Getting Started

Process of Replying to and Closing Requests

You can receive requests from customers through telephone, e-mail, customer portal, web form, discussion forum, twitter & facebook. These tickets are automatically converted into requests in Zoho Support. You can create Service-level Agreements and workflow rules for requests. Once you assign a request to a support representative, they can analyze and reply to it using various e-mail templates, default as well as custom templates. They can also add the solution for most commonly asked questions in a knowledge base that can be made available to both support representatives as well as customers. Refer to the figure below for more information.

Procedures

This section includes step-by-step instructions for tasks that you should complete before you start receiving and replying to tickets.

Configuring the Mail-Server Settings

To receive e-mails and reply to them, you must configure the settings of your mail server. By default, Zoho Support enables you to create an e-mail account while you signup. The default e-mail account would be auto generated using your portal name (i.e, if you had entered 'zillum' as portal name, your e-mail address would be <zillum>@zohosupport.com.

You can share this e-mail address with your customers and, e-mails sent to it will be received as requests in your Zoho Support account.

You can as well add your own support e-mail address as POP, to receive e-mails sent to them as requests.

For more information, see Mail Server Settings.

Adding the Details and Logo of your Company

To give a personalized look to your account, Zoho Support allows you to replace the default logo with your company's logo instead. This logo will be visible to all the users within your account. You can also add details regarding your company in the support portal.

To add the details and logo of your company, follow the steps given below:

1. Click Setup
2. In the Rebranding section, click Logo
3. In the logo page, click Choose File .
4. You can upload your logo by selecting the appropriate logo file.
5. Click Save.

Adding your Timezone, Country and Language

You can set the timezone, set the country and change the language that you want to use Zoho Support in. To make these settings, follow the steps given below:

1. Click Setup
2. In the Personal Settings section, click My Information
3. In the Locale Information section, select your choice of language, country and timezone
   
   
4. Click Save

Adding Departments

Departments are the various divisions in your organization. Divisions may be based on different products, physical locations or teams. Zoho Support allows you to manage the customer support separately for each department in your company.You can do the following for each department:

• Specify support agents
• Configure separate e-mail addresses
• Track support requests and contacts separately
• Set workflow rules
• Define service-level agreements
• Specify business hours

To add a department, do the following:

1. Click Setup
2. In the Organization Settings section, click Departments
3. Click Add Department
4. Enter a name for the department
5. Enter the name to be displayed in Customer Portal for the department
6. Enter a description about the department
   
7. Choose whether you want to show the department in Customer Portal

   

8. Click Save

You can create support representatives and add them to a department or you can associate an existing support representative with a new department. For more information, see Adding Support Representatives and Departments.

Determining the Types of Users

In Zoho Support, there are three types of users. These are as follows:

• Administrators: Administrators are users who can configure and manage all the settings of the support portal.
• Support Representatives: Support representatives are users who works on requests sent by customers. They can perform specific tasks, besides working on requests, as allowed by an administrator.
• Contacts: Contacts are your customers. They can send requests to receive support from the support center. They have access to the customer support portal. For more information, see Customer Support Portal.

Adding Support Representatives

To add support representatives, follow the steps given below:

1. Click Setup > Users & Permissions > Users
2. In Users page, click Add Support Rep button
   
   
3. Specify the mandatory field information of the user(as shown above).
4. Click Create New Support Rep button
   
   The System sends an invitation to User's registered e-mail address following which the user has to accept the invitation and follow the log in steps.

For more details, refer Manage Support Reps

Show/Hide Tabs

Tabs represent the different modules or functions in Zoho Support. In Zoho Support there are 10 modules which can be customized as per the organization's process only by the user of Administrator profile. The option to organize tabs allows organizations to display only the relevant number of modules. You can also change the order of the modules by moving them up or down the list.

To Organize Tabs, do the following:

1. Log in to Zoho Support with Administrator privileges.
2. Click Setup > Customization > Tabs .
3. In the Organize Tabs page, use the horizontal arrows to select/deselect the tabs and use the vertical arrows to organize the tabs order.
4. Click Save .

Rename Tabs

The Zoho Support system provides an option to rename the standard tab names according to industry-specific terminologies. For instance, the “Solutions” tab can be renamed as “Knowledgebase” in an educational institute. Users with Administrator privileges can change the tab names except for custom reports and dashboards.

To rename Tabs, do the following:

1. Log in to Zoho Support with Administrator privileges.
2. Click Setup > Customization > Tabs .
3. In the Rename Tabs section, click Edit for the tab name to be changed.
4. In the Change Tab Name section, specify the name in the below two New Tab Name fields.
• Provide the name in Name to be displayed in Tabs .
• Provide the name in Name to be displayed in Links/Commands .
5. Click Save .

Adding Fields

You can create custom fields for each module based on your organization requirement. To create custom fields, do the following:

1. Click Setup > Customization > Fields .
2. In the List of Fields page, select a module for which you need to create a custom field.
3. Click New Custom Field .
   
   
   
4. In the Create Custom Field page (as shown above), do the following:
• Select the Field Type from the list. (Text, for example)
• Enter the field name in the Label box.
• Enter the maximum Length of the value to be entered.
• Check to show this field in the Customer Portal.
5. Click Save .

Modifying Pick Lists

To edit the default pick list values or to add new pick list values in the field of any module, do the following:

1. Click Setup > Customization > Fields .
2. In the List of Fields page, click the Edit link to modify an existing pick list.
   The system displays the existing pick list values.
3. Perform the following actions:
• Edit the existing pick list values.
• Click Add New Values to add more pick list values.
• Select the Use Default Value check box, if required.
• Select the Sort Values alphabetically, not in the order entered check box, if required.
4. Click Save .

Mapping Dependency Fields

This page allows you to create dependencies between two picklist fields. You have to create two pick list fields and then select the parent and child field to be dependent. You can then map the parent field value with the respective child field value. To map dependency fields, do the following:

1. Click Setup > Customization > Fields
2. Click Map Dependency Fields .
3. Click New .
4. In the Map Dependency Fields page , select the Parent Field and the Child Field to be dependent.
5. Following this map the parent fields with the respective child field.
6. Click Save and use the Parent, Child field in the respective Module.

Configuring Workflow Rules

Automate your business processes by setting email alerts, tasks and assignment values using Work Flow Rules when certain conditions of the specified modules are met. You can set the Work Flow Rules for all the modules. Please note you can activate or deactivate a workflow rule as per your need. Refer the link below to configure your workflow settings:

Work flow rule settings

Customer Portal Settings

Customers sometimes may not want to contact the helpdesk due to the delay in e-mail response. In such situations, customer support portal is an advantage wherein they can search for suitable resolution to their queries. If their issue is still not resolved, customers can submit their request and track the status of it directly from the online portal instead of contacting the support center.

To configure the customer self service portal, please refer the link customer portal settings.

Forgot Password

If you (administrator) forget the password, please follow the steps given below to reset the password:

1. Visit http://www.support.zoho.com/
2. Click Forgot Password link.
   
   
3. Enter the e-mail address which you have given when registered with Zoho.
4. Do the Image Verification and click Request.
   Reset password link is sent to your e-mail address.
5. Click on the link to reset the password.
6. Enter the new password and confirm the same.