A practical guide to Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks

Zendesk has been at the forefront of customer service software for years. With the continuous evolution of AI, Zendesk is stepping up its game by introducing a powerful new feature: Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks. This addition aims to supercharge automation, making customer support more efficient and intelligent.

This guide will walk you through what Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks are, how they work, and how you can leverage them to enhance your customer service operations.

[asset suggestion: A dynamic GIF showing the Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks interface in action, perhaps a bot escalating a ticket based on a user's intent.]

What are Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks?

Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks are a new component within Zendesk's bot builder that allows for more sophisticated and intelligent automation. These blocks are designed to understand user intent, extract relevant information (entities), and perform actions based on that understanding.

Think of them as super-smart building blocks for your customer service bots. Instead of just following a rigid, pre-defined script, bots built with Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks can interpret what a customer is asking for and take the appropriate next steps, all without human intervention. This could include creating a ticket, updating user information, or routing the conversation to the right agent with all the necessary context.

Key features

The power of Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks lies in their ability to combine several AI-driven capabilities into a single, easy-to-use feature. Here are some of the standout features:

Intent detection

At its core, the system uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) to understand the "intent" behind a customer's message. For example, it can differentiate between a customer asking "Where is my order?" (intent: check order status) and "I want to return my order" (intent: initiate a return).

Entity extraction

Once the intent is identified, the AI can extract key pieces of information, or "entities," from the conversation. If a customer says, "I need to change the delivery address for order #12345 to 123 Main St," the AI can identify:

• Intent: Update shipping information

• Entities: Order number (12345), New address (123 Main St)

Conditional logic

Based on the identified intent and entities, you can build powerful conditional logic. For instance, if the intent is "cancel order" and the order status is "shipped," the bot can automatically respond that the order cannot be canceled and offer return instructions instead.

Seamless integration

These action blocks are designed to work seamlessly within the Zendesk ecosystem. This means they can interact with your ticketing system, knowledge base, and other Zendesk products to provide a cohesive and contextual customer experience.

How to set up and use action blocks

Getting started with Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks is designed to be user-friendly, even for those without a technical background. Here’s a simplified overview of the process:

1. Access the bot builder: Navigate to the conversation bot builder within your Zendesk Admin Center.

2. Add an action block: When building or editing a bot flow, you can add an "Action" block from the menu. This is where the new AI capabilities reside.

3. Define intents: You'll need to train the AI by providing examples of what customers might say for different intents (e.g., "track package," "reset password," "request refund"). Zendesk’s AI will learn from these examples to recognize similar queries in the future.

4. Configure actions: For each intent, you define the action the bot should take. This could be asking for more information (like an order number), updating a ticket, searching the help center, or transferring the chat to a live agent.

5. Test and refine: Use the testing tools to simulate customer conversations and see how your bot responds. You can then refine the intents, entities, and actions based on the results to improve accuracy and performance.

[asset suggestion: A step-by-step screenshot series showing the process of adding and configuring an AI action block in the Zendesk bot builder.]

Practical use cases for businesses

The real value of Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks becomes clear when you look at their practical applications. Here are a few ways businesses can leverage this feature:

• Automated order management: A customer can ask, "What's the status of my recent order?" The bot can identify the intent, ask for an order number if not provided, look up the status in your backend system, and provide a real-time update.

• Intelligent lead qualification: A potential customer visiting your website might say, "I'm interested in your enterprise plan." The bot can recognize the sales-related intent, ask a few qualifying questions (like company size and industry), and then automatically create a lead in Zendesk Sunshine or your integrated CRM, assigning it to the appropriate sales rep.

• Proactive problem-solving: If a customer says, "My internet is down," the bot can initiate a troubleshooting flow. It can ask for their account details, run a diagnostic test via an API call, and if the problem persists, create a high-priority ticket with all the diagnostic information already attached for the support agent.

The benefits of using this feature

Integrating Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks into your support strategy can lead to significant benefits:

• Increased efficiency: By automating routine tasks and inquiries, you free up your agents to focus on more complex, high-value customer issues.

• 24/7 support: Your AI-powered bot can provide instant assistance to customers around the clock, improving customer satisfaction and reducing wait times.

• Improved accuracy: The AI's ability to extract specific information reduces the chance of human error when collecting customer data.

• Scalability: As your business grows, the bot can handle an increasing volume of inquiries without a proportional increase in your support headcount.

What is the difference between standard and advanced AI?

Zendesk offers different tiers of AI capabilities. The standard AI provides foundational features like basic intent detection and knowledge base recommendations.

The Advanced AI add-on, which includes Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks, takes this a step further. It offers more sophisticated features like:

• Custom intent and entity models: You have more control to train the AI on your specific business needs and jargon.

• Advanced conversational flows: The ability to build more complex, multi-turn conversations that feel more natural and human-like.

• Deeper integrations: Tighter integration with external systems via APIs, allowing the bot to perform actions outside of Zendesk.

Essentially, standard AI is great for straightforward automation, while the advanced AI add-on is for businesses that want to build a truly intelligent, dynamic, and powerful virtual agent.

A new era for automated customer service

Zendesk Advanced AI Action Blocks represent a significant leap forward in automated customer support. By giving businesses the tools to build smarter, more responsive bots, Zendesk is paving the way for a future where customer service is faster, more efficient, and more personalized than ever before. Whether you're looking to reduce agent workload, improve customer satisfaction, or scale your support operations, this new feature is a powerful tool to have in your arsenal.