How to log a call in Zoho CRM from Zendesk

By Jake Marsh · Updated

To log a call in Zoho CRM from Zendesk, open the saved ticket, find the contact or account in the Larkwell panel and choose Log a call. Pick the Direction, enter the Minutes and an optional description, then confirm with Log call. Larkwell saves the call in Zoho CRM, adds an internal note to the ticket with a link to the record, and tags the ticket larkwell_call.

Before you start

  • The refresh token needs ZohoCRM.modules.calls.CREATE (and notes.CREATE or contacts.CREATE for the other actions). A token without CREATE scopes gives a read-only panel.
  • Your role or group must be in Who may take actions, and the action must be switched on under Allow creating contacts, notes, calls.
  • Actions work on saved tickets. New tickets, user profiles and organization profiles are read-only.

Steps to log a call

  1. Open the ticket. Larkwell shows the requester's Zoho CRM contact and account.
  2. Choose Log a call on the contact, or on the account.
  3. Fill it in. Direction: Inbound (they called us) or Outbound (we called them). Minutes: the call length. Description (optional): what was said.
  4. Review. The form shows exactly what will be saved, with a link to the ticket.
  5. Click Log call. The call is saved once in Zoho CRM.

The three actions

ActionWhere it goes in Zoho CRMTag on the ticket
Create contactA new contact with email, first and last name, title and phone, linked to the matched accountlarkwell_contact
Add noteA note on the contact or the account, with a link to the ticketlarkwell_note
Log callA call on the contact or the account, inbound or outbound, with minutes and a descriptionlarkwell_call

Each one adds an internal note to the ticket saying what was done, by whom, with a link to the record. "Saved in Zoho CRM. The ticket conversation is not copied." Only what the agent typed goes to Zoho.

Create a contact for a new customer

When nobody in Zoho CRM has the requester's email, choose Create a Zoho CRM contact in the panel and confirm with Create contact. Larkwell searches Zoho CRM again right before creating it, so it never adds a second contact for an email. The new contact is linked to the account Larkwell matched for the ticket.

When something goes wrong

What you seeWhat it means
"Zoho CRM did not do this"Zoho refused the action, with Zoho's reason. Nothing was saved.
"Done in Zoho CRM, but the ticket note failed"The record was saved, but the ticket couldn't take the note (for example, it's closed). The panel shows the note text to paste.
No clear answer from ZohoLarkwell doesn't send the action again on its own. It asks you to refresh and check before trying again, so nothing is logged twice.
No action buttonsYour role isn't allowed, the action is off, Zoho CRM is hidden, the account outgrew its plan, or the ticket isn't saved.

What it costs

Larkwell Team is $100 a month per Zendesk account for up to 6 agents and admins; Scale is $15 per agent per month for 7 or more. Both have every feature, a 14-day trial with a card, and monthly billing by Zendesk. If the account outgrows its plan, the panel keeps showing records and actions turn off until an admin changes the plan. The Larkwell documentation has every setting.

Larkwell

Zoho CRM, Books, Billing and Inventory next to each ticket: deals, invoices, subscriptions, orders. From $100 a month per Zendesk account.

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Questions

Can I add a note to the account instead of the contact?

Yes. Notes and calls can go on the contact or on its account.

Does the whole ticket conversation go into Zoho CRM?

No. Only what the agent types in the form, plus a link to the ticket.

Who can log calls?

Whoever is in Who may take actions: agent (everyone, the default), admin, custom role ids or group:<id>. Everyone else sees the panel read-only.

Can I find a different contact than the requester?

Yes. Use the lookup box with any email, contact or account id, or a Zoho CRM record link.

Who shows as the creator in Zoho CRM?

The Zoho user whose refresh token Larkwell uses. The ticket note records which agent took the action.

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