and apps by Knots.
