Zoho Desk Autumn Release - 2024 — Post 3

Zoho Desk Autumn Release - 2024 — Post 3

Instant Messaging 

Mass WhatsApp messaging for efficient communication


Agents can send WhatsApp messages to multiple contacts at once, which is useful for various activities, such as onboarding and customer engagement programs. There’s also an option to skip sending messages to contacts who are already engaged in a conversation with another agent to avoid interruptions in the ongoing conversation.


Help document and availability

Sending mass WhatsApp messages to contacts | Standard and above



 


Add new contacts to Desk while sending WhatsApp messages and reply to IM tickets from the Tickets module

 

A new shortcut, +w, has been introduced to streamline sending WhatsApp messages directly from the Tickets module. When using +w, users can quickly initiate a WhatsApp message to the associated contact. If the message is being sent to a new contact, their details will be automatically recorded within the system, and autopopulated in the Contact's record. For example, if a new customer contacts the support via WhatsApp and their details are not yet in Zoho Desk, sending a reply will automatically create a new record in the Contacts module.

 

Help document and availability

Create a contact while sending WhatsaApp messages | Standard and above


Integrate Facebook messenger with Zoho Desk


Integrating Facebook Messenger with Zoho Desk allows businesses to efficiently manage customer communication through Meta's Facebook business pages. Once set up, the Messenger platform enables seamless interactions between customers and the business via various entry points, including Facebook Posts, the Meta business page, and the business's website.


Help document and availability

Integrate Facebook messenger with Zoho Desk | Standard and above




Integrate Instagram with Zoho Desk


Integrating Instagram with Zoho Desk enables businesses to manage customer communications through their Instagram business accounts. This integration allows seamless message exchanges between customers and businesses, with conversations originating from Instagram posts, the Meta business page, or a website widget. For example, a retail clothing brand can integrate its Instagram business account with Zoho Desk to manage customer inquiries directly from its Instagram posts or DMs.


Help document and availability

Integrate Instagram with Zoho Desk | Standard and above





Configure business hours for your IM channels


Business hours can be configured for various IM channels, including WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, and Line, ensuring that customer inquiries are managed efficiently within the designated timeframes. Setting business hours involves defining the times when a business is open and available to assist customers. This ensures that the support team operates in alignment with these hours.


Help document and availability

Setting conversation rules in instant messaging | Standard and above





Implement a customizable business messaging widget


Business messaging offers another channel for engaging with customers through customizable widgets available for Web, iOS, and Android platforms. By integrating a fully customizable chat widget into a website, businesses can provide real-time support and interact with visitors seamlessly. The chat window’s appearance, including its color scheme and logo, can be tailored to match the website’s design, ensuring a cohesive brand experience.


Help document and availability

Adding a business messaging widget to your website | Standard and above






Multi-WABA support for WhatsApp business platform


Supported multiple WhatsApp Business Accounts (WABA), allowing businesses to create channels for different brands or departments. Each business unit can manage its communication channels with a dedicated WABA to ensure efficient operations. Businesses with multiple WhatsApp accounts can set up and link as many channels as needed to provide a centralized platform and shared access to customer data for seamless information flow and operations.

 

Help document and availability

Support multiple WhatsApp Business Accounts | Standard and above







Add GC Bots to Telegram, FB Messenger, Line, Instagram, and Business Messaging channels  


Guided Conversation (GC) bots can be deployed in a variety of IM channels such as Telegram, FB Messenger, Line, Instagram, and Business Messaging channels. This provides customers with a self-service platform where they can interact with bots and support agents when needed.


Help document and availability

GC Bots to Telegram | GC Bots to Line | GC Bots to Instagram | GC Bots to Business Messaging channels | GC Bots to FB Messenger | Enterprise


GC Bots in FB Messenger



GC Bots in Instagram




 

GC Bots in Telegram




GC Bots in Business Messaging



GC Bots in Line




Manage agent visibility and notifications for IM

 

Agents can set their status as online or offline specifically for the Instant Messaging feature. This allows them to control their visibility and mute all IM notifications with a click, ensuring uninterrupted work during critical tasks.

 

Help document and availability

Managing user status in IM | Standard and above





Use webhooks in IM to automate tasks

 

Zoho Desk's instant messaging webhooks enable automation of event-driven tasks between messaging apps and business workflows. By leveraging IM webhooks, businesses can integrate multiple channels into their business workflows, creating a seamless conversational ecosystem that enhances the customer journey and meets their preferences. For example, an ecommerce platform can automatically share package delivery OTPs via WhatsApp, an insurance provider can send payment reminders, and a travel agency can deliver booking details—all triggered through the webhooks in IM.

 

Availability

Professional and above



 

 

Measure customer happiness rating for IM Channels


Collect feedback on customer satisfaction for interactions conducted through the IM channel. A customer's happiness rating helps to see what they think about the support they receive at the end of each response or after closing their ticket. The integrated analytics will also assist the business in monitoring the ratings received by the agents or given by their contacts and accounts across various time frames.


Help document and availability

Customer happiness rating for IM channels | Standard and above





Thread separation in IM tickets  

Users can enhance clarity in IM tickets with the help of thread separation. This feature distinguishes different conversation threads to make it easier for agents to manage and resolve issues effectively.


Availability

Standard and above






Integration 

Scheduling meetings from the ticket interface with Zoho Meeting integration


The Zoho Meeting integration enables agents to schedule and conduct meetings directly from the ticket interface. For example, if a customer submits a ticket requesting a product demo, the agent can create the meeting from the ticket interface, invite the relevant stakeholders, and also have the meeting recording and meeting details such as link, date, time, and venue available inside the ticket for easy access.


Help document and availability

Integrate Zoho Meeting with Zoho Desk | Standard and above



 


Track agent attendance and availability with the Agent Attendance Tracker extension

The Agent Attendance Tracker extension provides a comprehensive system for the support managers to monitor the agent's attendance. It addresses key operational challenges related to tracking and managing agents' break hours, attendance, and routine activities. Managers can track check-in and check-out timings and view detailed activity logs of their support agents. This is helpful in various ways:


  • Accurate break logging: Allows agents to define and log break times, maintain proper shift coverage, and ensure uninterrupted service for customers.
  • Streamlined check-in/out: Simplifies the process of checking in and out and enables precise tracking of work hours and real-time monitoring via the Agent Availability Report.
  • Custom statuses: Enables the creation of custom statuses for activities like training and meetings to provide detailed visibility into agents' time allocation and enhance accountability.

 

Help document and availability

Integrating Zoho Desk with agent attendance tracker | Standard and above

 


 


 




Also see our What's new page

Regards,
Varsha P | Zoho Desk - User Education
    • Sticky Posts

    • 2024 Email Authentication Standards: Elevating Security with Google and Yahoo

      In contemporary email communication, email authentication plays a pivotal role in mitigating email fraud, spam, and phishing attacks. Brace yourself for a new level of security. Starting February 2024, Gmail and Yahoo will be implementing robust email
    • Using Agent Email Address as From Address

      Currently, while replying to a ticket, it is possible for agents to choose their own email addresses as 'from' addresses. Although we built this just for that little extra flexibility, in hindsight, it hasn't figured much in conventional usage.  Almost all businesses prefer that responses to their customers' tickets be sent from the common support/service email address and NOT from those of individual agents. During personal interactions at events, some of you have even made passing mentions about
    • Edit and Delete options in Comments

      A lot of teams have been using ticket comments extensively to collaborate everyday. Notification Center further improved this experience by bringing real-time updates. As we continue to build more improvements to this experience, we've shipped a small-yet-important
    • Webinar 2: Supercharged customer support for growing business

      Join us for this webinar and learn how to step up your support game using a real-time communication platform to generate happier, more successful customers. In this live webinar, we will will discuss the importance of SalesIQ for your support team and how it can help you:  Understand your customers better and their journeys to proactively support and engage them even before they ask for help.  Integrating real time conversations into Zoho Desk’s Support, providing a conversational customer service
    • Customize Colors of your Customer Self Service Portal

      You asked for it. We heard you. We're happy to roll out the most sought after feature request, Customizing the Colors of your Customer Self-service Portal. Now you can set the color of your customer portal to mimic your company's web site, so that your customers visiting the portal will not feel alienated by the default theme.  Go ahead and configure the color of the header, tabs, fonts and background according to your needs. You can either choose between default color themes like Blue, Grey, Green

    Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


      • Recent Topics

      • Archive Option in Conversation View

        Hello, I have a suggestion\request to add an "Archive Thread" button in conversation view of Zoho Mail. The best suggestion I have is to put an "Archive Thread" button next to the "Label Entire Thread" button in conversation view. Most users don't just
      • Inventory "Bulk Actions" button - add more fields to "Bulk Update > Select a field"

        Can we not get a lot more actions that are commonly used by customers into the "More Actions" button on the Inventory list? More fields listed in the Bulk Update > Select A Field? Possible Bulk update Fields Preferred Supplier ( to quickly move items
      • Bulk upload image option in Zoho Commerce

        I dont know if I am not looking into it properly but is there no option to bulk upload images along with the products? Like after you upload the products, I will have to upload images one by one again? Can someone help me out here? And what should I enter
      • Function #11: Apply unused credits automatically to invoices

        Today, we bring you a custom function that automatically applies unused credits from excess payments, credit notes, and retainer payments to an invoice when it is created. Prerequisites: Create a Connection named "zbooks" to successfully execute the function.
      • Tip #60- Exploring Technician Console: Screen Resolution- 'Insider Insights'

        Hello Zoho Assist Community! Have you ever started a remote session and felt the screen quality wasn’t sharp enough for detailed work? A new user recently explored Zoho Assist after installing the trial version and running a few initial tests. While the
      • Right Moment, Right Message, Right Operator: Never Miss a High-Intent Lead

        Ever been on a website or app, thinking “Should I buy this or not?” and suddenly a friendly message “Hi! How can I help you?” pops up at the perfect moment? That’s not luck. That’s timing done right. Engaging right visitors at the right moment, with the
      • CRM x WorkDrive: We're rolling out the WorkDrive-powered file storage experience for existing users

        Release plan: Gradual rollout to customers without file storage add-ons, in this order: 1. Standalone CRM 2. CRM Plus and Zoho One DCs: All | Editions: All Available now for: - Standalone CRM accounts in Free and Standard editions without file storage
      • Zoho CRM Workflow Automation: Activate & Deactivate Workflows Using API

        Zoho has now enabled: ✅ Activate / Deactivate workflows using API ✅ Schedule workflow activation & deactivation This is extremely useful for real-world automation use cases 💡 🧩 My Use Case I created a scheduled automation that: ☀️ Activates workflows
      • {Action Required} Re-authenticate your Google Accounts to Continue Data Sync

        Hello Users! To align with Google’s latest updates on how apps access files in Google Drive, we’ve enhanced our integration to comply with the updated security and privacy standards, ensuring safer and more reliable access to your data. With this update,
      • Function #53: Transaction Level Profitability for Invoices

        Hello everyone, and welcome back to our series! We have previously provided custom functions for calculating the profitability of a quote and a sales order. There may be instances where the invoice may differ from its corresponding quote or sales order.
      • Project-Based Inventory Consumption and Proforma Invoice in Zoho ERP

        While working with customers across different industries, we have identified a few functional questions and gaps that commonly arise—especially for project-based and service-oriented businesses. Many organizations, such as those in shipping, construction,
      • [Free Webinar] Zoho RPA - OCR, PDF Automation, & More

        Hello Everyone! Greetings from the Zoho RPA Training Team! We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming webinar on the latest release updates for Zoho RPA, where we’ll unveil powerful new capabilities designed to make your automation journey smarter, faster,
      • Zobot Execution Logs & Run History (Similar to Zoho Flow)

        Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, We would like to request an enhancement for Zoho SalesIQ Zobot: adding an execution log / run history, similar to what already exists in Zoho Flow. Reference: Zoho Flow In Zoho Flow, every execution is recorded in the History tab,
      • Global Search Settings

        I'd love a way to remove some modules from being included in the global search. This would allow use to provide a better user experience, limiting the global search to only those modules that are regularly used removing any models used for background
      • Card Location in Zobot

        Hello, when using the “Location” card in a codeless builder Zobot, the behavior in WhatsApp is inconsistent. When asking the user to share their location, they can type a message, which will return the message “Sorry, the entered location is invalid.
      • Automation Series: Auto-create Dependent Task on Status Change

        In Zoho Projects, you can automatically create and assign a dependent task when a task’s status is updated. This helps teams stay aligned, ensures reviews happen on time, and reduces manual effort. In this post, we’ll walk through an easy setup using
      • Languages in Zobot

        Hello, I have found a list of supported languages for the Zobot. The information specifies the languages are supported in the following 3 features: SalesIQ supports 34 different languages in the following features. Resources (Articles, FAQs, Small Talks)
      • Composite items inside of composite items; bill of materials needed

        Hi Zoho and Everyone, I am evaluating whether Zoho Inventory will work for my small business. I grow and harvest herbs and spices but also get from wholesalers. I use all these items to make herbal teas, but also sell them as individual items on my Shopify store and Etsy. I discovered the composite item bundling and am wondering if I could get some assistance since there is no bill of materials: Our herbal company's best selling tea is a sleepytime tea. Sleepytime Tea can be purchased in three weights
      • Action required: Reauthorizing your Google account in Zoho Sign for automatic cloud backup to Google Drive

        This is applicable to users who have already configured automatic cloud backup to Google Drive. Hi there! Google has mandated reauthorization of all preconfigured third-party integrations to ensure only the necessary scopes are shared as an improved security
      • Zoho CRM Layouts

        I have customised all our modules, Leads, Contacts and deals, and within them, I have created lots of different layouts depending on the type of Lead or contact, for example. Since the new Zoho UI came out, they have all disappeared. I have gone into
      • Streamlining E-commerce Photography with AI Background Tools

        Hey Zoho Community, I’ve been messing around with ways to make product images less of a headache for fashion brands on Zoho Commerce. You know how boring generic backdrops can get, and how much time traditional photoshoots eat up, right? I tried out this
      • WhatsApp IM in Zoho Desk always routes to Admin instead of assigned agent

        Hello Zoho Experts, I connected WhatsApp IM to my Zoho Desk account. I only assigned my Customer Service (CS) agent to the WhatsApp channel, and I did NOT include Admin in this channel. However, every new WhatsApp conversation automatically gets assigned
      • hide resolution from help centre

        to my surprise, i just found out that the resolution text is public in the helpcenter, even if 'notify customer' is off. is there a workaround to that? how do others deal with this? How zoho support does this and I don't think its used by Zoho in the first place. the resolution is meant to be private, not public
      • Zoho Analytics + Facebook Ads: Performance Alerts for Active Campaigns

        Is it possible with integration of Zoho Analytics with Facebook Ads and set up alerts or notifications for active campaigns when performance drops? For example, triggering a notification if CTR goes below a defined threshold or if other key metrics (like
      • Multiple upload field CRM

        I desperately need the functionality to add more than one upload field to web to contacts form. How can I do this?
      • Sort by age

        It would be very helpful if there was a way to sort by age in the Age column. Please add this function if possible. Thanks!
      • Lookup Field Option Not Available in Customization

        Hello, I am trying to customize different modules (e.g., Work Orders, Systems, and others), but I am unable to find the Lookup field option in the layout customization. When I go to: Setup → Customization → Modules and Fields → Add Field The Lookup field
      • Scheduled sending of a poll and its results

        Is there a way to schedule sending a poll to all my users and have the results sent separately to the team?
      • Canvas View bug

        I would like to report a bug. When clone a canvas view from an existing canvas view, if the original canvas view have canvas button with client script. Then the new create canvas view will have canvas button, it is make sense. But when I try to delete
      • Integrating Zoho Suite and apps more with Linux

        I just got introduced with Zoho just couple of months ago, and I've already planned to contribute to it, even though it's not an open-source software. Still I have found it's potential to beat the tech giants and still being respective towards data privacy
      • Store Submitted Forms as PDF

        Hi there, Is there a method to store Form submissions as a PDF in workdrive for archival? I set the form to email the submission to the user and an internal inbox but I'd really love to store the final form as PDF in workdrive automatically. I can't seem
      • System Components menu not available for Tablet to select language

        I have attached a screenshot of my desktop, mobile, and tablet menu builder options. I am using 2 languages in my application. Language Selection is an option under the System Components part of the menu, but only for my desktop and phone(mobile). My
      • Separate Items & Services

        Hi, please separate items and services into different categories. Thank you
      • CRM->INVENTORY, sync products as composite items

        We have a product team working in the CRM, as it’s more convenient than using Books or Inventory—especially with features like Blueprints being available. Once a product reaches a certain stage, it needs to become visible in Inventory. To achieve this,
      • Add an option to disable ZIA suggestions

        Currently, ZIA in Zoho Inventory automatically provides suggestions, such as sending order confirmation emails. However, there is no way to disable this feature. In our case, orders are automatically created by customers, and we’ve built a custom workflow
      • What's new in Zoho Sheet: Simplify data entry and collaboration

        Hello, Zoho Sheet community! Last year, our team was focused on research and development so we could deliver updates that enhance your spreadsheet experience. This year, we’re excited to deliver those enhancements—but we'll be rolling them out incrementally
      • Zoho Creator Developer Console | Improved Distribution and Lifecycle Management for apps

        Hello everyone, We're excited to introduce new enhancements now in the Zoho Creator Developer Console. These updates strengthen private app distribution through licensing controls and extend environment support across all installed apps, helping teams
      • [Webinar] Solving business challenges- Handling the challenge of transitioning to Zoho Writer from legacy tools

        Moving to Zoho Writer is a great way to consolidate your business tools and become more agile. With multiple accessibility modes, no-code automation, and extensive integration with business apps and content platforms, Zoho Writer helps solve your organization's
      • Feature Request - Gift Cards or Gift Voucher Capability in Zoho Commerce

        Hi Zoho Commerce team, I'm comming accross more and more retail businesses who sell gift cards. As there is currently no way to manage this in Zoho Commerce, it is a blocker to addoption. This is particularly popular in Europe and North America. I recently
      • Highlight a candidate who is "off limits"

        Hello: Is there a way to highlight a candidate who is "off limits"?  I would like to have the ability to make certain candidate and / or Client records highlighted in RED or something like that.   This would be used for example when we may have placed a candidate somewhere and we want everyone in our company to quickly and easily see that they are off limits.  The same would apply when we want to put a client or former client off limits so no one recruits out of there. How can this be done? Cheers,
      • Next Page