Automated ticket distribution

What is automated ticket distribution?

Automated ticket distribution, also known as ticket automation, is a help desk function that automatically assigns help desk tickets to support agents according to predefined rules. Each help desk has a different set of automated ticket distribution rules such as round-robin, ring to all, random assignment, or max utilization.

Automated ticket systems streamline this process, ensuring efficiency and reducing manual effort. Ticket automation is crucial in optimizing agent workloads and improving overall response times.

Why is automated ticket distribution important?

Automated ticket distribution can help your customer service teams in numerous ways. It can:

• Increase efficiency and productivity
• Shorten response and resolution times
• Leave less room for human error
• Save time and reduce costs

How does ticket routing work?

Ticket routing is a process within automated ticket distribution that ensures each incoming support request is directed to the most suitable agent. The system automatically assigns tickets to the right person based on predefined rules like agent availability, expertise, or workload. This streamlines operations and improves resolution times and overall customer satisfaction by getting the right help at the right time.

What types of automated ticket distribution methods are there in LiveAgent?

LiveAgent help desk software has multiple different automated ticket routing methods for incoming tickets, phone calls, and chats. Also, by integrating various communication channels, universal inbox features help support teams manage interactions more effectively.

These automated ticket distribution methods ensure your agents always have optimal service ticket loads, a rotating phone duty, and designated pause times for rest. With efficient ticket distribution in place, your team can manage workloads seamlessly. Combined with its many other features, LiveAgent support ticketing tool increases both customer and employee satisfaction, making it the best ticketing tool solution around.

LiveAgent’s chat routing options

Ring to all

The ring to all method notifies all online agents that there’s a new incoming call/chat and rings until it’s picked up.

Max utilization

The max utilization method assigns new chats to the agent with the highest number of running chats to keep utilization at the maximum level. Once the customer representative has no free chat slots, new chats will be routed to the next available agent. With this method, you can maximize the ticket volume for chatting agents and let other agents work on offline tickets.

Average utilization

The average utilization method assigns new incoming chats to the agents with the lowest number of running chats to keep the same utilization for all online agents. In essence, this automated ticket distribution method balances concurrent chats between all available support agents.

Random assignment

The random assignment ticket distribution method assigns tickets on a random basis. This ticket distribution method can on average, and over time, help you assign the same number of chats to each of your agents.

Chatting priorities

If you’d like, you can set up chatting priorities for specific agents. As a result, new chats will be routed to agents with the highest priority (1 – highest, 100 – lowest).

Max chat load

Define the maximum chat load volume for each agent. Once the maximum volume is reached, new chats will be routed to other online agents with high chatting priorities.

Phone routing and agent priorities

There are two options for phone routing:

• Random assignment – incoming calls will be assigned to an online agent at random.

• Priority assignment – incoming calls will be assigned to a free agent with the highest priority.

Call routing to a personal device

With LiveAgent, agents have the option to route incoming calls to a personal device, such as a mobile phone. This enables agents to provide customer support on the go.

How to set up automated ticket distribution in LiveAgent

Chat distribution

1. Log in to LiveAgent
2. Click on Configuration (cogwheel icon in the left-hand menu bar)
3. Click on Chat 
4. Click on Chat settings
5. Find the Chat routing section and select the distribution method that you prefer
6. Click Save

Call distribution

1. Log in to LiveAgent
2. Click on Configuration (cogwheel icon in the left-hand menu bar)
3. Click on Call
4. Click on Settings
5. Find the Call routing section and select the distribution method that you prefer
6. Click Save

Ticket distribution

Setting up automated ticket distribution for emails, social media queries, and knowledge base tickets can be done in two ways.

Ticket distribution via departments

1. Log in to LiveAgent
2. Click on Configuration (cogwheel icon in the left-hand menu bar)
3. Click on Departments
4. Either Edit an existing department or create a new one (if you’re creating a new department, ensure the To solve enabled option is checked)
5. Click on Agents and add the agents that will be responsible for solving the tickets from this department
6. Click Save
7. As an example, you can click on Twitter and Twitter accounts. Click Edit and in the Department section, select the department that you just created. This step can be recreated for Viber, Facebook, Instagram, call buttons, video chat buttons, chat buttons and invitations, contact forms, and mail accounts.
8. Click Save. From now on, any new Twitter tickets will be routed to the department that you selected, and will only be visible to the agents you’ve selected. New incoming Twitter tickets will show up in their To Solve section. Once an agent opens a ticket from the To Solve button, the system will automatically assign that ticket to them.

Ticket distribution via agents

1. Log in to LiveAgent
2. Click on Configuration (cogwheel icon in the left-hand menu bar)
3. Click on Agents
4. Click on Edit or create a new agent (if you’re creating a new agent, fill out their personal information and proceed to the next step)
5. Click on Departments and add them to the departments that they belong to (do the same in the Tickets, Chats, and Calls section)
6. Click Save

Utilizing rules to create your own workflows

If you want to go a step further, you can use automation rules to create unique workflows that act as ticket distribution methods. To do so, log in to LiveAgent, click on Configuration, select Automation, click on Rules and click Create.

Feel free to play around with different scenarios. When it comes to LiveAgent’s automation, the possibilities are endless.

Benefits of automated ticket distribution

Improved resolution times and customer satisfaction

When a ticket is assigned to the right agent at the right time through effective ticket routing, it can have a positive impact on its resolution time which in turn, can directly affect customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers are the cornerstone of every business, as they affect recommendations, online reviews, word-of-mouth, and sales. As such, every business should strive to keep their customers happy with excellent service, fast response times, and a personalized approach.

Automated ticket distribution saves time and money

Can you imagine assigning each ticket responsibility manually? Not only would this be an extremely time-consuming task, but it would also be very expensive. Thankfully, free help desk software like LiveAgent can handle automated ticket routing and automated distribution at scale. The automated distribution of tickets ensures that each request is assigned to the right agent efficiently and without delay. Leave the logistics to us, so your agents can focus on what’s important — nurturing customer relationships.

Knowledge base resources

To learn more about automated ticket routing, check out our knowledge base resources:

• How to automatically assign a ticket to an agent 
• How to automatically assign a ticket to an agent after they reply
• Departments set up
• How does chat routing work

Ready to distribute support tickets automatically?

Discover just how easy it is to provide personalized, timely, and knowledgeable support with LiveAgent. Start your free 30-day trial today. No credit card required.