Zendesk: Software for better customer service
Zendesk is a cloud-based customer service platform that enables enquiries from email, messaging, chat, telephone and other channels to be handled centrally. The integrated ticketing system brings together customer information, communication histories, knowledge bases, automations and AI within a single workspace.
Leafworks helps you implement, integrate and optimise Zendesk to suit your workflows. The aim is to create a setup that truly meets your requirements, reduces manual work, is sustainable and scalable, and functions reliably in day-to-day operations.
Why choose Leafworks for Zendesk:
- ~ 1,000 Zendesk projects implemented
- 450+ customers
- Zendesk Premier Partner
- largest Zendesk partner in the DACH region
What is Zendesk and how does the software work?
Zendesk is a customer service software platform for external and internal support. At its operational core is a ticketing system where requests from different channels are brought together, routed, handled and analyzed. This allows service teams to keep track of responsibilities, ticket status and previous interactions.
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Requests in one central workspace
Requests from email, contact forms, messaging, live chat, social media or phone support are brought together in the Zendesk Agent Workspace. -
One ticket per request
The message, requester, channel, status, assignee and previous interactions are documented in one ticket. Customer, contract, order or product data can be added where needed. -
Zendesk routes and automates
Routing rules assign tickets based on language, topic, priority, availability or service hours. Triggers, macros and automations handle recurring steps. -
Resolved by the team, through self-service or with AI
Agents work with customer context and relevant knowledge in a shared workspace. Common requests can be resolved through the help center, self-service or Zendesk AI agents. -
Results are analyzed
Reporting, quality assurance and workforce management provide visibility into ticket volumes, handling times, service quality and staffing requirements.
Zendesk refers to this expanded product approach as its Resolution Platform: people, knowledge and AI work together across different customer service channels. The ticketing system remains the operational foundation, but the Zendesk platform now covers considerably more than ticket handling alone.
Three service use cases for Zendesk
Zendesk covers three core service areas that share the same technical foundation but support different audiences and processes.
Customer service
As customer service software, Zendesk brings together requests from digital and phone channels, with ticketing, routing, automations, self-service, AI and reporting working in tandem. This suits high-volume B2C support as well as B2B organisations with complex cases and multiple contacts, from small teams to international service organisations with multiple brands and languages. Which features you actually need depends on your channels, processes and desired level of automation.
Explore our Zendesk consulting servicesEmployee service
Zendesk Employee Service centralises internal requests for IT, HR, finance, facility management and other departments: employees reach out by email, help center, Slack or Teams, and Zendesk structures the request, manages approvals and shows its status. This makes the biggest difference where separate inboxes, forms and personal messages still run the show, replacing them with a shared service catalogue, role-based knowledge content and automated workflows.
Learn more about Zendesk Employee ServiceContact center
Zendesk Contact Center is built for larger, more complex service environments that bring together voice, digital channels, AI and workforce engagement, with capabilities like advanced call routing, IVR orchestration, outbound functions, in-conversation AI assistance, and integration with quality assurance and workforce management. The difference from Zendesk Voice: Voice covers manageable inbound scenarios, Contact Center provides the foundation for high-volume operations.
Explore Zendesk Contact CenterThe most important Zendesk features at a glance
Zendesk has a modular structure. Which components make sense depends on your channels, processes, service goals and existing systems. The following areas form the basis of most Zendesk setups.
Ticketing and routing
The Zendesk ticketing system brings together service requests from every channel.
- Complete context: A ticket bundles messages, status, priority, assignee, tags and history.
- Targeted assignment: Groups, skills, SLAs and omnichannel routing assign tickets by defined criteria.
- Recurring workflows: Macros combine responses and actions, triggers and automations handle rule-based steps.
Messaging and live chat
Zendesk Messaging combines real-time and asynchronous conversations in a shared interaction history.
- Digital channels: Conversations run on the web, in mobile apps and through supported social messaging channels.
- Persistent context: Unlike traditional live chat, a conversation can be continued later, with its history intact.
- Handoff to the team: AI agents start conversations and hand them to human agents with the full history when needed.
For context: Zendesk Chat and Chat Enterprise apply only to existing customer setups; new implementations run under Messaging.
Voice and telephony
Phone enquiries can be handled natively in Zendesk or integrated through an existing solution.
- Zendesk Voice: Calls are handled in the Agent Workspace and linked to the corresponding ticket.
- Telephony features: Depending on configuration, queues, call forwarding, recordings and reporting are available.
- CTI and middleware: Existing phone systems stay in place and can be connected for specific routing or contact center needs.
Knowledge and self-service
Zendesk Knowledge provides a shared knowledge base for customers, agents and AI.
- Public help center: Users find answers, instructions and suitable contact options.
- Knowledge for the team: Internal content supports agents, forms collect the required information in a structured format.
- Foundation for self-service and AI: Information architecture, article structure, search and maintenance processes keep knowledge reliable and accessible.
Reporting and quality assurance
Zendesk uses operational data to make performance, workload and service quality visible.
- Standard metrics: Ticket volume, channels, response and resolution times, SLAs, customer satisfaction and activities.
- Custom reports: Dashboards can provide more detailed insights into service goals, brands, teams or contact reasons.
- Quality assurance: Systematic evaluation of interactions reveals recurring issues and coaching needs.
Workforce management
Zendesk Workforce Management connects expected request volumes with available capacity.
- Forecasting: Historical data supports estimates of future staffing requirements.
- Scheduling: Shifts and tasks can be aligned with actual demand.
- Operational overview: Current workloads remain visible, even with fluctuating volumes or distributed teams.
AI Agents solve – Copilot supports
Automations as the foundation
Triggers, macros, routing and time-based rules manage clearly defined workflows – including assignments, priorities, notifications and escalations. They complement Zendesk AI wherever conditions and outcomes can be clearly defined, and provide the foundation for the effective use of AI in customer service.
Explore Zendesk automations →What types of companies is Zendesk suitable for?
Zendesk is used by small support teams as well as international service organisations. The key question is how many channels, responsibilities, rules and systems your service needs to bring together.
Zendesk does not run itself, however. A setup that genuinely works starts with the processes that need to serve both customers and the service team – and with experts who know how to turn requirements into a working solution.
Connect Zendesk with your systems
Zendesk is particularly effective when agents can access information and actions from other systems directly within tickets. This reduces the need to switch between applications and gives them the context they need to handle each request.
How to connect Zendesk with your systems
Standard integration
Pre-built apps and connectors provide a quick starting point when the data model and workflow match the supported standard.
- Manageable setup effort
- Check permissions and error handling in advance
API and middleware
Custom integrations synchronise data or manage complete workflows across multiple cloud and on-premise systems.
- Validate, transform and enrich data
- Clearly define systems of record and handovers
Custom app in the Agent Workspace
A custom interface displays exactly the information and actions your team needs for each request.
- Fewer system switches during daily work
- Tailored to your roles and processes
What our customers say
As a sparring partner and integration partner, Leafworks is simply excellent. They are solution-oriented, easy to reach, respond quickly and always work with us on an equal footing. Even when requirements initially seem complex, they find good solutions relatively quickly.
We have felt well supported throughout the setup process and continue to do so today. Overall, our contacts have always been easy to reach and were able to help quickly and without complications in almost every case. Thank you very much!
Leafworks is a knowledgeable, solution-oriented and honest partner for us.
Our collaboration with Leafworks has been consistently positive and extremely pleasant. Everything worked smoothly, from the first contact through to implementation. The Leafworks team impressed us with its professionalism, expertise and open, friendly communication. We particularly appreciate their reliability, fast response times and the considerable commitment they showed in implementing our requirements. We are completely satisfied and look forward to many more projects together!
Our collaboration with Leafworks on the implementation of Zendesk was excellent. The project was delivered professionally, on schedule and with a high level of technical expertise. We are completely satisfied with the result and the way it was adapted to our processes. A big thank you to Dennis!
Leafworks implemented our project perfectly: competent, solution-oriented and always mindful of the bigger picture. From the initial setup to ongoing optimisation, we have felt extremely well supported. Highly recommended!
I have been very happy with our collaboration from the very first contact and still am today! With Leafworks’ help, we set up Zendesk to suit our needs perfectly. Even afterwards, every question, no matter how small, has always been answered in a friendly manner and extremely quickly, which I really appreciate. Thank you very much!
Leafworks handled the complete implementation of Zendesk for us. Based on our requirements, the system was ready for use within just a few weeks. Leafworks continued to support us after go-live, whether with fine-tuning, troubleshooting or the integration of additional features and connections. We will continue to rely on Leafworks because we always receive fast, straightforward and competent support.
We have been working with Leafworks for several years, and for good reason. There really is no task that the team has not completed to our full satisfaction. Whether acting as a strategic partner and consultant, handling major projects such as data integrations, custom apps and the introduction of Voice, or supporting adjustments to daily operations and process optimisation, Leafworks always delivers reliably, with a solution-oriented approach and an excellent understanding of our needs.
Leafworks was always there for us during the introduction of Zendesk, offering advice, practical support and extensive expertise. The project almost failed because of several complex, non-standard challenges, but Leafworks had a solution for every problem, whether our telephone system was incompatible or we received no notification when a contact did not have an email address. We now only conduct training with Leafworks because the people there are extremely competent and know exactly what they are doing.
The onboarding with Leafworks was very good. Everything was well planned, and we could always get immediate help whenever a problem or question arose. The team also listened to our requirements and found an individual solution. This allowed us to integrate all our existing data into Zendesk Guide effectively. We are grateful for the support we received and look forward to working together again in the future.
We have been working with Zendesk since 2012 and were able to rely on Leafworks’ support for the initial setup of our new help centre as part of our website relaunch in 2022. Everything went absolutely smoothly, from implementing intelligent contact forms and optimised ticket routing in the newly introduced Agent Workspace to supporting the creation and translation of dynamic content. Their advice on various improvements to the ticketing system was always constructive and extremely competent, and the implementation was remarkably fast. Special thanks go to Eren, who has always been quick to help with any questions and whose on-site training significantly improved our agents’ understanding. We are completely satisfied with Leafworks and look forward to the upcoming implementation of a new chatbot and our continued collaboration.
Leafworks supported us efficiently and effectively with restructuring and optimising Zendesk. Our consultant Tobi was always hands-on, enabling us to complete the project successfully, on schedule and without additional costs. Once our team is comfortable with the changes, we will start the second phase of our Zendesk project with Leafworks. You have certainly earned our trust. Thank you!
With Leafworks, we have found a partner whose expertise supports us with all our questions relating to Zendesk. The team knows exactly what it is doing, and that becomes clear from the very first interaction.
Leafworks provided excellent support with the initial setup of our Zendesk instance, the training of our employees and the introduction of our ERP integration. Every interaction I had with Leafworks was friendly, constructive and productive. I always received very good and, above all, fast assistance, and we feel that we are in very good hands. I look forward to our next projects with Leafworks with great confidence and to continuing our successful collaboration!
We chose Leafworks based on Zendesk’s recommendation. Leafworks handled the complete setup of Zendesk for us, including the connection of all our online shops and the migration from our previous CRM. The support provided by Leafworks was exemplary. The team stood out in particular for its excellent communication and in-depth expertise, which made the collaboration highly successful and allowed every challenge to be resolved. Nothing was left to be desired. We can recommend Leafworks without reservation and look forward to continuing our collaboration, as we regularly have specific requirements that Leafworks implements for us. We can also rely on the team at short notice whenever new problems arise. Thank you for the excellent support!
A strong partner for a great product.
Excellent software and a powerful customer support platform for email, Facebook chat, Instagram chat and bot conversations.
Everything in one place. A fantastic product!
Good integrations with Shopware and Plentymarkets.
Great automations and macros, and easy to use.
FAQs can be integrated into the online shop, which is also excellent.
And if something does go wrong, Leafworks’ Zendesk support is there immediately!
Implement, integrate and develop Zendesk
Zendesk provides the platform. We work with you to make sure it delivers what you need and fits your service goals, processes and systems – whether you are introducing Zendesk, migrating from another platform or developing an established setup.
Consulting and target design
- Clarify requirements and dependencies
- Define goals and priorities
Outcome: a practical roadmap
Implementation and migration
- Set up Zendesk
- Migrate data and processes in a controlled way
Outcome: a documented setup ready for go-live
Integrations and custom solutions
- Connect systems and data
- Develop custom apps and workflows
Outcome: fewer manual handovers in day-to-day work
Training and optimisation
- Involve your teams
- Review and develop the setup
Outcome: a reliable setup that works for the long term
Leafworks at your side
Leafworks is a Zendesk Premier Partner and certified for Zendesk AI. With around 1,000 successfully completed projects, we know what matters when implementing and developing Zendesk: processes that fit your customer service, fast implementation and results that noticeably reduce your teams’ day-to-day workload.
What we bring to your project:
- Extensive experience in AI automation and process design
- Our own add-ons, APIs and middleware for tailored integrations
- Certified implementation of Zendesk Copilot
- Dedicated contacts and long-term collaboration on an equal footing
What companies have achieved with Zendesk and Leafworks
Our projects range from rapid implementations to the migration of complex, international service organisations. These three examples show how the results can improve day-to-day work for both your customers and your teams:
Looking for more examples? Visit our customer page for more projects across different industries and company sizes.
View all customer storiesTalk to me about your Zendesk project
Whether you’re thinking about implementing Zendesk, further developing an existing setup, or want to integrate AI, telephony and other systems effectively: I’d be happy to work with you to assess what you need, what’s really worth doing, and what the next logical step should be.
During a free initial consultation, we’ll discuss your current situation, any questions you have and the specific requirements you’d like to see implemented. You’ll receive a well-founded initial assessment and concrete starting points for your Zendesk project – with no obligation, of course.
Marvin Post
Solution Hero
- Zendesk Introduction and Quick Start
- Zendesk AI Agents and Copilot
- Integrations and automations
- Migration to Zendesk
- Customer service processes
- Telephony and CTI
Frequently asked questions about Zendesk
Zendesk is a cloud-based platform for customer service, employee service and contact centres. At its heart is a ticketing system that centrally captures enquiries from various channels. It also includes features for messaging, telephony, knowledge management, self-service, reporting, automation and AI.
Emails, messages, forms and phone calls are recorded in Zendesk as tickets, complete with sender details, history and relevant context. Rules and routing mechanisms direct them to the appropriate team. Agents handle enquiries in a shared workspace, where they can access customer information, knowledge base articles, templates and AI support. Automations handle clearly defined steps; reports provide insight into volume, handling times and service quality.
Zendesk is a service platform with a ticketing system at its operational core. As the software stores customer, organisational and interaction data, it is also referred to as a service CRM. However, Zendesk does not necessarily replace a comprehensive CRM for sales and marketing. In many organisations, the existing CRM remains the primary system and is integrated with Zendesk so that agents can view the necessary customer data directly within the ticket.
Zendesk supports, amongst other things, email, web forms and the Help Centre, web and mobile messaging, social messaging, live chat, telephone support, SMS, as well as enquiries via APIs and other channel integrations. Regardless of the channel through which they are received, contacts are consolidated into tickets in Zendesk. The channels available depend on the chosen plan and any additional products or integrations.
Zendesk Chat is still available in existing environments. For new set-ups, however, Zendesk Messaging is the solution of choice. On 4 August 2026, Zendesk announced that it would be discontinuing Zendesk Chat for messaging-enabled accounts as of 31 January 2028. New implementations should therefore be based on Messaging; for existing Chat set-ups, features, integrations and the appropriate migration path must be reviewed.
Zendesk Chat is designed for synchronous conversations: the customer and agent are both online at the same time. Messaging can also be used in real time, but it permanently saves the conversation history and allows a conversation to be continued later or via another supported channel.
Zendesk AI Agents, on the other hand, are not a separate contact channel. They automatically handle enquiries within suitable channels, draw on approved knowledge sources, can carry out authorised actions and, where necessary, hand the case over to a service team along with the relevant context.
Telephony can be integrated natively via Zendesk Voice or Zendesk Contact Center, or through an external telephony solution. Depending on the provider, Marketplace apps and CTI integrations are available for existing phone systems. If these do not meet your requirements, a custom API or middleware solution can connect call events, customer data and tickets.
The right option depends on factors such as call volume, countries, inbound and outbound processes, routing, call recording, reporting and your existing telephony infrastructure. Find out more on our page about Zendesk telephony integration.
Zendesk Contact Center is an AI-powered contact centre solution built on the Zendesk Resolution Platform and Amazon Connect. It brings voice, digital channels and self-service together in a unified Agent Workspace. Its features include native inbound and outbound calling, advanced IVR workflows, call recording, real-time transcription and reporting. The solution is primarily designed for larger or more complex service organisations with high volumes and advanced operational requirements.
Zendesk Voice is especially suitable for teams with manageable, predominantly incoming telephony requirements and is closely integrated into the Zendesk Agent Workspace. Zendesk Contact Center also provides a more comprehensive CCaaS foundation for larger and more complex environments, including advanced IVR orchestration, predictive dialing, and deeper AI automation. Therefore, it is not individual functions that are decisive, but call volume, routing complexity, outbound demand and the requirements for scaling and control.
Zendesk can be used from small support teams to international service organizations. The decisive factor is less the number of employees than the complexity of customer service. Multiple channels, teams, brands or languages, binding service levels, automations and connected systems speak for a platform like Zendesk. For a very small team with few simple requests, a common mailbox can be enough first.
Zendesk pricing currently starts at €19 per agent per month for Support Team. With annual billing, Suite Team costs €55 and Suite Professional €115 per agent per month, while Enterprise plans are priced individually. Add-ons such as Copilot or Contact Center and usage-based services are charged separately. You can find the latest prices and included features on the official Zendesk pricing page.
The actual total cost also depends on the required licences, channels, AI usage, telephony and the work involved in implementation, migration and integrations. The right plan should therefore be selected based on a detailed requirements analysis.
With our Zendesk QuickStart, the period between project kick-off and go-live is typically six to eight weeks. A clearly defined setup can be implemented more quickly. Multiple brands or countries, data migrations, complex integrations and extensive automations can extend the implementation timeline. A reliable schedule can be established once the channels, processes, systems and dependencies have been clarified.
Yes. In a tailored Zendesk demo, we show you the areas relevant to your service processes and answer questions about features, licensing, implementation and integrations. Rather than providing a general product tour, we focus on how Zendesk can meet your specific requirements. You can request a Zendesk demo with Marvin.