How to use Zendesk chat and when to integrate AI automation

So, you're using Zendesk chat to connect with your customers in real time? Nice! It's a seriously good tool for quick support, and folks generally love getting immediate help through chat. As a mature, reliable platform that powers customer service for thousands of companies, Zendesk provides a solid foundation for any support team. As those chat volumes climb, adding some AI magic can help you scale successfully. Bringing AI into your Zendesk chat setup can help you handle more conversations, get answers out faster, and free up your agents to tackle the trickier stuff.

Think of this guide as your roadmap to using AI automation to boost what you're already doing with Zendesk chat. We'll chat about what AI automation actually means here, when it makes sense to add it, how it works its wonders, how to pick the right tool, and the steps to get started.

What you'll need to get started

Okay, before we jump into the how-to, let's quickly look at what you'll want to have ready or at least think about:

• An active Zendesk chat account, naturally.

• A good handle on your current support goals (like managing high chat volume, automating frequent questions, or reducing wait times).

• Access to places the AI can learn from, like your Zendesk help center, any internal docs you have, or even past chat transcripts.

Understanding AI automation for Zendesk chat

Let's clarify what we mean by AI automation when we talk about chat support and why it's becoming such a big deal.

What AI automation means for chat support

Basically, AI automation for Zendesk chat means using smart tech to handle stuff your agents usually do manually. This goes way beyond those old bots that just looked for keywords. Modern AI, powered by some pretty advanced language models, can actually understand the conversation's context, write responses that sound human, and even do things within your support workflow. Think of it like giving your Zendesk chat some serious superpowers.

This isn't just about sticking to a rigid script. It can interpret nuanced language, learn from data, and chat in a way that feels... well, human-like.

Key benefits of adding AI to Zendesk chat

Adding AI automation to your Zendesk chat? Big win for everyone – your business and your customers. You can offer help 24/7, optimize agent work by handling common queries automatically, and get answers out way faster. Result? Happier customers, agents who actually get stuff done.

Imagine customers getting instant help, even in the middle of the night. Agents aren't stuck answering "how do I reset my password?" all day; they can focus on the tough stuff or building rapport. It just makes everything smoother and boosts that customer happiness score.

When to consider adding AI to your Zendesk chat

So, how do you know if it's time to bring in some AI help for your Zendesk chat? Look for these signs in your support operations.

If your team is managing a high volume of incoming chat requests, or if you want to ensure customers never have to wait in a queue, AI can provide fantastic support. It's also an excellent tool for businesses looking to grow their support without hiring a proportional number of new staff, or for those who just want to offer faster, more consistent service.

Consider AI if:

• Your chat volume is consistently high or growing fast.

• Agents are spending a big chunk of their day on simple, repetitive questions.

• You want to ensure customer wait times in chat queues remain low.

• You want to offer 24/7 support without hiring overnight staff.

• You're looking for ways to make your agents more productive and less stressed.

• You need to provide faster, more consistent answers across all chat interactions.

How AI automation works alongside Zendesk chat

AI automation doesn't replace your Zendesk chat; it enhances it. Here's a look at some common ways AI fits into the chat workflow.

Automating common queries (deflection)

One of the coolest things AI does right away? Answering those common questions instantly. Feed it your help center articles or other documentation, and it can give customers accurate responses right there in the chat window, often solving the issue without needing a human agent at all.

This process, often called deflection, is incredibly efficient. The AI quickly figures out what the customer is asking, finds the relevant information, and gives a concise answer. If that doesn't do the trick, no worries, the conversation can smoothly hand things over to a human agent within the Zendesk ecosystem.

Intelligent ticket handling (triage and routing)

It's not just about answering questions, though. AI can actually read incoming chat requests to understand what the customer really needs, how they're feeling (sentiment), and even their language. This means the AI can automatically tag the conversation, send it to the most appropriate department or agent, and even flag urgent stuff. This saves agents time manually sorting tickets.

AI can instantly categorize tickets based on:

• What the customer needs (intent)

• How they're feeling (sentiment)

• Their language

This ensures complex problems get to specialized agents faster, while simple queries can be handled by the AI or routed to a specific team.

Performing actions and retrieving data

Some clever AI tools can go even further by connecting with other systems. This means the AI in your Zendesk chat could potentially:

• Check an order status from your store

• Look up account details

• Help with simple processes like a password reset

...all within the chat conversation.

This adds a layer of actionability that basic bots just don't have. By linking up with your backend systems via APIs, the AI can grab customer-specific information or do tasks directly, providing immediate value without needing an agent to switch systems or copy-paste data. For instance, eesel AI can perform custom API actions to handle requests like order lookups or refunds, working seamlessly alongside Zendesk.

Assisting human agents (AI copilot)

And AI isn't just for talking to customers. It can also be like a helpful sidekick for your human agents. When an agent jumps into a chat or handles a tricky question, the AI can pop up:

• Suggestions for replies

• Quickly summarize the chat so far

• Pull up relevant info from your knowledge base

...helping the agent respond faster and more accurately.

This 'AI copilot' stuff is a huge help for your human team. It cuts down on time spent searching for information or typing the same things over and over, letting them focus on building rapport and solving complex problems. eesel AI actually has an AI Assistant that works right in your browser, giving agents context-aware help exactly when they need it.

Choosing the right AI solution for Zendesk chat

Alright, picking the right AI automation tool for your Zendesk chat setup is an exciting step. You gotta look at what you need, your budget, and the technical requirements.

Evaluating native Zendesk AI vs. third-party options

Zendesk offers impressive native AI features that are built directly into the platform, making them easy to activate. These are great for core tasks like autoreplies. For teams with advanced requirements, the Zendesk Advanced AI add-on offers tiered plans to match different team sizes and provides robust enterprise-grade features.

Zendesk's native AI is a powerful starting point for many. For businesses looking for specialized customization or alternative pricing models, the Zendesk marketplace offers various third-party options that are designed to complement the core Zendesk experience.

Third-party solutions, like eesel AI, are designed to integrate with platforms like Zendesk, offering specialized features and different pricing models that work alongside the native tools. They can add a complementary layer of AI automation to your existing Zendesk setup.

Key factors to compare

When you're comparing AI solutions for your Zendesk chat, look closely at these areas:

• Pricing model: How do they charge you? Is it per agent or based on interactions? Zendesk offers various tiered plans to suit different needs, while some add-ons offer interaction-based pricing to help you manage costs as you scale.

• Training capabilities: Where can the AI learn from? Is it only your help center, or can it train on past tickets, internal documents, external wikis, and other platforms? A solution like Ultimate.ai, part of the Zendesk family, offers world-class multilingual capabilities and robust training features.

• Customization: How much control do you have over the AI's tone, what it says, and how it works? Detailed customization ensures the AI truly represents your brand.

• Testing features: Can you test how the AI will perform on past conversations or in a safe environment before it talks to live customers? Good testing is an important part of a successful rollout.

• Integration depth: How smoothly does it connect with Zendesk chat and your other tools? Deep integration means more powerful automation and data retrieval.

• Support and implementation speed: How much help do you get setting it up? Dedicated support can make a big difference in getting things set up without a hitch.

Addressing common challenges

Many businesses look for the right balance between powerful features and ease of use. Choosing a tool that fits your specific workflow is key. For example, if you need a predictable pricing structure, a tool with transparent models like eesel AI might be a great fit. If you need the AI to do more than just suggest articles, look for platforms that offer custom API actions and can train on all sorts of different sources.

Implementing AI automation into Zendesk chat: A high-level guide

Getting AI automation working with your Zendesk chat is a process that benefits from clear planning. Here are the general steps involved.

Step 1: Figure out what you want the AI to do

Start by deciding exactly what you want your AI to achieve. Do you want it to answer FAQs, handle simple transactions, sort tickets, or help out your agents? Having clear goals will guide everything else you do.

Step 2: Pick your AI platform

Based on what you need, your budget, and the factors we talked about earlier, choose the AI tool that feels like the best fit for your business. Look for options that are flexible and connect well with Zendesk. eesel AI is designed to be a helpful, complementary partner for your Zendesk chat.

Step 3: Connect Zendesk and knowledge sources

Link up your chosen AI platform with your Zendesk chat account. Then, connect the AI to where it can learn about your products, services, and support processes. This might mean linking:

• Your help center

• Documents

• Other platforms like Confluence or Google Docs

• Past tickets

With eesel AI, connecting your Zendesk account is straightforward. You can then easily add knowledge sources like your help center, past tickets, or internal wikis. eesel AI can pull the tickets you select and turn them into knowledge for your bot.

Step 4: Set up how the AI should work

Define the rules and logic for how your AI should behave. Decide:

• When it should answer questions

• When it should do actions

• When it should send things over to a human agent

• Customize its tone and messages to sound like your brand

Zendesk’s ecosystem allows you to tell the AI exactly what to do in different situations. eesel AI provides a prompt and actions customization tab to enable and describe exactly how the bot acts and responds within your Zendesk workflow.

Step 5: Test and tweak

Before you launch it widely, test your AI thoroughly. Use methods like:

• Testing different customer scenarios in the chat to see how the AI responds.

• Getting feedback from a small group of agents or internal testers.

• Using simulation features to refine the responses.

Testing is a crucial step in ensuring quality. eesel AI lets you chat with your bot inside the dashboard to test its knowledge, while Zendesk offers various ways to preview and manage your automation flows.

Step 6: Roll it out and keep an eye on it

Once you feel good about how the AI is performing, roll it out to your customers or agents. Continuously monitor what it's doing and key numbers, like:

• Your deflection rate.

• Customer satisfaction (CSAT).

• Agent feedback.

Use this data to find areas to make it even better and maybe expand what it does.

Tips for success and common pitfalls

Getting AI automation up and running is an ongoing process. Keep these tips in mind to help ensure success.

• Start small: Begin with a specific, clear task, like answering FAQs, and build from there as you grow comfortable with the technology.

• Keep your knowledge base fresh: AI is only as good as the info it learns from. Regularly update your Zendesk help center and other training sources.

• Train your agents: Make sure your team understands how the AI works and how it supports their daily workflow.

• Be transparent: Let customers know when they are interacting with an AI.

• Monitor performance: Regularly check the numbers to understand the AI's impact. Zendesk and its partners offer detailed insights and reporting features that are super helpful here.

Start making your Zendesk chat smarter with AI

Bringing AI automation into your Zendesk chat setup is a powerful way to level up your customer support, make things more efficient, and provide faster, more consistent service. By thinking carefully about what you need and picking the right platform within the Zendesk ecosystem, you can really transform how your chat operations run.

AI can take care of repetitive tasks, smartly route conversations, and even lend a hand to your human agents, letting your team focus on delivering amazing service where it matters most. It's about empowering your team and making your Zendesk chat work smarter.

Ready to see how AI automation can work for your Zendesk chat? eesel AI offers a flexible solution with advanced training and testing features designed to fit right into your existing Zendesk workflow.

Sign up at eesel to start a free trial today to experience the power of AI support automation firsthand, or book a demo to learn more about how eesel AI can complement your Zendesk chat setup.