FAQs: Zia agents | Zoho Desk

FAQs: Zia agents

1. What are Zia agents?
Zia agents in Zoho Desk are AI assistants that manage certain actions in the support tickets. 
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Zia agents can perform tasks such as:
  1. Drafting and sending human-like responses to common queries.
  2. Documenting resolutions for closed tickets by referring to the complete conversation history in the ticket.
By handling repetitive or routine tasks, AI agents let human agents focus on complex issues that require critical thinking, empathy, and decision-making. They work in real time, are available 24/7, and maintain a consistent tone and quality in all interactions.
2. How do AI agents assist customer support?
AI agents can assist human agents by:
  1. Reducing response time: Common questions are answered instantly, so customers don’t have to wait in queue.
  2. Maintaining consistency: Every interaction follows the same tone, style, and quality.
  3. Freeing up human agents: Repetitive tasks are automated, allowing agents to focus on complex or sensitive issues.
  4. Providing accurate resolutions: Ticket resolutions are documented automatically, with clarity and knowledge sharing.
  5. Lesser SLA violation: Faster responses and proactive resolution updates help teams in meeting their deadlines.
3. What are the types of Zia agents available in Zoho Desk?
There are two predefined Zia Agents that administrators can enable:
  1. Support Specialist
    1. Drafts smart and empathetic replies for incoming tickets.
    2. Uses the Knowledge Base to provide accurate answers to common customer queries.
    3. If no relevant article is found, leaves a private comment, and un-assigns itself so a human agent can take over.
  2. Resolution Expert
    1. Automates the documentation of ticket resolutions once a ticket is closed.
    2. Summarizes key details such as the issue, root cause, fix applied, and customer confirmation.
    3. Updates the resolution each time the ticket is reopened and closed again.
4. How do I set up Zia agents?
Only users with the Admin profile have the privilege to enable AI agents (Zia agents). The admin who enables the feature automatically becomes the owner of the digital agents, with complete control to enable, disable, or adjust their permissions across all departments. Enabling the feature also creates corresponding agent profiles in Zoho Directory and the Agent Studio, linking them to the admin’s account.
To enable Zia Agents
  1. Navigate to Setup > User Management > Zia Agents.
  2. Click Enable Zia Agents.
  3. In the pop-up, select Enable.
  4. Hover over the required agent (Support Specialist or Resolution Expert) and click View & Activate.
  5. In Zia Agent Studio, select Desk as the product for deployment.
  6. Choose the portal, roles, permissions, and departments where the agent will function.
  7. Add a first name and last name for the digital agent.
  8. Review the summary and click Done.
5. Can Zia agents be used in automation rules?
Yes. Once enabled, Zia Agents appear alongside human agents in automation settings such as assignment rules and workflows. For example:
  1. High-priority tickets can be routed directly to the Support Specialist for faster replies.
  2. When a ticket status changes to Closed, it can automatically be assigned to the Resolution Expert for resolution text generation and the generated text will be added as resolution every time the ticket has been closed.

6. Do Zia agents store customer data?
No, Zia Agents do not store customer data. They can read the information provided in a ticket in order to draft replies and generate resolutions, but the data is not saved in the system or used for training purpose.
7. What is a support specialist and how does it work?
The Support Specialist acts as a digital agent that assists during the active stage of a ticket by drafting quick, empathetic responses. For example, if a customer asks how to apply for a housing loan. If a related KB article exists, the Support Specialist can draft a reply with the actions needed.
  1. Analyzes incoming tickets using the Knowledge Base.
  2. Drafts empathetic replies for standard queries.
  3. Un-assigns itself and notifies human agents if it cannot find a suitable answer.
8. What is a resolution expert and how does it work?
The Resolution Expert functions after a ticket is closed, ensuring resolutions are well-documented and easy to reference in the future. For example, if a ticket initially reports “payment failed,” but the real issue is an expired card. The Resolution Expert documents the exact cause and resolution.
  1. Reviews closed tickets to summarize the query, root cause, solution, and fix applied.
  2. Updates the resolution tab automatically for future reference.
  3. Handles reopened tickets and update resolutions each time.
9. Which AI model do Zia agents operate on?
Zia Agents run on GPT-4o Mini. Admins do not need to enable or configure this model separately, it is automatically applied when Zia Agents are activated.