HubSpot Tickets and WhatsApp: Automating New Ticket Creation After Close
Integrating WhatsApp with HubSpot's Service Hub can streamline customer communication, but sometimes the default behavior doesn't perfectly align with your desired workflow. One common challenge arises when you want to automatically create a new ticket each time a customer replies on WhatsApp, even after a previous ticket has been closed. Let's dive into a HubSpot Community discussion that tackles this very issue.
The Challenge: New WhatsApp Message, New HubSpot Ticket
The original poster wanted to configure HubSpot so that any new WhatsApp message from a customer would automatically create a brand new ticket, regardless of whether a previous conversation had been closed. The goal was to ensure that each new interaction was treated as a fresh case, with a unique ticket ID.
The default HubSpot behavior, however, is to reopen the existing ticket when a customer replies on WhatsApp within a 24-hour window. This is because HubSpot treats subsequent messages within this timeframe as part of the same ongoing issue.
Exploring Solutions and Workarounds
Several approaches were discussed in the HubSpot Community to address this challenge. Here's a breakdown of the proposed solutions:
1. Ticket-Based Workflows for "Simulated" New Tickets
One respondent suggested using ticket-based workflows to mimic the creation of a new ticket. Here's how this workaround functions:
- Enrollment Trigger: The workflow is triggered when a ticket's status is set to "Closed" and the ticket receives new activity (indicated by an updated "last customer message date" or a custom property).
- Actions:
- Create a new ticket, copying key properties from the original closed ticket. Link the new and old tickets using a custom "Parent ticket" field.
- Optionally, set the original ticket back to "Closed" and add an internal note indicating that the conversation has continued in the new ticket.
While this doesn't prevent HubSpot from reopening the original ticket, it allows agents to treat the newly created ticket as the active case.
2. Leveraging Views and Fields for Queue Management
To keep your queues organized, you can use custom properties and views. For example, add a custom property like "Original ticket?" or "Continuation of ticket ID" to the newly created tickets. Then, create views that prioritize the newest "continuation" tickets, ensuring that agents focus on the most recent interactions.
3. Adjusting Communication and Processes
Another suggestion involved modifying your communication strategy. In your closing WhatsApp message, instruct customers to start a new message with a specific keyword (e.g., "NEW") if they have a new request. You can then use this keyword as a trigger in your workflows.
Alternatively, you could accept the default 24-hour window and only expect a new ticket per issue when the customer replies after this period.
Limitations and Future Considerations
It's important to note that these solutions are workarounds, as there's currently no direct setting in HubSpot to prevent replies from reopening tickets or to automatically force the creation of a new ticket. A community member suggested checking the HubSpot Ideas forum to see if others have requested this feature and to add your vote or use case.
ESHOPMAN Team Comment
This HubSpot Community discussion highlights a common frustration with the platform's default behavior when integrating with WhatsApp. The suggested workarounds, while not perfect, offer practical solutions for managing tickets and ensuring that new customer inquiries are handled efficiently. We believe HubSpot should consider adding a native setting to control ticket creation behavior for WhatsApp, providing users with more flexibility. For ESHOPMAN users, this underscores the importance of carefully mapping out your desired workflows and leveraging custom properties to tailor HubSpot to your specific needs.
Ultimately, the best approach depends on your specific business requirements and workflows. By combining these techniques, you can create a more streamlined and efficient support process for your customers on WhatsApp.