How to Use Zoho Desk
Zoho Desk is the central communication and workflow system for Cats in the City and TANDEM Cat®. It serves as our shared workspace for customer communication, rescue case management, internal requests, operational tracking, and issue resolution.
Every ticket represents work that needs to be completed, documented, or followed through. If it is not documented in Zoho Desk, it may not be visible to the rest of the team.
A ticket is a trackable record of a request, task, issue, communication, or case.
Examples include:
Tickets allow multiple team members to collaborate while maintaining a complete history of actions and communication.
Tickets are organized by department.
Current departments may include:
Always verify that a ticket is assigned to the correct department.
Every ticket should have an owner.
The owner is responsible for:
If a ticket is assigned to you, it is your responsibility until it is reassigned or completed.
Work has not yet started.
Work is actively being completed.
Additional information is needed from the customer.
Medical records have been requested and are pending.
Internal follow-up is required.
The issue has been completed.
No additional action is required.
Internal notes are visible only to team members.
Use internal notes to document:
Good note example:
“Called Dr. Smith’s office at 2:15 PM. Veterinary records requested. Office expects records to be sent within 24–48 hours.”
Poor note example:
“Called vet.”
Documentation should always provide enough information that another team member can immediately understand what occurred.
When responding to customers:
Whenever possible, communicate through the ticket rather than personal email accounts.
To assign a ticket:
Do not assume another team member knows why a ticket was reassigned.
Mentions notify specific users within ticket conversations.
Use mentions when:
Example:
“@Dan Can you review this diabetic boarding request before we confirm admission?”
Always provide enough context for the recipient to understand what action is needed.
For rescue cases:
Rescue tickets often remain active for weeks or months and should be updated regularly.
Escalate immediately when:
Early escalation is preferred over delayed escalation.
Every ticket should:
At the beginning of each shift:
Before ending your shift:
Zoho Desk exists to make work visible.
When information lives only in someone’s memory, inbox, text messages, or verbal conversations, the organization cannot reliably act on it. By documenting work in Zoho Desk, we create continuity, accountability, and better care for cats, clients, and each other.