TechSmith optimizes engagements with Zendesk AI and Messaging

TechSmith®, a market leader in screen capture software and productivity solutions, is trusted by millions of users to capture, record, and share knowledge through visual communication.

The Camtasia® Product Suite is the professional standard for screen-centered knowledge sharing. This modern, AI-powered collection of tools empowers anyone to create remarkable videos and images for better training, tutorials, and everyday communication. Within the suite, the Camtasia EditorTM provides a high-control desktop environment for precision video creation, when paired with specialized tools like Audiate® and Snagit® creators can streamline their workflow and accelerate professional output.

Seeking new solutions for greater CX efficiency

A tech-forward and customer-first company, TechSmith was looking to streamline support operations and make customer service more efficient.

“We also wanted to improve our CSAT,” says Michael Spink, Tech Support Manager at TechSmith. “To do that, we added an AI agent to handle routine data collection, freeing our team to focus on what really matters: solving complex customer problems and delivering personalized support.”

TechSmith’s human agents were spending valuable time asking repeat questions like product version, system type, or issue summary—leaving less time for actual resolution. Meanwhile, team leads were manually assigning tickets, eating up hours each week.

TechSmith recognized that modern customers value their time above all else. To meet the growing demand for instant, self-serve solutions, Spink and his team implemented Zendesk AI agents, Messaging, and omnichannel routing with the help of Zendesk Professional Services. This gave customers the choice to resolve issues immediately on their own terms, while ensuring TechSmith’s experts are always available for more complex, high-touch conversations.

A collaborative and quick migration

Once Messaging offered the same features as chat—including access to Zendesk AI—TechSmith was ready to move forward with support from Zendesk consultants.

“Without Zendesk Professional Services, this migration would’ve either taken six months or not happened at all,” says Spink. “Instead, we did it in six weeks—ensuring our customers didn’t have to wait months to benefit from the faster, more intuitive support experience we were striving for.”

The Zendesk Services team didn’t just configure settings for TechSmith; they made the migration collaborative.

“They understood our challenges, came up with creative solutions, and taught our team how to maintain and evolve it going forward,” notes Spink.

The TechSmith team refined relevant, concise documentation from existing Zendesk resources so agents clearly understood what to expect and when to flag issues. Training went beyond written guidance, incorporating hands-on preparation through real-time sandbox play sessions, detailed walkthroughs, and practical training documents.

“The Zendesk Services team are incredible problem-solvers,” says Spink. “They made the whole process collaborative and educational.”

TechSmith’s agents spent one and a half weeks testing in the sandbox environment, working in pods to practice real workflows before launch. They stepped into the roles of both customers and agents, which helped them pressure-test scenarios and build muscle memory.

“And any questions that our agents had were addressed in Q&A sessions,” Spink says. “That way, they felt fully prepared for the launch.”

Launch day itself was straightforward: within 10 to 15 minutes of configuration in the real environment and testing workflows, Zendesk Messaging was live. While a few minor edge cases emerged, they were resolved quickly and without customer impact.

An easy transition for both customers and agents

For agents, the transition felt intuitive. Coming from Zendesk Chat and already familiar with Agent Workspace, the change to Messaging required only minimal muscle memory adjustment.

“The transition was so natural that it didn’t feel like a ‘migration’ to our customers, it just felt like better service,” Spink notes. “That’s the goal: the technology should be invisible so the solution can be front and center.”

By designing a low-friction experience—complete with a visible “talk to a human” button—TechSmith ensured that customers could easily move between an AI agent and human agent without jumping through hoops. Whether users wanted quick answers from AI or a human conversation, the path was smooth and intuitive.

“I was closely monitoring conversations specifically looking for signs of ‘bot fatigue’ or user frustration, but the sentiment was overwhelmingly positive,” Spink shares. “When customers can get what they need without jumping through hoops, everyone wins.”

Service elevation and time savings

Messaging delivered measurable impact almost immediately. AI agent automation reduced overall ticket volume, easing pressure on the team and creating space for more complex, high-value interactions where needed.

“We’ve significantly reduced the effort required for a customer to get help,” says Spink. “Instead of the ‘ask and wait’ cycle of traditional support, I’m seeing real-time problem-solving. Knowing that our customers are receiving verified, correct information instantly is the ultimate validation of this new workflow.”

TechSmith was also able to eliminate the need for manual ticket assignment.

“By having omnichannel routing set up based on agent capacity, we’ve ensured that customers are matched with the right expert at the right time, automatically,” says Spink. “This allows our team leads to move away from manual coordination and focus on coaching our agents and refining our support standards.”

The shift also unlocked stronger insights. AI conversations are now recorded and searchable, giving TechSmith clear visibility into customer questions, trends, and friction points. Those insights are actively shaping a more robust help center and informing a smarter, more strategic approach to self-service.

“The AI agent acts like a real-time listening tool for customer needs,” Spink explains. “If a user asks a question and the AI can’t find a perfect match, it highlights a specific gap in our knowledge. We can then immediately create that missing resource. By listening to one customer’s challenge, we are proactively solving it for every future user who encounters the same thing.”

A measurable leap in performance

Migrating to Zendesk AI agents and Messaging didn’t just streamline TechSmith’s workflows—it delivered a measurable leap in performance. In just two months, TechSmith saw their first reply time drop by 94 percent, while their full resolution time fell by 54 percent. A huge win for TechSmith’s industry-recognized commitment to excellence in customer support.

“The way Zendesk allows you to configure messaging puts you in a position of creating a really great customer experience,” says Spink. “Now we can measure results—and we have the evidence to show for it.”

Meanwhile, customer satisfaction (CSAT) climbed to 89 percent, exceeding TechSmith’s goal and proving that faster, more intelligent support leads to happier customers. AI agents and Messaging empowered the team to respond with greater speed and precision—without sacrificing the human touch.

Another benefit of the transformation? Based on AI agent responses, TechSmith is able to find gaps in their knowledge base and create new articles to help customers.

“We’re seeing where the AI agent gets stuck, and we’re fixing that with new, better articles,” says Spink. “That’s rewarding for both agents and customers.”

True partnership inspires confidence

Now, with Zendesk AI agents, Messaging, and omnichannel routing in place, TechSmith’s team is focused on delivering smarter, more scalable service—while keeping the human experience front and center.

“I feel the weight of our global customer base in everything we do, so a migration like this is never something I take lightly,” says Spink. “But working with the Zendesk consultants provided a level of confidence that is hard to put into words. It was a true partnership that ensured we went live with a solution that actually honored our commitment to our users.”