Zendesk for Shopify stores: what Backbone sets up

Zendesk is the customer service platform on which Backbone Customer Service runs all customer service for Shopify stores. Every client gets their own fully configured Zendesk Enterprise environment as part of the engagement: connection to your Shopify store(s), macros in your tone of voice, AI workflows, SLAs, routing and four real-time dashboards.

Why we run Shopify customer service on Zendesk

A store with a few hundred to a few thousand conversations a month needs more than a shared mailbox. You want routing, priorities, agreed response times, measurable quality and room for AI. Zendesk delivers that at enterprise level, and we have worked in it daily since 2020.

Triggers and automations put every ticket with the right team, at the right priority, for the right store or language. Agreed response times are measured per ticket instead of estimated afterwards. Zendesk Analytics is the source for your dashboards, with volume, response times, CSAT and performance per agent. AI workflows and the integrations with Shopify and other tools run in the same environment, and multiple stores, brands and languages fit in one environment with separate macros and policies per store.

2020the year the founders started working as Zendesk professionals

40+stores and agencies for which we configured and run Zendesk

4real-time dashboards built on Zendesk and Shopify data

What we configure for every store

Connection to your Shopify store(s)Every Shopify order is connected to Zendesk. Order, payment and shipping status sit next to the conversation, so an agent does not switch between systems. Multiple stores come into one environment, each with its own brand and policies.
ChannelsEmail forwarding from your own support address, a chat widget in your storefront where it fits, and WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger in the same inbox.
Macros in your tone of voiceStandard answers for order status, returns, delivery times, discount codes and address changes, written in your brand's voice and tied to your policies. Agents and AI use the same set.
AI workflowsRoutine questions are recognized and answered directly, with an agent watching. Anything AI is not sure about goes to a person.
Views, priorities and SLAsWork queues per store, language and urgency. The agreed response time (standard around eight hours, premium around three) is configured as an SLA policy and measured per ticket.
Measuring satisfactionAfter resolution we ask the customer for a short rating (CSAT), so you see quality in numbers.
Help centerWhere it fits we build a help center in your brand style, so customers find answers to common questions themselves and less ends up in the inbox.

The four dashboards you always get

Every client gets four real-time dashboards, built on Zendesk Analytics and your Shopify data. The ticket dashboard shows volume, response times, handling times and CSAT per channel and per store. In the ticket portal you read every conversation with your customers, at any time. The refunds overview is an automatic report of every refund from Shopify, with reason and amount. The disputes overview holds every open and closed dispute from all your payment providers (Shopify Payments, PayPal, Stripe, Klarna, Whop, Ocean Payments and more), with status, last action and dispute rate per store and per provider.

You also see why customers get in touch. Contact reasons per period show which questions you can prevent with a better product page, a clearer return policy or a different carrier.

Every month we go through what is causing disputes and refunds with you. Sometimes it is a product that keeps coming back, sometimes a carrier that is structurally late, sometimes a product page that sets the wrong expectations. Those insights bring volume down, which is worth more than only answering it faster.

Already on Zendesk, or on another tool?

If you already work in Zendesk, we decide during the intake whether to take over your environment or rebuild it. Rebuilding is often faster and cleaner than cleaning up years of old triggers. If you work in another helpdesk, we configure a new Zendesk Enterprise environment and bring your macros and knowledge base along. Most stores are live within three days, setups with multiple stores or languages within one to two weeks.

This is how working with Backbone works, and these factors drive the cost.

Frequently asked questions about Zendesk at Backbone

Do I need to buy Zendesk myself?

No. A fully configured Zendesk Enterprise environment is part of the engagement. You do not sign up for licenses, build triggers or maintain integrations.

Can I log in and read along?

Yes. Through the ticket portal you read every conversation with your customers, and through the ticket dashboard you see volume, response times and customer satisfaction in real time.

Does it work with multiple Shopify stores or brands?

Yes. Multiple stores come into one Zendesk environment, with their own macros, policies and reporting per store. Agencies and communities that bring several stores work the same way.

How does Shopify order data reach the ticket?

Through the integration between your Shopify store and Zendesk. Every order from your store(s) is connected, so in every conversation the agent sees the order, the payment and the shipping status and can answer a question about an order in one go.

Which AI do you use in Zendesk?

AI workflows inside the Zendesk environment that recognize and answer routine questions with the same macros and policies as our agents, with an agent watching. Anything AI is not sure about goes to a person.

Do you measure customer satisfaction?

Yes. After resolution the customer gets a short rating request (CSAT). That score shows in your ticket dashboard. For one of our clients, CSAT rose from 63% to 91% in four months this way.