Keeping your Zendesk schedules up-to-date ensures smooth operation and avoids missed service level agreements (SLAs) and deadlines. However, remembering to update them annually can be unreliable. Here's where the SweetHawk - Recurring Tickets app comes in. This handy Zendesk add-on allows you to automate the creation of yearly recurring tickets, prompting your team to review and update the schedule(s) when necessary.

This guide will cover the following topics:

• Creating a recurring ticket template
• Configuring the recurring ticket schedule
• Test and refine

Requirements:

• A Zendesk account with admin privileges.
• The SweetHawk Recurring Tickets app installed in your Zendesk. You can find it on the Zendesk Marketplace: SweetHawk - Recurring Tickets

Create a recurring ticket template:

1. Navigate to the Recurring Tickets app in your Zendesk > Click Ticket templates on the left side menu.
2. Click Add ticket template in the top right corner.
3. Give your template a descriptive name, like "Update Schedule in Zendesk".
4. Define the ticket details:
   • Requester: Set the requester of the ticket. This could be yourself or one of the other Zendesk admins on your account.
   • Assignee: Choose who the ticket will be assigned to (e.g., a specific agent or team).
   • Subject: Enter a clear subject line reminding users about the yearly schedule update e.g. "ACTION REQUIRED: Update Schedule in Zendesk".
   • Comment: Craft a message explaining the purpose of the ticket and any additional instructions. You can include a link to a guide on updating schedules or relevant resources.
   • Additionally, you can populate other standard or custom ticket fields as needed.
5. Click Save.

Example:

Configuring the recurring ticket schedule:

1. 1. 1. 1. Navigate to Ticket Schedules in the Recurring Tickets app.
         2. Click Add schedule.
         3. Define the recurring ticket:
            • Frequency:
              • Configure how often the recurring ticket will be created. In this case 1 each Year.
              • Set the date which you would like the first recurring ticket to be created.
            • Ticket Template: Set ticket template which you created in the previous step - Update yearly schedule. 
              
              • After you set the ticket template, the rest of the fields will populate automatically. 
         4. Click Save.

Example:

Test and Refine (Highly Recommended):

Before letting the automation run, it's wise to test it out. Click the three dots next to your new schedule and select "Run now." This will create a sample ticket based on your template settings.

Review the sample ticket and make any necessary adjustments to the template or schedule.

SweetHawk will now automatically generate tickets at your chosen yearly interval, prompting your team to review and update Zendesk schedules.

Example:

Additional Tips:

• Consider including a checklist or specific instructions within the ticket template to guide users through the schedule update process.
• You can set up reminders within the recurring ticket itself to nudge users to complete the update within a specific timeframe.

By setting up automated yearly reminders with SweetHawk, you can free up valuable time and ensure your Zendesk schedules remain accurate and efficient.