In every kind of professional setting, from medium-sized companies to big corporations, it's important to find ways to work more efficiently. When you have to deal with each request and question by hand, it can be too much to handle. Moreover, when you need to use different tools and applications for various work tasks, every job you can automate helps save time. This is really important in customer service, where quick replies matter a lot.

This is why Slack workflows are so useful. They help automate many tasks and processes, which makes handling customer service smoother and more efficient. This article explains how to use Slack workflows effectively to improve your customer support and boost your team's productivity.‍

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What Is a Slack Workflow?

A Slack workflow allows users to create automated sequences (workflows) triggered by specific events, which then execute predefined actions—all without requiring coding skills. These workflows are built using Slack's Workflow Builder, a no-code visual interface.

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Key Components of a Slack Workflow

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How to Create a Workflow in Slack?

Creating a workflow in Slack is simple — here's how to do it:

1. Go to your workspace name and select Tools > Workflow Builder. This selection should take you to a new tab where you can select + New Workflow.

4. Now, you can start creating the workflow by providing the triggers and actions. Once done, you can save the workflow and publish it.

Ultimately, you have control over granting collaboration permissions, access, and usage of the workflows you create. When the workflow is up and running, you can check how the team uses it through the workflow’s Activity log. 

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How to Edit a Workflow in Slack?

To edit a workflow in Slack:

1. Hover over Tools, then click Workflow builder. Under Automations and Managed by you, you can find all the workflows created by you.

2. You can either select the pencil icon in front of the workflow or select the three-dot icon and click Edit workflow.

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How to Add a Workflow to Slack Channel?

To add a workflow in Slack:

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Four Slack Workflow Examples for Customer Operations

Workflows are fundamental to customer support and helpdesks. Here are examples of end-to-end workflows relevant to the use case.

‍1. Ticket Triage and Assignment:

Creating an automated workflow for triaging support tickets can tremendously improve your team's efficiency and response time. Here's a simple example of how it can be done:

2. Automated Responses:

Setting up workflows for automated responses to common inquiries can offer immediate acknowledgment to customers, thus enhancing their experience. Here's a general outline of how to set it up in Slack:

3. Escalation and Prioritization:

Implementing an automatic escalation strategy using Slack workflows ensures that urgent issues are promptly addressed. Here's how you can set it up:

4. Feedback and Satisfaction Surveys:

Using workflows to send satisfaction surveys automatically after customer support interaction is a great way to gather vital feedback. Here's how you can set it up:

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How to Delete a Workflow in Slack?

To delete a workflow in Slack:

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Can You Add Attachments to a Slack Workflow?

Slack Workflow Builder can't automatically attach files or screenshots to a workflow. To circumvent this, you can set up the workflow to send a message first and then manually reply to that message with your attachment.

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So, Slack Workflows Aren't Flawless?

Slack workflows have a few limitations that keep many from adopting them as their sole method of automation, such as:

In short, even though Slack workflows are simple and intuitive, they can struggle with complex automation and scalability needs as businesses expand.

Implementing Support Workflows in Slack with ClearFeed

As we have seen, workflows are fundamental to Customer Support, and Slack Workflows have some nifty capabilities. However, they are also limited in their ability to implement realistic support workflows in the context of Slack. This is where ClearFeed comes in. 

ClearFeed is a comprehensive helpdesk solution, custom-built for Slack, that understands customers and agents in a Slack channel, new customer requests, request states, and business schedules and helps support professionals craft advanced workflows integral to their jobs.

Here are some examples of common workflows implemented using ClearFeed:

1. SLA Alert Workflows in Slack

These workflows alert agents and support teams to customer requests that may be about to breach SLAs. The image below shows an example of a ClearFeed alert notification raised in a triage channel.

SLA alerts are very easy to set up in ClearFeed:

2. Out-of-Office Response Workflows

Another common scenario, as we have seen, is providing automated responses to customers outside business hours. The image below shows an automated response delivered to a request in Slack made outside business hours.

ClearFeed makes it easy to configure OOO message workflows. Admins can:

Trigger: Identify the requests that should result in OOO responses. As before, these can be filtered to specific Slack channels, new or follow-up requests, etc.

Timer: Define a wait time before the OOO response is posted as a reply. While this can be left at zero, a non-zero value can accommodate any agents available outside business hours who want to post a response.

Other workflows possible in ClearFeed include:

Interested to see ClearFeed in action? Experience how it can revolutionize your business operations and supercharge your support team's productivity. Don't wait—schedule your demo today!