At Avenue, all client requests, correspondence, and action items are managed through our CRM, Zendesk. We also coordinate across teams to ensure smooth communication and alignment on client issues.
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Items managed in Zendesk can include client inquiries and communications, special ad requests, new client setups, and more. This article will outline how to set up your views in Zendesk, some of the macros we use to efficiently handle client requests and share best practices for managing client inquiries.

Zendesk Views

In Zendesk, a view is a customized list of tickets that meet specific criteria. Views help our team members organize and prioritize their work by showing only the tickets relevant to them or their team.

Views make it easy to see and manage tickets based on status, type, assignee, priority, or other conditions.

• Examples:

  • Tickets assigned to you

  • Tickets assigned to a specific team

  • All open tickets from VIP clients

  • Pending tickets older than 48 hours

Views can be personal (just for you) or shared with like with the entire social team. You can create, modify, and sort views based on the criteria that make sense for your workflow.
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In short, a view is like a dynamic “to-do list” for your tickets that updates
automatically as new tickets come in or conditions change. Below, you'll learn how to set up the three social views the CMOps team uses.

Creating the Social View

Select the Ticket icon on the left-hand toolbar, and then select Manage views.

In the window that opens, select Add view and then name your new view Social (All).
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Under Who has Access select Only You, and then add the following Conditions:
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​DO NOT FORGET TO ADD A ROW FOR ASSIGNEE IS {YOUR OWN NAME}!
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Add the following columns:
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​Click Save

In this view, you will be able to see all of the CMOps team tickets that have been assigned to team members and if they need actioning.

We are each responsible for the tickets that relate to our client accounts, but having a view of everyone's tickets makes it easy to keep our eyes on urgent tickets and provide coverage for each other when a team member is away.

If you see a team member with many tickets, and you have some extra time, poke them on Slack and see if they need a hand. Alternatively, if you are feeling overwhelmed with tickets, send a message in the Social channel on Slack and see if someone can help out!

Create Your Personal View

Select the Ticket icon on the left-hand toolbar, and then select Manage views as you did in the first step.

In the window that opens, select Add View in the top right-hand corner and name this view Social - {Your Name}. Select Only You under Who has Access.

Add the following Conditions and Columns:

For the conditions, you will need to add a row for assignee is not for every member on the CMOps team aside from yourself.
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BE SURE TO ADD A ROW FOR ASSIGNEE IS {YOUR NAME} !
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Add these columns:

Click Save

In this view, you will see only the tickets that have been assigned to you. You are responsible for managing these tickets, client replies, actioning items, etc. This is the view you will be working out of most, and should be checked multiple times a day, like an email inbox.

Create Your Social Unassigned View

Select the Ticket icon on the left-hand toolbar, and then select Manage views as you did in the first step.
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In the window that opens, select Add View in the top right-hand corner and name this view Social (Unassigned). Select Only You under Who has Access.
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Add the following Conditions and Columns:
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For the conditions, you will need to add a row for assignee is not for every member of the CMOps team, including yourself.
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Add the same columns as the previous two views you set up.
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​Click Save.
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The Social Unassigned view has all the tickets that have been assigned to the CMOps team, but not to specific members. Tickets that are found here are generally new client set up, marketing inquiries from clients who are not aligned to a social package, or tickets from team members who are unsure about which CMOps team member manages the social account of the client.
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All members of the social team should be checking in on the Unassigned view, and action or assign tickets as they can; however, generally the lead will handle this view as most of the tickets will be set-ups which need to be distributed to the team evenly.

Common Types of Tickets:

The CMOps team uses Zendesk to manage all client communications. These communications can cover a wide range of topics, from social client requests to non-social clients with marketing-related inquiries.
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Tickets assigned to the social team are not always communications from clients and may also come from other team members, such as requests to action items on a client’s account, provide marketing stats, or share information about a specific client.
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​Zendesk gives us an efficient way to track all client conversations, requests, and communications in one centralized location.
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Some common topics for tickets include:

• New client set-ups

• Ad performance updates and metrics

• Special ad request

• Google Ads

  • Stats report or updates

• Ad Spend

  • Pausing ad spend

  • Requesting more ad spend

• Content post requests

• Issues with marketing

  • Errors with listing images

  • Mistakes on a content post

  • Poor ad performance

Tips for Communicating with Clients

When communicating with clients, it’s important to make your responses clear and easy to understand. Our work can be complex for clients who may not have much experience with social media or marketing, and we often use terms they might be unfamiliar with (for example, the difference between a post and an ad). The tips below will help you effectively handle client inquiries:

• Be concise – Keep your responses focused and to the point, so clients can easily understand the key message.

• Organize your response – Break information into bullet points or short paragraphs to make it easier to read.

• Provide examples – When explaining concepts like posts vs. ads, give real-life examples or screenshots to make it relatable.

• Confirm understanding – Ask if the client has any questions or needs clarification to ensure they fully understand.

• Be patient and empathetic – Remember that not all clients have marketing experience; approach questions with understanding and patience.

• Use visuals when helpful – Screenshots, charts, or links can clarify instructions or explanations.

• Follow up if needed – If a client’s request requires further action, clearly outline the next steps and timeline.

• Keep tone professional but friendly – Build trust by being approachable while maintaining professionalism.

• Document important communications – Use Zendesk notes to add any important context and track conversations, so nothing gets lost, and the team stays aligned.

Understanding Zendesk and Client Account Levels

Zendesk is a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool that helps us manage client accounts efficiently. It allows us to do some of the following:

• Access information about client accounts quickly

• Store and organize client contact information

• Communicate with clients directly

• Collaborate with other team members on client-related matters

All client accounts in Zendesk are organized into three main levels, which help you view and manage client information effectively:

1. Account Level – This is the highest level of organization in Zendesk. It represents the client’s overall account and contains general information about the business, active services, tags and all associated contacts.
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   You'll notice on the account level, there is a field on the left side for Social Team Member, which will tell you which CMOps team member manages the client's marketing services.
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2. User/Contact Level – This level focuses on individual people within the client’s organization. It stores details such as names, emails, roles, and any history of communication specific to that contact.
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   For teams, you'll see all team members who are included in a specific account. This could include the team lead, other agents, admin people, etc. For individuals, you may only see one user/contact, but you might also see other contacts, like admin people or other marketers that work with the agent.
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3. Ticket Level – Tickets are individual requests, communications, inquiries, or tasks submitted by the client or team members associated with the account. This level tracks the conversation, actions taken, and resolution for each specific issue, item, or request.
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   As you navigate through the different levels in Zendesk — Account, User, and Ticket — each selection opens a new page. This allows you to explore multiple tickets for a single user, view multiple users and their tickets within a single account, and more.
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   On each page or tab, you’ll see the Account, User, and Ticket IDs associated with the ticket. You can click these IDs to easily navigate between levels, making it simple to move back and forth as you manage client information.

By understanding these three levels, you can navigate Zendesk efficiently and ensure client information is organized and accessible.​

Search

In the top-right corner of Zendesk, you’ll find the search tool, which makes it easy to find specific tickets, users, or organizations.
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Simply type a name, keyword, or phrase into the search bar, and Zendesk will display all matching results, organized by tickets, users, and accounts/organizations. You can then toggle between these categories depending on what you’re looking for, helping you quickly locate the information you need.

When using the search bar, you can also select the blue-highlighted subject areas to refine your search to a category like ticket or user.

Understanding Ticket Statuses in Zendesk

Zendesk uses ticket statuses to help track the progress of client requests and ensure nothing falls through the cracks. Each ticket moves through different stages, allowing agents to quickly see its current state. The main ticket statuses are:

1. New – The ticket has been created but has not yet been assigned to an agent or actioned in any way. This is the starting point for all incoming and newly created tickets.

2. Open – The ticket has been assigned to an agent and is actively being worked on. Agents use this status when they are actively responding to or resolving the client’s request. Open is also applied to any ticket that has received a reply as an indication that it needs some attention.

3. Pending – The ticket requires a response or action from the client. For example, you might be waiting on additional information or confirmation before proceeding. When we send a communication to a client, we set the ticket to pending if we are awaiting a reply. It will automatically update to open when we receive a reply.

4. On-hold – The ticket is paused for internal reasons. This could be while waiting for resources, approvals, more information or coordination with other teams before further action can be taken. On-hold generally indicates we are waiting on something before we can take an action.

5. Solved – The ticket has been resolved and completed. No further action is needed unless the client reopens the issue.

6. Closed – The ticket is permanently closed and can no longer be updated. This status is automatically applied some time after a ticket has been marked as Solved.

Tips for Managing Ticket Statuses:

• Always update the status to reflect the current stage of the ticket.

• Use Pending or On-hold appropriately to signal when client or internal input is needed.

• NEVER send a ticket to another team member as pending, as this will not show up in their view. Always use New or Open.

• Solved and Closed statuses help keep your queue organized and prevent tickets from being overlooked.

Creating a Ticket in Zendesk

Creating a ticket in Zendesk allows you to document client requests, send communications to a client, or send inquiries from other team members. Tickets help ensure that each request is tracked, assigned, and resolved efficiently.
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We use Zendesk for all of our client communications and very rarely/never use our email accounts.
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Steps to Create a Ticket:

1. Click “Add” or “New Ticket” – In your Zendesk dashboard, look for the button to create a new ticket. The easiest way to create a ticket is to search for the account you are creating it for, select a user and then press New Ticket. This will populate the ticket with most of the information you need.

2. Select the Requester – If you haven't started with an account, choose the client or team member you are going to be in communication with or submitting the request to. Remember, even if this is team member to team member, the requester should be the account the request pertains to.

3. Add a Brand - This will always be AvenueHQ

4. Choose the Ticket Type – Determine what the ticket relates to. For most CMOps tickets, this will be Marketing.

5. Enter a Subject – Add a clear, concise subject line and remember the client will see the subject, just like an email!

6. Assign the Ticket – Assign the ticket to yourself to keep it in your own view, or another appropriate agent/team. If you are sending a request to another team member, make them the assignee.

7. Set Priority – Indicate the urgency (Low, Normal, High, or Urgent) to help prioritize work.

8. Add the Text – You'll need to determine if this ticket will need a public reply or an internal note. A public reply is just like sending an email to a client; an internal note is kept within our organization and is meant to add context and additional information to a ticket, or it can be used to communicate information about the ticket to other team members, like a request.

9. Submit the Ticket – Click Submit or Create to generate the ticket in Zendesk, and set the appropriate status.

Tips for Creating Effective Tickets:

• Always include enough detail so the assignee understands the issue without needing to ask follow-up questions.

• Attach screenshots or relevant files when possible.
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Internal Notes vs Public Replies in Zendesk

When managing tickets in Zendesk, it’s important to understand the difference between internal notes and public replies, as each serves a distinct purpose:
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1. Public Replies

• Who sees it: The client or requester. A public reply is just like an email, so be mindful of statuses.

• Purpose: To respond directly to client questions, provide updates, or share information about their request.

• Best Practices:

  • Use clear, professional, and client-friendly language.

  • Include all necessary information for the client to understand the response.

  • Avoid internal jargon or references that may confuse the client.

2. Internal Notes

• Who sees it: Only internal team members within our Zendesk account.

• Purpose: To communicate with teammates, provide context, share instructions, or document actions taken on a ticket without the client seeing it.

• Best Practices:

  • Include details that will help other agents understand the ticket history or next steps.

  • Use internal notes for reminders, escalations, or clarifications.

  • Keep language professional but focused on internal communication, not client-facing.

Quick Tip: Always double-check whether you are writing an internal note or a public reply before submitting a ticket update. Posting an internal note as a public reply can confuse clients, while keeping a public reply internal may delay their resolution.
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It doesn't have to be just one, though! Most tickets will have a series of both public replies and internal notes. You can send a client an email or a reply in a public reply, and write an internal note to another team member.
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Just be aware that toggling between public reply and an internal note will not save your work! So if you start writing an email as an internal note, copy the text, and then switch to a public reply and paste it.

Adding Your Name to the Social Team Member Field

Each client organization in Zendesk includes a Social Team Member field. This field identifies which CMOps team member manages the client’s marketing, helping other teams quickly route tickets and requests to the right person.

How to update the Social Team Member field:

1. In Zendesk, use the search bar to locate your client’s organization.

2. On the organization profile, scroll through the fields until you find Social Team Member.

3. Delete any existing name listed in the field.

4. Enter your own name in the Social Team Member field. You should see a pop-up on the right confirming the update