How to use Unbabel for Zendesk Agent Workspace

Unbabel uses the same systems to translate messages in Agent Workspace as it does when integrating with Zendesk Support, so you may be familiar with some mechanics.

ZD Workspace is a new interface within Zendesk that allows agents to handle multiple channels (Phone, Chat, Email, Social) within the same visual interface. Unbabel can support email and chat translations, provided you have them subscribed.

Note: In order to have Unbabel function properly, make sure to coordinate any changes to your workspaces with us. We need to configure some items to match the Workspace you are using, and therefore need to learn if you're using Classic or Agent Workspace.

Translating chat conversations

Handling a chat using Unbabel in AWS is fairly different from doing so in Unbabel for Zendesk Chat.

In order to use Unbabel to translate a chat conversation, the agent must:

1 - Set the status to online. While online and provided that at least one chat request is enqueued, the agent will see the accept button with the counter highlighted, and must click on it in order to start the conversation.

2 - Once the customer's message is received, we will run language identification and provided that the language is subscribed and not spoken by the agent, an automatic translation will be posted under a new internal note.

3 - In order to reply, make sure the language is correctly selected, type the reply on the text box and click the Unbabel button. An internal note containing #unbabel will automatically be posted and the request translated, so there is no need for extra manual actions - note that creating the note and posting it manually will also work. 

4 - Once the translation is complete the message will be sent to the customer.

Multiple messages on a row by any of the interlocutors can be translated sequentially, so it is perfectly fine for you to send several messages in succession. Customer messages will be translated one at a time, if we're translating live, or through thread translation, if you run into several messages once you open the ticket or if you change the language subsequently.

Note1: human upgrading of inbound chat messages in AWS is not possible.

Note2: in order for a message to be delivered, the agent must be connected and have the chat open in a tab/window at all times. If these conditions are not met, the message will be translated but not delivered or visible to the customer.

Translating email messages

There aren't many differences when it comes to translating emails compared to Unbabel for Zendesk Support, since the AWS environment is largely inspired in that interface. Depending on your translation model, and as long as you meet the authorization and language settings conditions to translate a ticket, Unbabel will detect that a public comment is written in a foreign language and that it requires translation. The widget will launch, calling the Unbabel systems, and once the first translation is ready we will post it as an internal note, containing both the subject and body of the comment translated.

The first translation is a machine-only translation, as it typically constitutes an inbound message coming from the customer. You are entitled to request a human upgrade of this translation. Still, we can translate comments that are originated by the Zendesk user as well, provided they are the first comment on the ticket. Along with the translation, we will add the Unbabel tags to the Tags field (the unbabeled tag and the language tag).

If multiple messages are present and untranslated in the ticket at this point, or if a language change is requested, thread translation may occur instead.

This step is called the ticket's initialization and it's fundamental to the rest of the workflow. Tickets that are not initialized will not see any other translations come through. Similarly, and by default, the  presence of the unbabeled tag is also necessary for translations to take place, although you can ask us to remove this dependency. Please note though, that merely adding the unbabeled tag will not initialize a ticket: it's the posting of the first automatic translation that guarantees the process has been completed.

If your initial message was translated into the wrong language, you can change the ticket's language. Unbabel will then post a new internal note with the new translation. Please note that the target language for any outbound reply will be the currently selected language for the ticket.

Note: Unbabel won't automatically translate inbound messages that are posted as internal notes (such as messages coming from recipients who are not cc'ed in the ticket).

In order to reply to a customer using Unbabel, simply type your answer as a public reply and click the Unbabel button. Unbabel will translate the contents of the comment regardless of the comment type being public or private. This action will post an internal note starting with #unbabel, which in turn will fire a translation request for human edition. Once complete, it will be posted as a public reply, consequently generating an email response to the customer. This internal note can be posted manually as well.

It is possible to create several successive internal notes with #unbabel, and therefore request multiple translations. It's not necessary to keep the ticket open after requesting the translation - Unbabel will post the translation even if the ticket is solved (even though it won't if the ticket is closed).

The flow will come full circle once the customer replies and a new inbound automatic translation is then posted.

Changing channels during a conversation

It is possible to change channels using Unbabel during a conversation. Learn more in this article.