Understanding the Difference Between Zendesk Messaging and Comments in Qvasa Reports

Why This Matters in Qvasa Reporting

In Qvasa, we distinguish between comments and messages because they represent different ways agents and end users interact within Zendesk. This distinction is crucial in reporting because messaging operates in real time, while comments are asynchronous, often occurring over email. Understanding how these interactions are tracked will help you interpret your data more accurately.

Zendesk Comments vs. Messages

Zendesk Comments (Ticket-Based Email Communication)

• Comments are part of a Zendesk Support ticket and represent structured, email-like interactions.
• They can be public (visible to the end user) or private (internal notes for agents only).
• End users receive public comments via email and can reply, which updates the ticket with a new comment.
• The response times for ticket comments tend to be longer, as this communication occurs over email rather than real-time chat.

Zendesk Messaging & Live Chat (Real-Time Conversations)

• Messages are live chat interactions that occur through the Zendesk messaging interface, either via the website widget, mobile app, or social messaging channels.
• Each individual message is a distinct object, creating a more conversational, back-and-forth experience.
• Unlike ticket comments, messages are always public and do not include internal notes.
• A Zendesk chat session can be re-opened multiple times within a ticket, as end users or agents continue conversations asynchronously.
• By default, Zendesk closes live chats after 10 minutes of inactivity, but agents can also manually end a messaging session if a certain setting is enabled. After a messaging session is ended, end users must use email to correspond with agents. 

How Zendesk Indicates the Difference in the UI

For both agents and end users, Zendesk visually distinguishes comments (tickets) from messages (live chat & messaging interactions) in different ways.

Agent View:

• Ticket Comments (Zendesk Support)
  • Appears in the Zendesk Support ticket UI under the conversation thread.
  • Can be marked as public (visible to the end user) or internal note (visible only to agents).
  • Has a structured email-style layout.
  • If the ticket was created from a chat, the chat transcript appears as an event within the ticket rather than as individual comments.
• Messages (Zendesk Messaging / Live Chat)
  • Shown in a real-time chat interface under the Zendesk Agent Workspace.
  • Messages appear in a continuous, live chat bubble format.
  • If a chat session results in a ticket, the conversation history appears inside the ticket, but the layout remains chat-based rather than email-like.

End User View:

• Ticket Comments
  • End users receive ticket comments via email notifications if public.
  • When viewed in the Zendesk Help Center, the comments appear in a structured thread.
  • Replies can be sent via email, which updates the ticket as a new comment.
• Messages (Zendesk Messaging / Live Chat)
  • End users see real-time messages in a chat widget on the website or mobile app.
  • If a bot or agent replies, the messages appear as chat bubbles.
  • If the conversation gets escalated to a ticket, further communication happens via email, and the chat history is included in the ticket.

How This Difference Appears in Qvasa Metrics

Comment-Based Metrics (Ticket-Driven Email Communication)

Any metric in Qvasa that includes the word “comment” refers to Zendesk’s comment object, meaning it measures performance based on ticket-based communication.

Metric Example
Median Comment First Touch Time: Calculates the median time it takes for an agent to respond with a public comment after an end user’s first comment in a ticket. These types of metrics apply to email-based ticket interactions, where response times can vary significantly depending on the nature of the request and workflow.

Messaging & Chat-Based Metrics (Real-Time Conversations)

Metrics that include the words "live chat" or "messaging" track real-time interactions happening within the Zendesk messaging system.

Metric Example
Zendesk Live Chats Avg Agent Reply Time: Measures the average response time from the moment an end user sends a message until an agent replies. Messaging-based metrics reflect the faster-paced nature of chat interactions, where response times and resolution times are expected to be significantly shorter than email-based tickets.

Why This Matters for Your Reports

• Some tickets contain only comments, some contain only messages, and some contain both.
• A ticket can have multiple chat sessions if a conversation is re-opened by the end user or agent.
• If an agent manually ends a messaging session, the ticket is forced into the email channel, meaning further responses will be captured as comments instead of messages.
• Messaging KPIs reflect real-time interactions, while comment-based KPIs account for longer reply cycles over email.

By understanding this distinction, you can better interpret Qvasa reports and ensure that your team’s performance is accurately measured across both real-time and asynchronous communication channels.