Shipping delay notifications with vouchers

Shipping delays are common in e-commerce – but they don’t have to mean more manual work for support teams. For one of our clients, we implemented a smart process that automatically creates a ticket, assigns an individual voucher code, and notifies the customer – all without further manual effort after the initial decision.

Challenge

Before implementing this workflow, support teams had to manually check every delayed order. Based on reports from the purchasing system, staff decided whether to cancel the order or notify the customer. Afterwards, tickets and emails had to be created manually – a time-consuming and error-prone process.

Our solution

Using Zendesk, Knots Studio, and Custom Objects, we developed a workflow that reduces manual effort and automates communication. The process runs in five clear steps:

1. Input from the Purchasing System
   The purchasing team regularly receives reports of delayed orders. A manual decision is then made whether to cancel the order or notify the customer.

2. Ticket Creation via API
   Based on the manual decision, a Zendesk ticket is automatically created. The information “cancellation or customer notification” is passed as a tag or custom field, ensuring the process continues seamlessly.

3. Vouchers as Custom Objects
   Beforehand, the client uploaded an Excel list of voucher codes, which we imported as Custom Objects into Zendesk. Initially, only the code is filled in, while name, order number, and date remain empty – these fields are later completed by the script.

4. Knots Studio Logic
   The ticket is handed over to Knots Studio. The script searches for an unused voucher code (without name, order number, or date), populates these fields with information from the ticket, and writes the voucher code back into the ticket (e.g., as a custom field).

5. Automated Email to the Customer
   Finally, a Zendesk trigger automatically sends out a personalized email. The email contains the appropriate text and the unique voucher code, so the customer is directly informed.

Benefits

With this automated workflow, our client achieved the following benefits:

• Significant reduction of manual work in support

• Minimization of errors when assigning voucher codes

• Fast and personalized customer communication

• Improved customer satisfaction despite shipping delays

Technologies & Expertise

This project was implemented using Zendesk, Knots Studio, and Custom Objects. Leafworks combines technical know-how with process optimization to make support processes more efficient and scalable.

Result

With this process, our client can efficiently communicate shipping delays, assign voucher codes correctly, and boost customer satisfaction – all after a single manual decision, without additional effort.
 

You can implement similar automations in your support operations and save time, resources, and potential errors.

Let’s find out together how automated workflows can optimize your support processes. Get in touch and get started today!