What is Geolocation? How is it helpful for a business?
Geolocation refers to the identification of a device's geographic location with the help of an IP address. From faster response times to more accurate commute estimates, Geolocation can help you provide better service to your customers.
Geolocation for Zoho Desk can help businesses improve agent productivity in many ways.
- Assign tickets to agents based on their current proximity to the customer's location, and reduce commute times.
- Use the Route Map to find a customer/service location on your mobile app.
- Save time with easy-to-use navigation that provides the customer's exact location.
Administrators can install Geolocation for Zoho Desk from the
Marketplace. It can be installed for specific profiles or agents based on your business needs.
For more information on installing Geolocation for Zoho Desk, refer to the
help doc.
What are the benefits of the Geolocation extension?
The Geolocation extension can help businesses provide their customers with better and faster service. It can be especially beneficial to field service agents who have to visit a customer's location. These agents are usually on the move and need information, such as a customer's exact location, address, and nearby landmarks, at their fingertips. The geolocation helps by:
- Providing Admins with the option of tracking agent locations.
- Empowering Admins to quickly assign tickets from customers that are close to an agent's location.
- Seamlessly syncing Desk's mobile and web apps so Admins can stay connected with agents from different devices.
- Reducing travel time to ensure efficient service with the help of Route Map.
Ultimately, this extension and its features help businesses provide optimal service to their customers while enhancing agent productivity.
For more information on installing Geolocation for Zoho Desk, refer to the
help doc.
Which organizations can use the Geolocation extension?
Organizations that provide field service will greatly benefit from the Geolocation extension. Since field service jobs require coordination and accurate navigation, the Geolocation extension can be an invaluable tool for delivering a better customer service experience.
For instance, in service and maintenance-related organizations, the Geolocation extension can be used to track field agent or technician locations. Using the navigation tool within the extension, a technician can easily locate their customer and ensure they reach them in a timely manner.
For more information on tracking locations and assigning tickets, refer to the
help doc.
How can I install the Geolocation extension?
The Geolocation extension can be installed either directly from the Desk portal or from Zoho's
Marketplace by the organization's Administrator.
To install the extension from the Desk portal, follow the steps below:
- Go to Setup.
- Select Marketplace under All.
- Search for and select the Geolocation for Zoho Desk extension.
- Click Install.
To install the extension from Zoho's Marketplace, follow the steps below:
- Go to Zoho Marketplace.
- Search for and select the Geolocation for Zoho Desk extension.
- Click Install.
Can I install the Geolocation extension from both the web and mobile interfaces?
Yes, you can install the Geolocation extension from both the web and mobile interfaces. First, you need to install the extension on the web.
To install the extension from the Desk portal, follow the steps below:
- Go to Setup.
- Select Marketplace under All.
- Search for and select the Geolocation for Zoho Desk extension.
- Click Install.
After installing the extension on the web, you can activate the Geolocation for Zoho Desk extension on your mobile device from the Radar Store.
- Users with administrative privileges can install the Geolocation extension in the organization's Desk account.
- iOS users can download the Radar app using Radar for iOS.
- Android users can download the Radar app using Radar for Android.
To activate Geolocation for Zoho Desk in the Radar store:
In the Radar app, go to Setup.
- Under Configuration, click Radar Store.
- Toggle Geolocation for Zoho Desk under Extensions.
- Select Menu ( ) and click Geolocation for Zoho Desk.
Can agents install the Geolocation extension in the Zoho Desk account?
No, since this is an administrative setting, agents do not have the necessary permission to install the extension from the Desk portal. The Geolocation extension for Zoho Desk can only be installed by users with a Support Administrator profile in the Desk portal.
While installing, Admins can select the desired profiles or agents who can access the extension within the Zoho Desk portal.
How to generate Google Maps API key?
Generating a Google Maps API key is an important step for Geolocation users who want to access and use Google's services via Geolocation extension in Desk. An API key is a unique identifier that allows a user to authenticate and access Google services through an application or website.
Below-given is the step-by-step instructions on how to generate a Google API key:
- Create a new google cloud billing account.
See also, Creating google cloud billing account. - In the field Business the billing account will pay, select Google Maps Platform from the drop-down list.
- Create a new google cloud project.
See also, Creating google cloud project. Link the created project with the required billing account.
See also, Linking the project with billing account.
Enable the required APIs and services.
Make sure to enable all the below-shown APIs. See also, Enabling APIs.
Create Google Map API Key.
See also, Creating google map api key.
Copy the created API key and enter it in the desk geolocation extension configuration page.
For more information on installing Geolocation for Zoho Desk, refer to the help doc.
Can I apply a filter to view an agent's locations?
Yes, you can apply a filter to view an agent's location on a map from both the web and mobile interfaces.
To apply a filter to view an agent's location from the web interface
In the Desk portal, navigate to Topband to apply a filter to view agents' locations on a map.
To apply a filter in topband, follow the steps below:
- In your Zoho Desk account, click More on the top menu.
- Select Geolocation for Zoho Desk from the dropdown list.
- Click the Agents Tickets dropdown and select Agent's Location.
To apply a filter to view agents' locations from the mobile interface
You can easily apply filters and track agents' locations on a map using our Radar app.
To apply a filter in the Radar app, follow the steps below:
- In the Radar app, go to Menu.
- Select Geolocation for Zoho Desk.
- Click the filter icon and select your agents.
- Click Done and Apply.
How can I map a customer's current location on Google Maps?
The customer's current location is mapped based on the address details on their Zoho Desk record. The customer's location can also be identified with
Zoho Desk's Contact Locator extension.
The customer's location cannot be tracked if their record does not have an address. If this is the case, you can create a required custom field called, "Address" in the Contacts layout. See also, Add custom fields help document.
Can I unassign an agent from a ticket at any point?
Yes, you can unassign an agent from a ticket when necessary.
By default, Support Administrators have the ability to unassign an agent at any time. Agents with the
Change Ownership profile permission can assign or unassign themselves to a ticket at any time.
To unassign an agent, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to the Geolocation for Zoho Desk subtab.
- Select the Ticket Owner field and select the Unassigned option from the dropdown.
Admins can assign a ticket to another agent who is closer to the customer's location or currently available to provide the service.
What happens to the data associated with the Geolocation extension if the extension is uninstalled?
You can disable or uninstall the extension when needed. Please note, only Support Administrators can disable or uninstall the extension. Once the extension is uninstalled, you won't be able to track or assign agents via subtab or Topband. However, stored data, such as ticket and customer details, will still be available and won't be deleted upon uninstallation.
The agents coordinates will be stored in the extension periodically. Once the extension is uninstalled the agent's location data will be removed.
To disable the extension, follow the steps below:
- Go to Setup.
- Under All, select Marketplace.
- Select Installed Extension.
- Search for and select Geolocation for Zoho Desk and toggle the Disable option.
To uninstall the extension, follow the steps below:
- Go to Setup.
- Under All, select Marketplace.
- Select Installed Extension.
- Search for and select Geolocation for Zoho Desk and click More.
- Click Uninstall Extension.
Can I track and assign agents in both the web and mobile interface?
Yes, you can track and assign agents in both the web and mobile interfaces.
Track agents and assign them tickets through the web interface
You have two options for quickly tracking and assigning agents from the web interface,
- Subtab: Track and assign support tickets to agents from the ticket's Detail view in a separate subtab.
- Topband: Apply filters for your agents' assigned and unassigned tickets and view the results on the map. This way, you can narrow down your support ticket search and view the plotted route on the map without navigating to the ticket's Detail view.
To track agents and assign tickets via subtab, follow the steps below:
- Open the desired support ticket.
- Select the Geolocation for Zoho Desk subtab from the ticket's Detail view.
- Click the Show Agent in this Radius field and choose the desired radius.
To track agents and assign tickets via Topband, follow the steps below:
- In your Zoho Desk account, select More from the top menu.
- Select Geolocation for Zoho Desk from the dropdown menu.
- From the left pane, use the Agent Tickets, Agents Locations, and Unassigned Tickets options to track and assign tickets.
Track agents and assign tickets through the mobile interface (via the Radar app)
To track and assign agents using the Radar app, follow the steps below:
- Go to the Radar App and select Menu.
- Click Feeds and select the desired support ticket.
- Click Ticket Assignment.
- Navigate to the Geolocation for Zoho Desk tab.
Can I assign multiple agents to a ticket using the Geolocation extension?
No, currently the Geolocation extension allows Admins to assign support tickets to only one agent at a time.
However, if you want to assign multiple agents to a single support ticket, you can clone the desired ticket and assign the different versions to different agents. Consider a scenario where an AC maintenance service must complete some additional installations for a job. In that case, they can clone the original ticket and assign different agents to the cloned tickets.
To clone a support ticket, follow the steps below:
- Open to the desired support ticket in its detail view.
- Click More and select Clone from the dropdown list.
- This will automatically redirect you to the Clone Ticket form, where you can enter or clear the field data as per needs.
Will the assignment rule impact the ticket assignment when the geolocation extension is installed?
Assignment rules help organizations automate the process of ticket assignment and maintain an even distribution of tickets among agents. Admins can decide to assign support tickets to agents manually, even if an assignment or round-robin rule is defined. Enabling the Geolocation extension will not impact assignment rules.
If an agent has been assigned a ticket through automation, the Admin can still assign another ticket to that agent manually. The Admin can check the agent's available bandwidth in
Topband before making the final decision.
SEE ALSO
We hope that this list of frequently asked questions about Geolocation for Zoho Desk is informative. If you still have questions that haven't been addressed, please let us know. We will be happy to discuss them with our subject matter experts and add them in the future. And please don't forget to share your rating below!