Let’s face it, managing support as a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is no walk in the park. You’re juggling client expectations, technical challenges, and a barrage of incoming issues—all while aiming for seamless service delivery. That’s where the Zendesk customer service solution swoops in to save the day. 

(Not sure why you need an MSP? Check out our blog post on the topic!)

At WebRTC.ventures, we’ve harnessed the full potential of Zendesk to elevate our support processes. Here’s how we make it work.

Zendesk: Our MSP command center

A client submits a ticket to report a mysterious bug. It’s not earth-shattering, but it needs attention. Enter Zendesk, our go-to ticketing system. For non-urgent cases, Zendesk keeps everything organized, letting us prioritize tasks, track progress, and maintain a clear audit trail—no more sifting through scattered emails or Slack threads.

Clients email us at support@webrtc.ventures, and Zendesk takes over from there. Tickets are triaged into categories like Open, Waiting, Ongoing, or Solved. Each ticket gets a descriptive title and status updates, ensuring transparency and efficiency.

High-stakes support meets Slack

While Zendesk is perfect for day-to-day operations, some scenarios demand instant action. That’s where Slack shines. Urgent issues land in a dedicated Slack channel monitored by our on-call staff. Think of it as the fast lane for critical cases.

If an urgent issue surfaces, our team springs into action with a response time that’s quicker than you can say “queue”—15 minutes, tops! Zendesk takes the back seat in these cases but remains essential for documentation once the dust settles.

(For further reading: Utilizing Slack as a Support Channel in Managed Service Projects.)

The Zendesk workflow that works

Here at WebRTC.ventures, we’re all about keeping things simple, friendly, and effective when it comes to support. Whether it’s a quick fix or a challenging issue, our Zendesk workflow is designed to make life easier for everyone. From sorting tickets efficiently to keeping clients informed every step of the way, we’ve fine-tuned our process to deliver seamless and reliable support. Here’s how we do it:

1. Initial triage: The moment a ticket arrives, it’s assessed for urgency and categorized as low, medium, or high priority. Known issue? We acknowledge it and update the client on its status.
2. Reproducibility testing: Is it a ghost glitch, or can we recreate it? Logs and tools like Bugsnag help us get to the bottom of things.
3. Collaboration: If it’s a new issue, we’ll create a Jira ticket for the dev team, link it back to Zendesk, and share updates in Slack.
4. Regular updates: Our clients never feel left in the dark. Zendesk’s structure ensures they’re always informed of progress.
5. Monitoring: Here are some tools we use for general monitoring
   1. Alerts – Amazon EventBridge events + Amazon CloudWatch alarms with integration to Slack and Email notifications
   2. Logging – Amazon CloudWatch logs and Amazon S3 for logs storage
   3. User and error monitoring – Bugsnag exception tracking and troubleshooting context
   4. Infrastructure monitoring – Uptime for multi-location pings, monitoring, screenshots matched with error logs, and on-call alerting
6. Closure: Once resolved, we wrap up with a final update in Zendesk, ensuring clear communication and complete closure.

Why Zendesk rules the MSP world

Here are three reasons Zendesk is our MVP:

1. Centralized operations: Everything—tickets, status updates, client communications—lives in one place. It’s the brain of our MSP operations.
2. Scalability: Whether it’s a one-off bug or a barrage of tickets, Zendesk scales with us, keeping chaos at bay.
3. Client transparency: Clients can see the status of their tickets anytime. This builds trust and strengthens relationships.

Of course, our Zendesk journey wasn’t without its challenges. Early on, we learned the importance of clear protocols: Slack for urgent issues, Zendesk for structured processes. Mixing the two created inefficiencies, but once we aligned them, everything changed for the better.

Today, Zendesk is more than a tool, it’s the backbone of our MSP support system. Combined with Slack and well-defined workflows, we’ve built a powerhouse setup that delights our clients and streamlines operations.

Ready to elevate your support?

Partner with WebRTC.ventures and experience the difference a well-oiled MSP team can make. With our Zendesk-powered workflows, lightning-fast responses, and commitment to transparency, we’re here to supercharge your service delivery. Let’s talk!