Zendesk has introduced a new program to help customers upgrade to the Zendesk Agent Workspace.
The Zendesk Agent Workspace maximizes productivity for your teams by bringing you all the tools, context, and capabilities they need to deliver exceptional customer experiences, all from a single, unified interface. This includes:
- Delivering the conversational service your customers want
- Working smarter with powerful tools and built-in intelligence
- Boosting agent well-being for a better customer experience
This article includes the following topics:
- What's happening?
- Why is Zendesk making this change?
- What do I need to do?
- What new features are available after upgrading?
What's happening?
If your account admin received the email, your Zendesk account has been selected to be automatically upgraded to the Agent Workspace. We are helping customers automatically upgrade because Agent Workspace is the interface of choice for Zendesk going forward. It includes all the latest features and enhancements Zendesk has made to support agent productivity across channels.
Why is Zendesk making this change?
Zendesk built this new interface to help your agents provide fast and personalized support for customers and ensure they have all the tools and context they need to manage customer requests efficiently.
We want you to take advantage of our latest innovations and join our customers who have already made the switch. On average, accounts on Agent Workspace experience significantly faster replies to customers and significantly faster resolutions to customer requests by moving to our unified Agent Workspace.
What do I need to do?
Zendesk will automatically activate the Agent Workspace on your account during the timeframe Zendesk provided in the email we sent you.
However, instead of waiting for an automatic upgrade, we strongly encourage you to start the upgrade now. This gives you and your agents time to prepare for the change.
Zendesk recommends that you:
- Upgrade now on your own terms. It's best to upgrade at the time of day when your account activity is the lowest.
- From now until the automatic upgrade date, you will be able to temporarily deactivate the Agent Workspace.
We recommend turning it on and off to get yourself and your agents acquainted with the key differences in the interface. This gives you time to generate any necessary training materials for your team. - If you are wary of upgrading your production account, you can always create a free Zendesk trial account to try out the workspace. All trials have the Agent Workspace activated.
To help you in the transition, we have created a resources page with more information. See Resources for upgrading to the Zendesk Agent Workspace. Also, for a brief summary of the main interface changes, see our Quick Reference.
What new features are available after upgrading?
In addition to a unified conversation interface based on the latest technology, the following is a list of new features Zendesk introduced that are available only in the Agent Workspace. Going forward, as you enhance and modernize your customer support offerings, these are valuable tools.
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Native ticket redaction
You can natively redact, or remove, sensitive information found in ticket comments and attachments so that your account stays secure and compliant. You don’t need to install a separate app. See Redacting ticket content. -
Ticket translation
Agents can communicate with end users and other agents, even if they are using different languages, using the native translation feature in the Agent Workspace. See Translating conversations. -
Context panel
When you’re working on a ticket, it’s often useful to have contextual information that falls outside the basic ticket content. For example, you might want to know more about the customer who requested the ticket. In addition, you may need to open Zendesk apps that can help you solve the ticket or search for articles in your help center that are relevant to the ticket. See Using the context panel. -
Knowledge in the context panel
Directly from the ticket interface, you can quickly search for content in your help center that might help your customers solve issues, view suggestions for content based on ticket content, or add feedback to flag existing articles. See Searching, linking, and quoting content in tickets and Flagging articles in Knowledge. -
Context panel resizing
You can change the width of the context panel to give you a better view of customer context, sidebar apps, or Knowledge articles. See Resizing the context panel. -
Ticket properties panel resizing
You can change the width of the ticket properties panel to give you a better view of ticket fields. This feature is particularly useful if you’re working on tickets with a lot of fields. See Resizing the ticket properties panel. -
Channel switching in the composer
You can easily switch between communications channels, all within the same ticket interface. You don’t have to maintain separate tickets or use separate dashboards for each ticket type. See Switching channels in the composer. -
Composer resizing
You can resize the ticket composer window as needed to meet your requirements. For example, you can use a smaller window for chats and messages, but you might want to use a larger window for long email messages. See Resizing the composer window. -
Color text in the composer
You can use formatting options to change the text color and the text background color in ticket comments. This feature is useful for drawing attention to important items in your comments. See Changing text color.
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Fixed composer (doesn’t disappear when scrolling)
You can also use the scroll bar on the right side of the ticket to scroll up or down through previous responses without losing sight of the reply you're composing. Separated scrolling is useful if you're working on a long ticket with a lot of details. See Scrolling through a conversation. -
Contextual tabs
Agents may have to manage multiple tickets at the same time. You can use tabs at the top of the interface to help you move easily between many types of conversations (email. chats, phone, and messages). Tabs provide important information and help you see which tickets are the most critical to address. See Using ticket tabs to manage conversations. -
Zendesk messaging
Messaging lets you have rich conversations with your customers that are persistent, with full context and history. When you enable messaging, you can connect it to your website or help center, mobile apps, and social channels, making it easy for your customers to self- serve or connect with your agents. See About messaging. -
Flow builder
You can use Flow Builder to create answers for your conversation bots, giving your customers the opportunity to self-serve their support issues before connecting with agents. See About flow builder. -
Easier process to add social messaging channels
You can send and receive social messages in the Zendesk Agent Workspace as part of the main conversation flow. Messages sent from these channels become tickets in the Zendesk Agent Workspace. See About messaging channels. -
Omnichannel routing and unified agent statuses
The omnichannel routing enables you to direct tickets from email, messaging, web form, and API to team members based on their availability, capacity, and the ticket priority. Using omnichannel routing means that the highest priority tickets are assigned to the agents who are most available to work on them. See About omnichannel routing and Configuring agent statuses -
Custom ticket statuses
Zendesk supports a set of system ticket statuses which are used to help you manage your ticket workflows. Custom ticket statuses enable you to create additional, more-specific ticket statuses. Custom ticket statuses can help manage your ticket workflows, as well as indicate a more meaningful ticket status to your business and end users. See Activating custom ticket statuses.
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Draft mode
Agents can compose public replies as drafts first, before updating a ticket. This enables agents to make sure everything is correct before replying to a customer. See Writing drafts of public replies in tickets.
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Custom ticket layouts
Admins can create custom ticket layouts to support different ticket workflows for agents. Custom layouts allow you to specify which components are included in a ticket and control the location of where the components appear. Components include ticket conversations, ticket properties (fields), customer context, third party apps, and more. See About custom layouts.
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Agent copilot (Advanced AI only)
Agent copilot is a set of AI-powered features focused on making your agents more productive while still allowing them to provide a high level of customer service. These features surface helpful insights, proactively suggest next steps, and can even execute agent-approved actions, increasing agent efficiency as well as customer satisfaction. See About agent copilot. -
Essentials card configuration
The essentials card appears in the context panel in the Agent Workspace and displays information about the ticket requester. You can configure the card by adding, removing, and reordering standard and custom user fields so that agents can access the most relevant information. See Configuring the essentials card. -
Custom objects
Admins can define custom objects, build out their schema with custom fields, specify object-level permissions for agents, and add lookup relationship fields to tickets to surface your custom data in tickets. Agents can add and manage custom object records and preview related records within tickets. Then, you can use your custom objects and records in triggers and analytics. See Understanding custom objects. -
App shortcuts
Agents can create shortcuts for their favorite apps and pin them to the context panel sidebar. App shortcuts enable agents to quickly open apps without searching through the full list of apps in the Apps panel. Each agent can add their own personal set of shortcuts. Admins can create shared app shortcuts for their agents. See Managing app shortcuts and Managing shared app shortcuts.
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Conversation flow configuration
To create the optimal conversation flow for your agents, customers on Enterprise plans can use layout builder to configure how conversations and the composer appear in a custom ticket layout See Configuring the conversation flow. -
Auto-accept for messaging and live chats
When admins turn on auto-accept the Conversations and Accept buttons no longer appear in the Agent Workspace. Incoming conversations are automatically routed to available agents. See Automatically accepting messaging and live chat conversations. -
Agent invitations
During messaging conversations, agents can collaborate with colleagues to solve a customer’s support request without reassigning the ticket to another agent or admin. Using @mentions to include other agents in a conversation makes the conversation more collaborative and provides a streamlined agent experience. See Collaborating on messaging conversations. -
Agent Home
Agent Home works in real time, showing agents their assigned tickets and their latest updates. The page includes read and unread indicators to help keep agents on top of the conversation and productivity tools to help them keep their workspaces well-organized and tidy. See Using Agent Home.
164 comments
Gábor Körtvélyessy
Hello Mucci,
we are in a very similar situation and the following worked for us (well, at least for temporary relieve), so that we are still able to support our customers and don't have to waste time on this downgrade:
1
Mucci Marinucci
Thanks Gabor! I did just that and was able to be removed from the list for the forced upgrade. I'm just awaiting confirmation from our CSM. Thanks again!
1
Sander
Please give us the option of staying with the Legacy ZD user interface.
We were forced to make the switch to the new workspace and we unanimously HATED it.
Luckily ZD support was able to revert us to the old UI but we don't want the new version and we don't need the new version.
2
Sander
Similarly, why can't ZD solve the caller ID issue. So many of our customers are not picking up as it shows as Toll Free and they think it is a robocall.
1
ILGM Sr Tech Specialist
Yes, please switch it back. Whoever came up with this idea, clearly doesn't understand user interfaces in the flow of data in a communications thread. This is 100% unnatural!
2
Peter
Yes, it would be great if it was possible for somehow to toggle between new an old version, for our usage we do not need any fancy chats or calls, only email-version. So please switch it back.
4
Customer Service KP
Hi, I've been using Zendesk for quite some time and have tried using Zendesk Agent Workspace. If we are forced to use Zendesk Agent Workspace, as users, we feel disadvantaged. Firstly, if we switch to Zendesk Agent Workspace, the history of old tickets cannot be searched. However, we still need the history of our previous emails. Is there a solution to this?
1
Lisa Kelly
Hi Chris,
Please contact Zendesk Customer Support to get clarification on your issue. The content in ticket comments and the ticket event log are not altered by the upgrade. Both are still searchable.
-1
Sam Wise
Hello
I DO NOT WISH TO BE MIGRATED TO AGENT WORK SPACE. WE WISH TO STICK WITH THE LEGACY SYSTEM . THAT IS WHAT WE PAID FOR. NOT SURE WHY WE HAVE BEEN MIGRATED. CAN SOMEONE please HELP us. and Roll us out of this migration from legacy to WOrkspace. WE wish to stick with previous Chat PLease help us someone.
2
Lisa Kelly
Sam, if you have issues with the migration, you need to contact Zendesk Customer Support.
-3
Sander
I complete and without reservation agree with Sam Wise
The legacy system works and we like it. The last 'upgrade' was terrible on so many levels that it literally caused our call centre to blow up as we could not navigate it fast enough. There really was nothing redeemable about it. Nothing like trying to explain to the CEO how ZD was changed without our knowledge or our permissions.
BTW - how is ZenDesk getting along with solving the call display issue? Don't even get me started on the hit and miss texting functionality
2
Scott Patterson
Hi all,
Not too sure why it's not been mentioned more, but since a lot of peoples issues with the new interface is to do with the message order & position of the text box (that's our issues anyway), the Zendesk Layout Builder feature currently in EAP has options that allow us to set these ourselves. It doesn't show it in this article, but the EAP has the options now. https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5447690090138-About-custom-layouts-with-layout-builder-EAP-
So with that, we can essentially just change it back to how it was ourselves. Only problem is it looks like it says this will only be available on Enterprise which is a bit gross imo - create a problem and then sell the solution.
But I thought I'd mention it anyway so people know that this will be an option in future.
0
Sam Wise
The Major Issue with the Agent WorkSpace is Pro active message approach. Most people used ZD for Ads marketing on Landing pages. When a visitor clicks an add on Google or Bing. they land up on our page. and ZD Chat Loads up. And that Click was shown on Legacy chat.. SO our Agent pro actively Sends a Message to visitor if he/she needs help or generate lead/sale etc. and then WE as companies spend millions in training our Employees with Zendesk with past over the years and integrated this system in our 100s of landing Landing page brands etc.
And it was working perfectly alright. IT was a simple chat system with everything that was needed BUT NOT SURE WHY/HOW? CAN ZD enforce there upgrade phase 4. of agent workspace On US WHEN WE DO NOT ALLOW IT. its more like ZD does not care about there customer its just they are trying out new things without taking user experience into consideration.
plus if we wish to stick with OLD legacy Chat system. and roll out of This Upgrade THE ZD does not allow it which does not make sense. THAT WE ARE BOUND AND ENFORCED TO USE SOMETHING WE DONT WANT? Lisa Kelly DO you think That is fair. if our business model is satisfied with Legacy chat and we are paying for it. DO YOU NOT THINK WE HAVE LEGAL right to Run our business our instead of you changing our interface without consent? WE NEVER APPROVE FOR THIS. YOU SHOULD LET PEOPLE USE LEGACY CHAT SYSTEM, If they wish and companies who wish to switch to agent workspace can do so by choice. I am CONFUSED WHAT BENEFIT it would give ZENDESK after enforcing this Agent workspace on us?
-1
Sam Wise
The ticket has been open for 4 days now NO REPLY from ZD. nice. Ticket # 12028354
0
Brett Bowser
Apologies for the delay and appreciate you bringing this to our attention! I checked on the ticket you referenced and it looks like we were able to get a response back out to you this morning. If there's anything else we can help with please let me know.
Cheers!
0
Sam Wise
yes, i need to reactive/continue using my zendesk which i cancelled. and subscription will be finished on 7th November,. not sure how to reactivate since it says Contact support and Support seem to be creating only Tickets. Not doing anything. Can anyone help me. everyone seem to refer me to my account manager WHO IS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND FOR PAST 2 WEEKS.
0
Sam Wise
Also, I need to add 3 more new agents. But Not using the Same zendesk script. As these 3 or 4 new agents will be using, Whole another Brand and its a Different team. Different department. So WE don't want them mixed up or Handling customers from our Current team. Hence what we seek is (as per support that we need to upgrade to Suite Growth and Create Group and Add agents there. and then Create Multiple classic Web Widgit or whatever) So we will get a New zendesk Script. (WHILE MAKING SURE WE CONTINUE USING LEGACY CHAT INTERFACE) DO NOT WANT TO Switch TO NEW AGENT WORKSPACE.
0
Brett Bowser
Sam Wise Thanks again for following up! I've reached out to your AE directly to see if we can get a response back out ASAP. I'll continue to monitor your ticket and let me know if there's anything else I can help with in the meantime.
0
JJ Miclat
Hey folks!
Extending a warm invite for everyone on this thread to join us on Tuesday, November 14th at 11 AM CDT for our live PM Roundtable on Layout Builder for Agent Workspace community event, where you'll get to live chat with Paul Von, myself, and other PMs looking after customization at Zendesk.
We'll be going over the 2024 roadmap and long-term vision of Layout Builder, in addition to our customization strategy around Agent Workspace.
We'll then open it up to the floor for discussion on any questions regarding Layout Builder, feedback on the current state of the product, feedback on our roadmap, feature requests regarding Agent Workspace customization that you would like to see us bake in, sharing best practices around creating custom layouts, and so much more.
We'd love to see y'all there!
Cheers,
JJ
-1
clickbooq support
WIll this upgrade incur any cost changes to my current subscription?
0
Neil
Activating the agent workspace option has no additional cost if you are already subscribed to Support Team, Professional, Enterprise or any of. the Suite plans.
0
Exposure Events
We have tried to switch to the new environment twice and it doesn't work the same way we need like the current one. If this is forced we will have to consider switching to something that is email based and not centered around chat. We use chat but the way you guys do it is not helpful. We want to see all customers in our chat screen. Along with lack of AI features, Zendesk is far behind in the game and becoming stagnant.
2
Sharma
Zendesk,
In the new UI, how does one enter Description? We create tickets on behalf of our customers and communicate with them via email support. In the current UI, it allows me to do so but in the new UI, the Description doesn't allow any inputs. Can you please explain how to add a description for the ticket?
0
Ahall
So, what does this mean for our users that have single sign on enabled? How will that work? I am scared to make the switch because I don't know what this thing looks like. We never received a demo or anything. I never got an email. I just saw the notification in Zendesk.
0
Lisa Kelly
Ahall,
Upgrading to the Agent Workspace will not impact single sign on. For more information on upgrading, start with the resources linked in this document: Resources for upgrading to the Zendesk Agent Workspace. If you have further questions, contact Zendesk Customer Support.
0
Sharma
Lisa Kelly, do you have an answer to the question I asked?
0
Lisa Kelly
No Sharma, I don't. Sorry!
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It depends on what fields you have in your tickets. I recommend contacting Zendesk Customer Support to help you with your specific issue. As a general rule, to enter information into a ticket, you need to type in the ticket composer, then click Submit. See example below.
0
Sharma
Thanks, Lisa. I will reach out to customer support but just to let you know.
Here is the screenshot of where a Description can be entered when creating a ticket using the old UI. All fields are editable
Here is the screenshot of the new UI. No place to enter a description. And, to make matters worse, it won't allow me to save the ticket because it is asking for a description.
0
Lisa Kelly
Thanks for explaining, Sharma! Have you tired typing in the composer to add a Description? In other words, typing in the Public reply (or Internal note) area at the bottom of the ticket.
0
Sharma
Typing in the public reply area sends out the message to the user. We don't want that yet without creating a ticket to begin with (that's how it has been working in the current (old) UI). It won't allow me to switch to Private notes too. In fact, Private notes won't even show up.
0