When a subscriber needs help with something Shopper can't handle (a cancellation request, an order issue, or other edge case), Shopper can automatically route the conversation to your Gorgias or Zendesk help desk. The subscriber stays in the same SMS thread the whole time, and Shopper picks back up once the ticket is closed.
Note: SMS rates apply to messages sent through the Gorgias or Zendesk integration. There is no additional Shopper or AI charge for these messages. Because replies come through as SMS, Support agents should keep their replies concise — longer replies will use multiple message credits.
In this article, we'll walk you through the automated handoff process, how to activate the integration, and how to easily track these conversations using tags.
How it works
When Shopper detects an escalation signal, here's what happens automatically:
Shopper sends the subscriber a confirmation message asking if they'd like to be connected to your support team. The default message is: "Since I'm not able to help with that, do you want me to connect you directly with our support team? They will continue the conversation over text. Please confirm with a yes."
Once the subscriber confirms, Shopper creates a ticket in Gorgias or Zendesk. The ticket includes the last 10 messages from the SMS conversation so your agent has full context.
Shopper pauses and stops sending automated replies while the ticket is open.
Your Support agent replies through Gorgias or Zendesk and that reply is delivered to the subscriber as an SMS in the same thread.
Once the agent closes the ticket, Shopper automatically resumes. If the ticket isn't closed, Shopper resumes after 24 hours.
NOTE: Ticket subject lines follow the format "Shopper SMS Handoff — [shop name]" so agents can identify SMS-sourced tickets in their help desk.
For Gorgias: the ticket's "from" address uses the format [phonenumber]@postscriptapp.com (e.g., [email protected]).
For Zendesk: the subscriber's phone number appears in the subscriber details section.
Setting up Support Escalation
IMPORTANT: Before activating, let your Support Team know that they'll start seeing tickets come in from SMS.
Share this article with them so they know what to expect.
From your Postscript Dashboard, select Integrations. Search for Gorgias or Zendesk and follow the setup instructions. Toggle Activate to on. If you're already integrated, verify the Active toggle is still on.
Navigate to Shopper Settings. Scroll to the Support Details section and toggle it on.
Review your handoff message. Check the default Handoff Transition Message and edit it if needed (see below).
Finding and tracking escalated conversations
All escalated conversations are tagged automatically with has_shopper_support_escalation. You can use this tag to filter and review escalations in Postscript.
To see all escalated conversations:
Go to the Conversations tab in Postscript. Set Thread State to All Responses and filter by the subscriber tag has_shopper_support_escalation.
To see only active escalations (open tickets):
Set Thread State to Unresolved and filter by has_shopper_support_escalation.
TIP! You can also select the link to the Gorgias or Zendesk ticket directly from the SMS thread in the Postscript Conversations view.
FAQ
Will I see Support replies in the Postscript Conversations view?
Yes. Agent replies from Gorgias or Zendesk show up in the SMS thread in Postscript, so you can see the full conversation history in one place.
Can I see a link to the Gorgias or Zendesk ticket from Postscript?
Yes. A link to the support ticket is included in the SMS thread in the Postscript Conversations view.
Will my Support team know a ticket came from SMS?
Yes. The ticket subject line is "Shopper SMS Handoff — [shop name]" and your team can use this to route and filter SMS-sourced tickets in Gorgias or Zendesk.
How do I know how many escalations to expect?
Your Shopper Analytics dashboard shows the number of conversations escalated in the last 30 days.
How do I reduce the number of tickets escalated?
The most effective way to reduce your Escalation Rate is to identify the common or recurring reasons why tickets are being escalated and include more information in your Content Library for Shopper to reference. The more information Shopper has about your brand, the less often it will require escalation.