Evaluating a trial account before you commit

A trial answers whether Zendesk fits you, but only if you test the things that are hard to change later rather than the demo path.

A trial answers whether Zendesk fits you, but only if you test the things that are hard to change later rather than the demo path.

You have 14 days

That is the length of a new Zendesk trial account, with a further 14 available where it qualifies. Trialling an upgrade inside an account you already pay for is a different thing and runs for 30 days. Ask us before either runs out rather than after.

Set the trial up like the real thing

1. Connect a real email address, even a temporary one, and send genuine questions through it.
2. Add two or three colleagues as agents so you can see how assignment and handover feel.
3. Create the three or four ticket fields you think you need.
4. Build one view per team and see whether the lists make sense.
5. Write two macros for the answers you send most often.

Test the things that are hard to reverse

• Does your email flow work end to end? Including replies landing on the same ticket.
• Can you get your existing customer data in? Import a sample of users and organisations rather than assuming.
• Do the reports answer your questions? Not whether reporting exists, but whether it tells you what your manager asks for.
• Does the help centre look like yours? If self-service matters to you, try the theme before you commit.

What a trial will not tell you

Volume. Everything feels manageable with twenty test tickets. Routing, SLAs and capacity only reveal their shape under real load, which is an argument for keeping the first configuration simple rather than for testing harder.

See also

• The order in which you set Zendesk up
• From a shared mailbox to Zendesk: what changes
• What not to do on day one