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Assignee vs Group Logic

Updated

The Foundation for Effective Ticket Handling

In Zendesk, the way tickets are assigned is not just an administrative detail. Assignment logic is a central factor for both the team's efficiency and customer satisfaction. An unsuitable assignment strategy can lead to "ticket black holes", where tickets are not handled, replies fail to appear, and frustration arises among both customers and agents. A well-functioning customer service therefore requires a balanced use of assignment to a group and assignment to an individual agent. This guide reviews logic, strategies and best practices with a focus on establishing a robust and fair system that ensures fast and competent handling of each ticket.

Understanding the Difference: Group vs. Individual Assignee

The choice between group and individual assignment directly affects who can see and work on a ticket.

Assignment to a group

When a ticket is assigned to a group, it becomes available to all agents in that group.

  • The ticket is visible to everyone: All agents in the group can see the ticket in relevant views.
  • The first-come-first-served principle: The first available agent with the right competencies can take the ticket, which can reduce the customer's waiting time.
  • Optimal distribution of workload: The work is distributed among available agents and can reduce the risk of overloading individuals.
  • Supports collaboration within the team: Several people can contribute to faster and better solutions, and it is easy to get help or take over the ticket when needed.

Assignment to an individual agent

When a ticket is assigned directly to an agent, responsibility is placed with one person.

  • Exclusive ownership: The ticket appears primarily in the assigned agent's personal views, which creates clear ownership.
  • Ensures specialisation: Complex or specialised tickets can be sent directly to the agent with the necessary expertise.
  • Maximum accountability: It is unambiguous who is responsible for the solution and follow-up, which supports follow-up and quality control.
  • Strengthens customer relationships: In account management, it can be crucial that the customer meets the same point of contact.

Strategic Use: When to Choose a Group?

Group assignment is often the most appropriate default. The following scenarios are particularly well suited.

1. General support and first-line handling

When several agents have the competencies to solve the ticket, group assignment is suitable. It ensures that the next available agent can take the ticket.

// Example of a Trigger
Condition:
  Ticket is Created
  AND
  Form is "Generel Forespørgsel"

Action:
  Set Group to "Førstelinje Support"
  // Note: It is NOT assigned to a specific agent

2. High volume of tickets

During peak loads, group assignment is important to avoid bottlenecks. The work is distributed, and the risk of a single agent being overwhelmed is reduced, which can keep response times down.

3. Collaboration and backup

When a ticket requires input from several specialists, or when shared insight within the team is important, group assignment is a relevant choice. It also functions as backup; in the case of illness or holiday, the ticket is not locked to one person.

4. Automatic round-robin distribution

For a mathematically fair distribution, group assignment can be combined with a round-robin add-on or an advanced trigger that assigns to the agent in the group with the fewest open tickets. This supports automatic and fair load balancing.

5. Training and onboarding of new employees

New agents can be part of a group together with experienced colleagues. Tickets can be taken at a suitable pace, while at the same time the rest of the group can see the ticket and help when needed.

Strategic Use: When to Choose an Individual?

Individual assignment is a precision tool and is used when the nature of the ticket requires a particular person's handling.

1. Specialised knowledge is necessary

When a ticket concerns a niche product, a complex integration or a specific technology, it should be assigned directly to the relevant expert.

// Example of a Trigger
Condition:
  Ticket is Created
  AND
  Custom field "Produkt" contains "Enterprise Suite"
  AND
  Subject contains "API Integration"

Action:
  Assign to user "Mads Jensen" (Our API specialist)

2. Dedicated account management

For VIP customers or customers with a dedicated account manager, enquiries should be routed directly to that manager to support a strong and personal relationship.

// Example of a Trigger
Condition:
  Ticket is Created
  AND
  Requester is "VIP Kunde A/S"
  AND
  Custom field "Account Manager" is "Sofia Larsen"

Action:
  Assign to user "Sofia Larsen"

3. Follow-up on previous tickets

If a customer writes again about a previously solved or unsolved ticket, it is important that the new ticket is assigned to the same agent who handled the original ticket. Context is preserved, and the customer experiences continuity.

// Example of a Trigger
Condition:
  Ticket is Created via "Follow-up"
  AND
  Related Ticket exists

Action:
  Assign to user (Assignee from Related Ticket)

4. Escalation to management or specific roles

When a ticket has been open for too long, has high priority, or the customer wishes to speak to a manager, the ticket should be escalated automatically to the relevant role, e.g. a "Support Manager".

5. Complex, long-running tickets

Some tickets require in-depth investigation over several days or weeks. Assignment to a single agent ensures continuity and focus, so that the ticket does not get lost in the daily operations.

Recommended Patterns and Workflows

Assignment logic can be combined into effective workflows.

Pattern 1: Group first, individual on escalation

The standard model for most incoming tickets.

  1. Initial: The ticket is assigned to the "Support Team" group.
  2. Escalation: If the ticket is not solved within 24 hours, a trigger escalates it to "Team Lead" for manual review and assignment.

Pattern 2: Individual for VIP, group for standard

A segmented approach that prioritises valuable customers.

  • VIP customer: Assign directly to an individual "Account Manager".
  • Standard customer: Assign to the "Support Team" group for first-come-first-served handling.

Pattern 3: Specialised routing based on ticket content

The use of triggers and forms to sort tickets on arrival.

  • Technical fault: Assign to the "Teknisk Team" group.
  • Billing question: Assign to the "Økonomi" group.
  • General enquiry: Assign to the "Support Team" group.

Most Important Best Practices

For the assignment logic to remain effective, the following principles are recommended:

  1. Start with a group as the default: Avoid direct assignment to individuals unless there is a clear reason. Group assignment provides flexibility and better load distribution.
  2. Be specific with individual assignment: Use individual assignment when it is justified by specialisation, account management or concrete workflow requirements.
  3. Avoid "black holes": Triggers should not assign tickets to inactive agents, agents on holiday (use the "Away" status) or agents without access to the relevant group. There should always be a fallback mechanism (e.g. assignment to a group).
  4. Implement round-robin or load balancing: For high-traffic groups, round-robin functionality or advanced triggers can be used to assign to the agent with the fewest tickets to ensure fair distribution.
  5. Monitor assignment patterns: Zendesk Explore can be used for ongoing analysis of distribution: is the distribution fair? Do individual agents systematically receive too many or too few complex tickets? Routing can be adjusted based on data.
  6. Use views for monitoring: Create specific views to monitor unassigned tickets in groups (Assigned: Group, Status: Open, Assigned: -). This makes it easy for team leads to identify tickets that require attention.

Troubleshooting: Common Challenges

Even a thorough setup can present challenges. Below are typical problems and corresponding solutions.

Problem: Tickets in a group are not being taken.

  • Solution: Check whether the agents in the group are online and have the status "Online". Then verify that views are configured to show unassigned tickets in the relevant groups. If the problem persists, the group may be overloaded, and it may be necessary to add more agents or adjust areas of responsibility.

Problem: The wrong agent or group receives tickets.

  • Solution: Go to Admin > Triggers and review the order and conditions of the assignment triggers. A trigger higher in the list can catch the ticket before it reaches the correct trigger. Ensure that conditions are mutually exclusive where necessary.

Problem: The distribution of work is unfair.

  • Solution: If individual agents consistently take more tickets, it may be due to higher speed. Consider a round-robin solution or a trigger that assigns based on the number of tickets already assigned. Use data in Explore to confirm the assessment.

Problem: Tickets disappear (still a "black hole").

  • Solution: The most common cause is assignment to an agent who is ill, on holiday or has left the company. Review the triggers for individual assignments. A relevant practice is a "safety net" trigger that runs every hour and finds tickets that have been assigned to an "Away" agent for more than X hours, and then reassigns them to the agent's primary group.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Assignment logic in Zendesk is an ongoing process that requires strategic planning and continuous optimisation. Group assignment functions as a flexible default, while individual assignment is used as a precise tool for specialised needs. Correct logic can reduce response times, support fair work distribution and ensure that each ticket lands with the right person at the right time.

The following action plan can be used for implementation and ongoing improvement:

  1. Define the assignment strategy: Establish clear guidelines for when group vs. individual assignment is used.
  2. Build and test triggers: Create the necessary triggers in Zendesk to automate the strategy, and test thoroughly in a sandbox environment.
  3. Configure views: Set up relevant views for agents and team leads, so that assigned tickets can be identified and handled effectively.
  4. Monitor and analyse: Use Zendesk Explore for ongoing monitoring of distribution, response times and relevant metrics.
  5. Iterate and improve: Adjust triggers and strategy based on data and feedback from the team. An assignment strategy develops in step with the needs of the business.
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