Involving External Staff via Light Agent in Zendesk Support

The Light Agent role in Zendesk Support offers a promising way to involve external team members within a company’s customer service framework. However, there are some limitations that we’ve observed, which may impact its usability in certain scenarios:

1. Customer Data Access: Light Agents can access customer data when using the search function or viewing the customer list. This may pose data security concerns for some companies that prefer limited visibility for external collaborators.
2. Restricted Communication Capabilities: Light Agents can only participate in ticket communication through email notifications. Unlike regular agents, they cannot be directly assigned to tickets, which limits their ability to engage seamlessly in ticket handling.
3. License Cost Concerns: While we understand that Zendesk’s licensing model supports its platform, it can be financially challenging for companies to justify full-agent licenses for external staff managing a limited number of tickets, perhaps fewer than ten. A more flexible model, such as allowing a set number of monthly interactions per Light Agent (e.g., 10 tickets), could provide a cost-effective solution.

Introducing enhanced Light Agent options would make Zendesk even more versatile for businesses looking to optimize external collaboration while managing costs effectively.