Migration from Zendesk to Service Hub Best Practices

[Markafly]

HI,

I have used several Support platforms for the past 15 or more years and have migrated back and forth between products, comanies, etc.

I will say I am surprised, and somewhat also dissappointed there is not better onboarding step by step directions. The articles and posts  I have found are often ambiguous or high level and explanatory for someone who has very little experience in HubSpot. My searching techniques may not be what is expected perhps, but if I am missing something, I would love to get some links I have not seen yet. I certainly cannot be alone on this 🙂 
I am as clear as mud right now on how to move, or replicate as much as possible, my Custom Fields, Views, Macros, Email Routing, as I get deep in the weeds with Inboxes, Pipelines, etc.
Not clear which is best to segment as I have done in other applications.
I am committed to making this work, but any enlightenment would be extermely appreciated.

[HanaHuyenNguyen · Accepted solution]

I am happy to share my best practices with you on this topic. We migrated from Zendesk to HubSpot last April and all went smoothly without a hiccup. 

First thing first, we use third party software call Help Desk Migration for this, They are cheap and really good at what they do. 

Here is the process: 

- Create users and permisson

- Replicate all pipelines and their stages and data fields using Tickets

- Replicate all automation including emails, data update, etc in HubSpot using Workflow

- Use Help Desk migration to move all existing Zendesk ticket to HubSpot tickets. 

- Annoucing the cut off time to our service team (meaning no to mininal work in Zendesk)

- During that cut off time, connect all our forms and support emails to HubSpot pipeline set up. (with this, new replies will come to Hubspot, not Zendesk anymore). 

- Resync all the newest activities and data from Zendesk to HubSpot using Help Desk Migration. 

- Turn on automations (automation that relating to interaction to customers can be delayed until we announce to customers the service change and their new ticket ID). 

- Import all Zendesk custom data to HubSpot based on new ticket ID. 

If you are new HubSpot, it sis better to get help from HubSpot onboarding team regarding all HubSpot set up. Otherwise, it is relatively easy to do it yourself. 

[HanaHuyenNguyen]

@Markafly FYI: The reason who did not use normal Zendesk export-Hubspot import function for all data is because it is not possible to migrate all the emails (aka conversation). Zendesk export is quite terrible in the sense that you will need to spend huge amount of time formating the exported data to fit Hubspot format. That's why we used third party service. 

[danmoyle · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the tag @BérangèreL. Hi @Markafly and wecome to the HubSpot Community! In additiojn to the onboarding HubSpot offers (a program we're part of as a Solutions Partner) 

Migrating from Zendesk to HubSpot Service Hub can be a complex process, but there are resources and services available to help streamline the transition. Here's a detailed guide to assist you.

I've heard that the HubSpot Replatforming Team offers comprehensive migration services that include transitioning your content, design, and data to HubSpot. They provide premade templates, modules, and assist in moving your data into the HubSpot platform.

You can also work with a partner for a strategic and focused migration. Partners are often experts in HubSpot, with additional insights from migrating their clients as you're describing. 

Their services should include:

• Pre-migration Planning: Conducting an initial audit and creating a pre-migration planning report.
• Data Transfer: Complete data transfer, including custom fields, views, macros, and email routing.
• Configuration and Testing: Comprehensive configuration and testing to ensure everything works seamlessly in HubSpot.
• Post-migration Support: Ongoing support to address any issues that arise post-migration.

I also found these tips for a tep-by-step migration process, which hopefully helps on the more DIY path. 

1. Pre-migration Planning

• Audit Current Setup: Document all custom fields, views, macros, and email routing rules in Zendesk.
• Define Objectives: Clearly outline what you want to achieve with the migration.

2. Data Export from Zendesk

• Export Data: Use Zendesk's export feature to extract tickets, users, organizations, and other relevant data.
• Backup Data: Ensure you have a backup of all exported data.

3. Data Import to HubSpot

• Use HubSpot's Import Tool: HubSpot provides tools to import contacts, companies, tickets, and other data.
• Custom Field Mapping: Map Zendesk custom fields to HubSpot properties to ensure data consistency.
• Set Up Views and Macros: Recreate views and macros in HubSpot to match your Zendesk setup.

4. Configuration and Testing

• Configure Pipelines and Inboxes: Set up pipelines and inboxes in HubSpot to mirror your Zendesk workflows.
• Test Functionality: Thoroughly test the migrated data and configurations to ensure everything works as expected.

5. Post-migration Support

• Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor the new setup and make adjustments as needed.
• Engage with Support: Utilize HubSpot's support and community resources for ongoing assistance.

Hopefully that helps some! 

[HanaHuyenNguyen]

But please note that HubSpot recently revamp their Inbox/ Help Desk workspace. So after moving all Zendesk tickets to HUbSpot, you can consider whether you want to use Inbox/ Help Desk workspace or not. HubSpot has detailed article explaining the process to connect these feature together. However for us, HS Help Desk workspace lack certain features that are critical to our business, thus we remains working with tickets. 

[HanaHuyenNguyen · Accepted solution]

I am happy to share my best practices with you on this topic. We migrated from Zendesk to HubSpot last April and all went smoothly without a hiccup. 

First thing first, we use third party software call Help Desk Migration for this, They are cheap and really good at what they do. 

Here is the process: 

- Create users and permisson

- Replicate all pipelines and their stages and data fields using Tickets

- Replicate all automation including emails, data update, etc in HubSpot using Workflow

- Use Help Desk migration to move all existing Zendesk ticket to HubSpot tickets. 

- Annoucing the cut off time to our service team (meaning no to mininal work in Zendesk)

- During that cut off time, connect all our forms and support emails to HubSpot pipeline set up. (with this, new replies will come to Hubspot, not Zendesk anymore). 

- Resync all the newest activities and data from Zendesk to HubSpot using Help Desk Migration. 

- Turn on automations (automation that relating to interaction to customers can be delayed until we announce to customers the service change and their new ticket ID). 

- Import all Zendesk custom data to HubSpot based on new ticket ID. 

If you are new HubSpot, it sis better to get help from HubSpot onboarding team regarding all HubSpot set up. Otherwise, it is relatively easy to do it yourself. 

[BérangèreL]

Hi @Markafly and welcome to the Community!
We are thrilled to have you join us!

Thank you for reaching out to the Community!

I'm sorry to hear about your experience regarding this.
I would like to apologize for the frustration, data issues, and business impact this has caused.

Also, I'd like to thank you for sharing your valuable feedback! This means a lot to us.
I have shared it internally to bring more visibility to it.

I'd like to share this documentation that might be of interest: "Service Hub Onboarding Plan".

I checked for you and I can see that we have a "Service Hub Onboarding" where you could even get advanced onboarding guides if needed.

I'd like to invite a couple of subject matter experts and Community Members to this conversation: Hi @HanaHuyenNguyen, @Marcey, @pasinikkanen, @AgenorAndyS, @Mike_Eastwood, @danmoyle and @HubDoPete do you have best practices to share with @Markafly to help with the migration from Zendesk to Service Hub, please?

Please let me know if there is anything else I can help with. I'll be delighted to do so!

Thanks so much and have a great day!

Best,
Bérangère