Workflow recipe: Manage outages using SLA policies

What's my plan?

This workflow example shows how you can leverage features in Zendesk Support to provide valuable services for your important customers. You can use this example as a starting point for managing workflows in your own account. The example includes:

• Workflow goal
• Step 1: Create custom fields
• Step 2: Create SLAs
• Step 3: Create triggers
• Step 4: Create automations
• Step 5: Create views
• Step 6: Create macros

Workflow goal

When a customer experiences an outage, it's imperative that they get back online as soon as possible. You can use Zendesk Service Level Agreement (SLA) policies to make sure that you and your agents are aware of any outages and prioritize this type of call within a specified time frame to keep your customers happy. With this workflow, you can:

• Automatically prioritize outage tickets.
• Keep agents aware of the time they have left to resolve the outage.
• Notify the customer when the issue has been resolved.
• Alert supervisors if the SLA has been breached.

For more great tips on getting the best from SLAs, see Fine Tuning: Succeeding with SLAs--why, when, and how!

Step 1: Create custom fields

In Step 1, you'll create a drop-down ticket field that enables you to record details of the outage by adding it to your web form.

To create the drop-down ticket field

1. In Admin Center, expand Objects and rules () in the sidebar, then select Tickets > Fields.
2. Click Add field.
3. On the New field page, click Drop-down.
4. On the Drop-down field page, enter a Display name for the field. This is the field name shown to agents.
5. Under Permissions, choose Customers can edit.
6. Under Title shown to customers, enter Reason for contact.
7. Under Field values, enter the options that the drop-down list will present. Ensure that one of the options is Outage.

   

8. When you are finished, click Save.

Step 2: Create SLAs

In Step 2, you'll create an SLA policy that monitors the field you created above. If the ticket is about an outage, the service level agreement will apply. For more information about SLAs, see Defining and using SLA policies.

To create the SLA

1. In Admin Center, expand Objects and rules () in the sidebar, then select Business rules > Service level agreements.
2. Click Add policy.
3. Enter the policy name, for example, Outage.
4. Under Apply this policy to tickets that meet ALL of these conditions, add the following two conditions:
   • Ticket > Reason for contact > is > Outage
   • Ticket > Organization is <your customer organization name>

   

5. Under Resolution targets, enter the following values for Requester wait time:
   • Urgent: 1 hour
   • High: 24 hours
   • Normal: 24 hours
   • Low: 24 hours

   

   These values are examples. Configure the requester wait time with the values that best suit your own business needs.

6. When you are finished, click Save.

Step 3: Create triggers

Next, you'll create a trigger that automatically sends a notification to the ticket requester whenever the ticket is for an outage. For more information about triggers, see Creating triggers for automatic ticket updates and notifications.

To create the trigger

1. In Admin Center, expand Objects and rules () in the sidebar, then select Business rules > Triggers.
2. From the list of triggers, find Notify requester of received request, click the menu to the right of the trigger, then click Clone.
3. Support creates a copy of the trigger and opens its properties. Change the trigger name to Notify customer of outage report.
4. Add the following new conditions under Meet ALL of the following conditions:
   • Ticket > Reason for contact > is > Outage
   • Ticket > Organization is <your customer organization name>

   

   Tip: You'll need to modify the default notice to exclude the conditions above so that two notices don’t fire off.
5. Under Actions, add the following:
   • Ticket > Priority: Urgent
   • Notifications > Email user: (requester) (Tailor the email subject and body the customer and mention the guaranteed resolution time)
   • Notification > Email group: <your team that handles outages>

   

6. When you are finished, click Create.

Step 4: Create automations

In Step 4, you'll create an automation that runs every hour on open tickets. If a ticket is about an outage, it will be tagged with SLAbreach and an email will be sent to your group supervisor. For more information about automations, see About automations and how they work.

To create the automation

1. In Admin Center, expand Objects and rules () in the sidebar, then select Business rules > Automations.
2. Click Add automation.
3. Enter an Automation title like Outages.
4. Under Meet all of the following conditions, add the following conditions:
   • Ticket: Status > Less than > Solved
   • Ticket: Organization > is > <your customer organization>
   • Ticket: > Reason for contact > is > Outage.
   • Ticket: Tags > Contains none of the following > SLAbreach (this prevents the automation running more than once)

   

5. Under Perform these actions, add the following actions:
   • Ticket: Add tags > SLAbreach
   • Notifications: Email user > <your group supervisor> (add relevant information to the email subject and body to inform the supervisor about the outage)

   

6. When you are finished, click Create automation.

Step 5: Create views

Finally, create two new views that enable you check at a glance any tickets that have breached your SLA and any tickets that are related to an outage. For more information, see Using views to manage ticket workflow.

To create the views

1. In Admin Center, expand Workspaces () in the sidebar, then select Agent tools > Views.
2. Click Add view.
3. Name the first view SLA breaches view.
4. Under Meet all of the following conditions, add the following conditions:
   • Ticket: Status > Less than > Solved
   • Ticket: Tags > Contains at least one of the following > SLAbreach

   

5. When you are finished, click Save.
6. Repeat this process and create a view named Outages view with the following conditions:
   • Ticket: Status > Less than > Solved
   • Ticket > Reason for contact > is > Outage.

   

Step 6: Create macros

In this final step, you'll create a macro that solves the ticket, sets the ticket type to Problem, and leaves a comment informing the customer that the outage has been resolved. For more information about macros, see Using macros to update tickets.

To create the macro

1. In Admin Center, expand Workspaces () in the sidebar, then select Agent workspace > Macros.
2. Click Add macro.
3. Enter a name for the macro like Close outage ticket.
4. Under Actions, add the following actions:
   • Status > Solved
   • Type > Problem
   • Comment/description: Let the customer know the outage has been resolved and how they can contact you if the problem persists

   

5. When you are finished, click Create.