Creating procedures for auto assist

Create procedures for auto assist to guide agents in resolving customer requests.
Define steps, actions, and macros for auto assist to suggest replies or actions.
Test procedures to ensure accuracy and refine as needed. Use best practices
like clear steps, agent-focused language, and consistent terminology to enhance
effectiveness. Procedures help auto assist provide relevant solutions based
on customer queries.




Procedures are the sets of written steps that
auto assist
should follow when suggesting replies, custom
actions, macros, or direct instructions to agents in a ticket.

This article contains the following topics:


About procedures for auto assist


Creating a procedure


Testing a procedure


Best practices for creating effective procedures


Example procedure


Related articles:


Turning on and configuring auto
assist


Viewing and managing procedures for auto
assist


Using auto assist to solve tickets




About procedures for auto assist


A procedure is a set of written steps that tells auto assist how to advise
an agent
in solving a user's request. Auto assist can suggest replies on any topic,
but to
achieve best performance, creating procedures is essential.


Custom actions, action flows, and macros available to all agents can
be linked
directly in procedures to ensure that auto assist performs the correct
action for a
user's request. Custom actions are currently limited to changing the
ticket status
and ticket assignee, standard and custom ticket field updates, tag updates,
custom API actions,
action flows,
and
certain Shopify actions.


You can also add direct agent instructions in an instruction block in
procedures to
tell agents how to manually perform steps that auto assist can't.


Auto assist knows which procedures to follow for a given customer request
as a result
of its LLM training. You don’t need to map specific procedures to specific
intents
or other ticket metadata in order for auto assist to suggest replies
or actions.
Instead, auto assist understands the content of a customer’s request
out of the box
and can map it to an existing procedure, if an admin has created one
that addresses
the topic the customer is asking about.


If a relevant procedure doesn't exist, auto assist provides suggestions
based on your
public help center articles that share the same brand and language as
the ticket. If
such articles aren't available, then auto assist provides suggestions
based on its
LLM training, which may be less grounded in your business context, or
similar solved tickets.


Auto assist has access to read the following standard ticket fields:


Assignee email
Assignee name
Brand
Priority
Requester email
Requester name
Status
Subject
Type
Tags (can read and update but not remove)


The Priority, Type, and Tags standard fields can be updated by auto assist.


Additionally, auto assist can read all custom ticket field types (except
for lookup
relationship fields). Auto assist can also update the following custom
field
types:

Checkbox
Date
Decimal
Dropdown
Number
Regex



You can write procedures in plain language that references these ticket
fields and
auto assist will use this information to suggest the best responses.


For example, you can leverage ticket fields in auto assist procedures
in the
following ways:



Brand-aware procedures


Select the correct refund duration from an existing procedure
based on
the ticket brand (for example, Brand X is 20 days, but Brand
Y is 30
days).


Use the account verification procedure for Brand X because
the ticket
brand is X.




Email confirmation


If the requester’s email address is example@acme.com, proceed
with the
refund process.







Creating a procedure


Admins can create new procedures. You can write procedures in all
Zendesk Support languages.



Tip: If you already have internal documentation
that explains how your agents should solve certain customer requests,
use that
content as a starting point for auto assist procedures.



When creating a procedure, you can insert actions, action flows, macros
available to
all agents, and instructions for agents.


To create a new procedure



In Knowledge admin, click Manage articles
( ) in the sidebar, then select Procedures.


Click Create procedure.

Alternatively, click the drop-down arrow next
to Create procedure and select
Use example. This populates the
procedure Name and content fields
with text that you can update as
needed.



In the Name field, enter a descriptive
name for the procedure.

This
name is used by auto assist to help connect the customer’s conversation
to
the right procedure. The procedure name appears only in Knowledge
admin, not
in the Agent Workspace for the agent.



To associate the procedure with specific brands, open the right-hand
Settings panel, click
Selected brands, then choose the brands
you want to associate the procedure with.




By default, your
procedure is automatically associated with all of your brands.



Click below the name field and enter the content for your procedure.

Procedures should be written as though you’re telling an agent
how to
perform an internal process. Format your procedure as a simple
step-by-step
breakdown of how to solve the customer’s request. Be specific
and use
consistent terminology throughout your procedure. See the
example procedure
below.

Alternatively, you can write a procedure as though you’re
engineering a prompt to be used with a large language model (LLM)
chatbot, such
as ChatGPT. For more information, see
OpenAI’s best practices on prompt
engineering.

You can do the following:


To add specific custom actions or action flows to your
procedure,
click Insert action ( )
in the
toolbar.

Alternatively, enter a forward slash
(/).

In the menu, select a standard action, a custom
action, or an action flow.




If you
insert a standard action, you must specify the value
you want
auto assist to update the ticket or field to. See
Standard actions for auto
assist
to learn more.


If no actions or action
flows exist, click Manage actions
to
create an action
or
action flow.


The
action or action flow is inserted into the procedure.
You can
hover to view what tasks it will perform.






To add a macro to your procedure, type a forward slash
(/)
and select Macros from
the menu.

Click a macro to insert it
into the procedure. Macros must be active and available
to all
agents to be inserted into a procedure.


If no active macros exist,
you can click Manage macros
to
create or update a
macro.





The macro
is inserted into the procedure. You can hover over
it to preview
it.



To add steps for agents to follow manually, click the
Insert
agent instructions
( )
icon.

In the Instructions for agent
text block, enter
the steps the agent should follow.





See
Creating instructions for
agents in auto assist procedures.






(Optional) Use the editing toolbar at the top of the page to add
headings, bold
and italic text, and bulleted and numbered lists. Currently, you
can’t include
images in procedures.


To publish your procedure, click the drop-down arrow next to
Save draft
and select Publish.


In the window that appears, click Publish.

Published procedures are
automatically available for auto assist to use.






Testing a procedure


You should always test your procedure before letting auto assist suggest
replies or
actions in a real-world setting.


To test a procedure



Limit the agents who can interact with auto
assist
to only those groups or agents who are performing the testing.


Create a messaging or email ticket
with the agent_copilot_enabled tag. Email tickets
must be created from an
email that's not associated with any agents in your Zendesk account,
as auto
assist doesn't respond to agent comments.


Try to solve the ticket with auto assist’s
help.


If you’re testing an
integration between auto assist and
Shopify,
you can
place test orders on your Shopify
store.




If auto assist isn’t offering the suggestions you want, update the
procedure to
be clearer and more concrete.


Repeat steps 1–4 as needed until auto assist is offering the suggestions
you
want. Creating good procedures is an iterative process and might
take a few
rewrites.





Best practices for creating effective procedures

When creating procedures, follow these best practices:


Write short, easy-to-follow steps.
Phrase your steps as straightforward
commands that an agent would take. For example: "Ask the customer
to watch this
video: &lt;link&gt;" Avoid prompts such as "Find the item the customer
asked for
and share the link with the customer" (auto assist can’t autonomously
search
your help center or website).


Address the agent perspective. Procedures
should be written as if you’re
talking to an agent. If you copy existing content from customer-facing
help
center articles, update them to reflect agent-focused considerations
and
actions.


Include feedback steps. Help auto assist
gather necessary customer input
to move on to the next step. For example: "Ask the customer if &lt;an
action&gt; worked."


Include actions where possible. Add
a standard or custom action that auto
assist can execute if the agent approves. For example: "Add book
to cart."


Include existing macros. Add macros
that are available to all agents so
that auto assist can suggest macros. You can add one macro per procedure
step.
Avoid adding other actions in the same step as a macro.


Be consistent with terminology. Always
use the same terms for your
products and services. That is, avoid using different words to refer
to a single
product or service.


Include conditions if necessary. If
you have different procedures based
on some condition (for example, subscribers vs. non-subscribers),
include that
information in the procedure. For example: “Greet the customer, ask
if they’re a
subscriber, and wait for their answer before proceeding.”


Test and learn. If auto assist isn’t
offering the suggestions you want,
update the procedure to be clearer and more concrete. See
Testing a procedure.





Example procedure


The example procedure below tells agent copilot how to help a customer
select the
right car for them.



Title

Advising customer how to select a car



Content


Step 1: Understand the customer's needs


Begin by asking questions to understand the customer's requirements:



What is the primary use for the car (commuting, family vehicle,
off-roading,
etc.)?

What is their budget for purchasing a car?
Do they have any brand or model preferences?


Step 2: Present suitable options from the list below


Based on the information gathered, present a selection of cars that
match their
criteria and are on the list below. If the desired car is not here,
you don’t
have it. Never list cars that are not on the list below.

For commuters:


Commuter car A: Known for its reliability, fuel efficiency, and
advanced
safety features. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance
costs,
engine type, and any other important details.&gt;


Commuter car B: Celebrated for its great fuel economy, comfortable
interior,
and durability. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance
costs,
engine type, and any other important details.&gt;


Commuter car C: Offers a balance of comfort, efficiency, and
technology
features. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance
costs, engine
type, and any other important details.&gt;


For families:


Family car A: A family favorite due to its spacious interior,
high safety
ratings, and good fuel economy. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel
efficiency,
insurance costs, engine type, and any other important details.&gt;


Family car B: Known for its third-row seating, robust safety
features, and
comfortable ride. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency,
insurance
costs, engine type, and any other important details.&gt;


Family car C: A larger SUV that offers ample space, towing capacity,
and
advanced tech options. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency,
insurance
costs, engine type, and any other important details.&gt;


For off-road enthusiasts:


Off-road car A: Renowned for its off-road capabilities and ruggedness.
&lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance costs, engine
type, and
any other important details.&gt;


Off-road car B: A reliable pickup with strong off-road credentials.
&lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance costs, engine
type, and
any other important details.&gt;


Off-road car C: Versatile and powerful, suitable for both work
and play.
&lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance costs, engine
type, and
any other important details.&gt;


For luxury seekers:


Luxury car A: Combines luxury with performance and advanced technology.
&lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance costs, engine
type, and
any other important details.&gt;


Luxury car B: Offers a plush interior, smooth ride, and cutting-edge
features. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency, insurance
costs, engine
type, and any other important details.&gt;


Luxury car C: Known for its elegant design, all-wheel-drive system,
and
high-quality cabin. &lt;Include real pricing, fuel efficiency,
insurance
costs, engine type, and any other important details.&gt;



Step 3: Discuss financing options


After the customer has selected a car, ask the customer if they would
rather pay
in cash or credit.


Step 4: Close the deal or offer a test drive

If the customer is ready to close the deal:


Thank them, ask for their name and phone number, and inform them
that they
will be contacted by another agent in 2 hours.


If the customer is not ready to make a choice:


Encourage the customer to take a test drive in the cars they
are most
interested in. If they agree, ask them for their name and phone
number. Then
tell them that someone will reach out within 1 hour to confirm
whether the
timing they suggested is available.


Extra information that you know of:

Our dealership offers a 7-day return policy, flexible financing options
(pay in
monthly or semesterly installments), and a complimentary loaner vehicle
during
service appointments. For every other question regarding financing
or
promotions, you cannot help.