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Comparing Zendesk's Side Conversation Child Tickets with SweetHawk's Tasks & Subtickets App: A Comprehensive Analysis

In the dynamic world of customer support, efficient ticket management is crucial for maintaining high levels of service and satisfaction. Two popular tools that enhance ticket management within Zendesk are the Zendesk Side Conversation Child Ticket feature and the SweetHawk Tasks & Subtickets app.

While both aim to streamline workflows and improve collaboration, they offer distinct functionalities and benefits. This article covers the following topics:

  • Comparative analysis of the two solutions, highlighting their features, advantages
  • Ideal use cases to help you determine which tool best fits your support needs

 

Description SweetHawk Tasks & Subtickets App Zendesk Side Conversation Child Tickets Notes

Child ticket is present on the parent ticket once the child ticket is created

 Y Y  

Assign child ticket to a group

 Y Y  

Assign child ticket to a specific agent

 Y N  

Assign a different form & ticket fields to the child ticket

 Y N  

Copy the entire parent ticket to the child ticket; this includes forms, ticket fields and comments

 Y Y  

Copy specific ticket fields fields from the parent ticket to the child ticket

 Y N  

Zendesk Agent workspace required

 N Y  

Basic pre-built reporting available in Zendesk Explore

 N N  

Custom reporting recipes available

 Y Y

Sweethawk:

Side conversations:

  • Require a manually created trigger to tag each child ticket created
  • Then build custom reports from there.
  • Trigger example can be found here.
  • Reporting with tags reporting recipe can be viewed here.

Attachments in child ticket from parent

 Y N  

Automatically create a child ticket (or a series of child tickets) via a trigger based on a field selection or action performed

 Y N  

Side conversation conditions inside triggers which target side conversation child tickets specifically

 Y - can be done by Identifying child tickets with tag N  

Automatically update the parent ticket based on actions performed in the child ticket

 Y N  

Child tickets visible in custom views

 Y Y Utilising a tag condition
  • SH adds tags automatically
  • ZD SC requires you to manually build a trigger in order to add a tag to the child ticket

Utilises Webhooks

 Y N  

Child ticket status is visible on the parent ticket

 Y Y*
  • SH the status of the child ticket is visible inside the app at first glance
  • *ZD SC the agent needs to click into the side conversation to then view the status of the child ticket

Set a different requester for the child ticket

 Y N* *ZD SC The requester of the child ticket is automatically set to the agent who creates the child ticket

Light agents can create child tickets

 Y N  

Add a light agent as a CC to the child ticket

 Y N  

Light agents can be assigned child tickets

 N N  

Easy to use interface

 Y Y  

Requires installation into Zendesk as a third party app

 Y* N *SH is a 3rd-party app which requires a simple one time installation and a Sweethawk subscription

Included with Zendesk

 N Y* *ZD SC is a feature built into Zendesk and available with an existing Zendesk subscription

 

Ideal use cases:

These are example use cases of how you might utilise these features within your Zendesk workflows. 

 

Zendesk Side Conversation Child Ticket Feature

  1. Internal Collaboration:

    • Ideal for support teams needing to communicate with other departments (e.g., engineering, finance) without leaving the ticket interface. Side conversations allow for seamless internal discussions without cluttering the main ticket thread.

  2. Vendor/Partner Communication:

    • Perfect for reaching out to external vendors or partners to resolve customer issues. Side conversations can be used to request additional information or support, keeping the main customer-facing ticket clear and focused.

  3. Multi-Step Resolution Processes:

    • Useful for complex issues requiring input from multiple stakeholders. Each side conversation can address different parts of the problem, with all responses tracked within the parent ticket.

SweetHawk Tasks & Subtickets App

  1. Task Management:

    • Great for breaking down large, complex tickets into smaller, manageable tasks. Each subtask can be assigned to different team members, ensuring a clear division of labor and progress tracking.

  2. Project Management:

    • Ideal for managing projects that require tracking multiple interconnected tasks and deadlines. Subtickets can represent different project milestones or phases, with dependencies and timelines managed within Zendesk.

  3. Workflow Automation:

    • Useful for automating repetitive or routine tasks. SweetHawk allows you to create workflows that automatically generate subtickets based on specific triggers, streamlining processes and reducing manual effort.

  4. Detailed Reporting and Analytics:

    • Beneficial for teams needing detailed insights into task and ticket progress. SweetHawk’s subtickets can provide granular data for reporting, helping managers track performance and identify bottlenecks.

For more information on both tools referenced in this guide, please see the following: 

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