Integrations
Zendesk integration with phone, chat, and your contact center
We connect Zendesk to CONTACT.WORK through the Zendesk API, built for your workflow during implementation. Incoming calls bring up the requester, their organization, and open tickets in front of the agent; once the call ends, Zendesk adds the recording, an AI recap, and the disposition to the ticket.
- Call logged to the customer record
- Task created: call back
- Recording attached
Capabilities
What you get with Zendesk
Options
Three ways to run calls with Zendesk
Pick the option by the window your agents work in all day – Zendesk or CONTACT.WORK. Tier 1 and tier 2 often pick differently, and the two setups run side by side.
The caller's ticket opens automatically
While the call is still ringing, the agent's Zendesk tab jumps to the caller: the user profile for a known number, the latest unsolved ticket if there is one, or a new ticket with the number already filled in. A good fit for support teams that live in Zendesk views all day.
- Known caller – user profile or open ticket
- Unknown caller – a new ticket with the number filled in
- On transfer, the colleague gets the same ticket
Zendesk data inside the agent form
Agents handle phone and chat from the CONTACT.WORK workspace. Zendesk supplies the requester, organization, and recent tickets to the call form, and the agent picks a disposition at the end. CONTACT.WORK then updates the ticket or opens a new one and sets the group and assignee.
- Zendesk fields you choose, right in the form
- One window for calls and messages
- The outcome reaches the ticket without copy and paste
- Deal "Order #1024" created
- Owner: sales manager Oleg
Calls answered without leaving Zendesk
For teams that want everything inside Zendesk, we build a private app on the Zendesk apps framework, or use Talk Partner Edition, the Zendesk option for outside phone systems. Agents answer, transfer, and dial from a panel in Zendesk, while CONTACT.WORK runs the lines, queues, and recordings behind it.
- Agents set Ready / Not ready from Zendesk
- Answer, hold, and transfer from Zendesk
- Supervisors keep queue views in CONTACT.WORK
| Oleg | On call 02:14 |
| Maria | Available |
| Igor | Break |
Discovery shows which option suits each team, and teams can mix them.
How it works
Common to all three options
Ticket history
The whole conversation trail on the ticket
A support manager opens a ticket and sees every call and message about it: who called, when, how long the call took, the recording, and a few lines on what was agreed. A missed call can reopen the ticket or create a new one, so nobody forgets to call back.
- Recordings play from the ticket comment
- AI summary instead of manual call notes
- Missed calls become follow-up tickets if you want
- Call 3:12 · Anna · recording
- WhatsApp: "When will it arrive?"
- Missed call → task "Call back"
- Deal #1024 moved to "Contract"
Ticket-aware routing
Calls go to the people who already know the case
The platform checks Zendesk before routing: a customer with an open ticket reaches the assignee or their group, and calls from organizations you choose can skip ahead in the queue. If the assignee is busy, the call moves to the group's overflow rules.
- Assignee and group come from Zendesk
- Priority for chosen organizations
- Overflow to the group when the assignee is busy
- ▶ Call recording 3:12 · yesterday
- Incoming call → routed to Oleg
Setup
How a Zendesk project runs
- 01DiscoveryWe look at your groups, views, ticket fields, triggers, and the phone numbers your customers dial, and settle what agents must see during a call.
- 02AccessYour Zendesk admin creates an API token for a dedicated integration user with the right role. We never ask for personal passwords.
- 03DevelopmentWe build the Zendesk API exchange and, if you chose it, the panel inside Zendesk for your account.
- 04MappingWe match each agent to a Zendesk user, each phone line to a group, and call dispositions to ticket fields, statuses, and tags.
- 05TestingUsing a sandbox or a test brand, we try calls and chats as a new caller and a known caller, plus an open ticket, a transfer, an unanswered call, and an after-hours call.
- 06Go-liveAgents switch to the new process, and during week one we check CONTACT.WORK reports against Zendesk data and adjust what needs it.
Requirements
What you need on the Zendesk side
- Zendesk
- Zendesk Support or Zendesk Suite with API access
- Access
- An API token and an integration user with permission to read and update tickets
- Panel in Zendesk
- Needed for the in-Zendesk panel only – a Zendesk plan with private apps, or Talk Partner Edition
- Telephony
- Your current numbers and carrier; number porting, if needed, is done by the carrier
- Where the platform runs
- CONTACT.WORK cloud (hosted) or on-premises
- Cost
- Our hours: $60 each on Pro (8 or more a month) or included Maxi hours; Zendesk bills Zendesk seats
Preparation
What to bring to the first call about Zendesk
Q&A
Frequently asked questions
Is there a prebuilt Zendesk app for CONTACT.WORK?
No. We connect Zendesk to CONTACT.WORK through the Zendesk API and fit the integration to how your support team works as part of implementation. That way it follows your groups, fields, and triggers instead of a fixed template.
Do we have to stop using Zendesk Talk?
No, not all at once. Some teams move every line to CONTACT.WORK, others keep Zendesk Talk on some lines and move one team at a time. We plan the order during discovery so customers can reach you the whole time.
Will the call recording be in Zendesk?
Zendesk shows a playable link and an AI summary in the ticket comment. The audio file itself is stored by CONTACT.WORK – in our US and UK cloud or on-premises – and your access rules apply.
How do we handle call recording laws in the US?
Federal law allows one-party consent, but states such as California, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Washington require all parties to agree. Callers hear a recording announcement as soon as the call connects; your legal team decides the wording.
Do agents need extra licenses?
CONTACT.WORK has no license fees and no per-seat fees for agents. Zendesk seats stay as your Zendesk plan defines them – we agree during discovery who works in which system.
What happens to calls if we switch help desks later?
Your lines, queues, IVR, and recordings live in CONTACT.WORK, not in Zendesk. If you change help desks, only the data exchange needs to be rebuilt.
What does a support manager see?
Live queues, agents on calls, hold times, and abandoned calls in CONTACT.WORK, with the option to listen in or whisper to an agent. Each Zendesk ticket keeps its own call history, so the views and SLA policies your team uses keep working as before.
Does Zendesk need a maintenance window?
No maintenance window is needed. The integration works through an API token and a dedicated user, and we test it in a sandbox or a test brand before it touches live tickets. Lines switch over one group at a time.
Can a missed call reopen a solved ticket?
It can, if you turn that rule on. A missed call from a requester with a recently solved ticket reopens it, and a missed call from anyone else opens a new ticket for a callback. We agree on the rules and time limits during discovery.
How much does the integration cost?
CONTACT.WORK and Zendesk bill separately. The Zendesk build is added to the support plan you already have with us. What you pay us for is the Zendesk integration, billed by developer hour: $60 an hour on Pro, bought 8 hours a month or more, or taken out of the 40 hours Maxi comes with. We run discovery first, estimate the scope, and begin after you approve it. Agents use CONTACT.WORK without license or seat charges, and our prices exclude applicable taxes. Zendesk seats, Talk, and other add-ons stay on your Zendesk invoice – make sure your Zendesk plan gives you API access.
Glossary
Terms on this page
- API (application programming interface)
- The way programs exchange data with each other without a person in the loop. Learn more →
- Cloud deployment (cloud)
- The platform runs on the vendor's servers, and agents connect over the internet. Learn more →
- On-premises deployment
- The system runs on the company's own servers, not in the vendor's cloud. Learn more →
- Callback
- The customer doesn't wait on hold but asks for a callback – and gets one when an agent is free. Learn more →
- Call recording
- Calls are saved so they can be replayed and disputes settled. Learn more →
- REST: exchanging data between systems over HTTP
- The standard way software exchanges data over the internet. Learn more →
- Supervisor
- Leads a team of agents: watches the queue and quality, helps and coaches. Learn more →
- Hosting
- You rent a server from a provider instead of buying one. Learn more →
- IVR (interactive voice response)
- A phone menu: the caller hears a greeting and picks the right department. Learn more →
- Abandonment rate
- How many callers hang up before an agent answers. Learn more →
- Whisper coaching
- Supervisor coaching that only the agent can hear. Learn more →
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