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Helpdesk implementation and AI agent setup

Customer and employee support that works, at a price you see first

We set up, fix and run help desks and AI agents for B2C and B2B customer support, and for the IT and HR help desks your own staff use. Our package prices are on this page. Start with a free 15-minute call and leave with a fixed price.

  • B2C customer support
  • B2B in Slack and Teams
  • Employee IT and HR
Book a free 15-minute call See the $750 Fix List Audit

Prices: Fix List Audit, $750Fix Sprint, $2,200Builds from $3,750

Zendesk Advanced Partner and Gorgias Managed Services Partner. 400+ helpdesk implementations.

Fix list, sample format
Routing
Now
Two triggers assign the same ticket
Fix
One trigger per channel, in order
Test
Send 3 test tickets, check the assignee
AI agent handover
Now
Hands over with no summary
Fix
Writes a summary note for the agent
Test
Ask for a person in chat, read the note
Employee IT requests
Now
One form for every IT request
Fix
Separate forms for access, hardware and software
Test
Submit one of each, check the routing
Example rows. Your audit lists every fix this way, ranked by impact, in 5 business days.Smart Instinct

Partner programs, each one checkable with the vendor

Zendesk Advanced PartnerZendesk Advanced Partner Gorgias Managed Services PartnerGorgias Managed Services Partner Aircall Solution PartnerAircall Solution Partner Tidio PartnerTidio Partner Intercom PartnerIntercom Partner Richpanel PartnerRichpanel Partner Pylon PartnerPylon Partner Zapier Solution PartnerZapier Solution Partner
400+helpdesk implementations
25+years combined team experience
35%+containment, measured on every Intercom and Gorgias AI agent we configured
Also built on, no partner badge: Help Scout Front Kustomer Gladly eDesk Re:amaze ServiceNow Talkdesk RingCentral Zoom Contact Center and more, including Helpshift, Zoho Desk, HubSpot Service Hub, Jira Service Management, Chatbase and Make
Where to start

Pick the line that sounds like your week

Each path has a set price and a set scope, agreed before we start.

Something is off and nobody can point at itA written, ranked fix list for one help desk plus your phone or AI stack.Fix List Audit, $750 We know the fixes and need handsUp to 8 fixes, each 2 hours or less (16 hours total), in 10 business days.Fix Sprint, $2,200 A new help desk for customers or employeesA fixed-price build, set by build hours, not team size.Builds, $3,750 to $17,500 We are moving to a new help deskTicket history, fields and tags mapped and approved before anything moves.Migrations from $3,500

Not sure which line is yours? If three or more of these sound familiar, start with the audit.

  • Saved replies contradict each other and nobody knows which one is current.
  • The CSAT report loads, but nobody trusts the number.
  • You cannot tell whether your AI agent is resolving questions or stalling them.
  • The team asks for headcount when the real problem is routing.
  • Employees email IT directly because the request portal is harder than email.
  • The last person who understood the setup does not work here anymore.
The first step

Two time-boxed ways to start, each with something you keep

15 minutesFree

The call

  • You show us the queue, the reports nobody trusts, or the AI transcripts that went sideways.
  • We tell you which package fits, or that you do not need us.
  • You leave with a fixed price, not a proposal.
Book a free 15-minute call
5 business daysPaid upfront

Fix List Audit

$750
  • A full configuration review of one help desk plus your phone or AI stack.
  • Every fix written as the setting, what it is now, what it should be and how to test it.
  • An AI usage and bill check, so you see what the AI is costing and doing.
  • A ranked list your team can run without us.
Pay $750 nowHow the audit works

Then, if you want hands: your fix list becomes the Fix Sprint plan. Up to 8 fixes, each 2 hours or less (16 hours total), for one system plus 2 connected tools, in 10 business days, for $2,200. A fix too big for the sprint becomes a build with a set price.

Pricing

One ladder, from first fix to fully run

The same numbers as the Pricing page and Stripe checkout. Nothing past the listed scope is billed without your OK.

Fix

Find what is broken, then fix it.

  • Fix List Audit5 business days$750
  • Fix Sprintup to 8 fixes$2,200

Both paid upfront.

Build

A help desk for customers or staff, set up or rebuilt, with AI where it helps.

  • Essentialup to 33 hours$3,750
  • Professionalup to 90 hours$10,500
  • Premiumup to 150 hours$17,500

Essential paid upfront. Professional and Premium 50% to start.

Move

Switch help desks with history intact.

  • Helpdesk migrationup to about 10,000 ticketsfrom $3,500
  • Full ticket historyusually$6.6k to $11k

Tool fee passed through at cost, quoted from a free test migration.

Run

Keep it tuned after launch, month to month.

  • Voice Careup to 2 hours a month$249/mo
  • Helpdesk Careup to 4 hours a month$499/mo
  • RetainersEssential, Professional, Premiumfrom $1,000/mo

Retainers at $1,000, $2,400 or $4,600 a month.

Also published: Enterprise from $25,000, quoted before we start. Every sprint and build that touches AI gets an AI launch check at no added price. Weighing a hire, an agency or a freelancer? See five options side by side.

Book a free 15-minute callSee full pricing
Work

Support operations we built

Real builds, written up with the scope and the result. Full case studies are on the Portfolio page.

Zendesk

The San Francisco Marathon

Zendesk AI agents and a help center for race-season questions.

Zendesk

StraighterLine

Phone and tickets in one Zendesk workspace for 350,000+ students.

We still run their Zendesk admin today.

Intercom Fin

One gate, two Fin roles

Customers and leads each routed to the right Fin answers.

Gorgias

AI Agent for Shopify orders

Order questions answered before a person picks up the ticket.

Also built for: GreenDropShip, Blockchain.com, Genesis Digital, Freeda, Global Fellowship, Berkeley Half Marathon, Condition1 and ThighPro. Others sit behind NDAs, including brands featured on Shark Tank and Ivy League universities.

Through improved processes, a centralized knowledge base, and the thoughtful implementation of AI agents, we have become significantly more efficient and organized. We have reduced the need for seasonal hiring, saved money, and improved consistency.

Marie Grace, The San Francisco Marathon. Client since 2022.

Book a free 15-minute call
Book

Book a free 15-minute call

Owl shading its eyes with a wing, looking ahead

Pick a time and you are booked. No form first, no proposal cycle.

  • Bring the problem: a queue, a report, an employee request flow or an AI transcript.
  • We tell you which package fits and the fixed price, or that you do not need us.
  • The invite has the video link. That is the whole process.
Rather write or call? email@smartinstinct.com +1 (800) 969-4803 Led by founder Jay Biros, 16 years in helpdesk and contact center implementation.
Free 15-minute call

Times show in your own time zone on the booking page. Pick one, add your name and email, and the invite arrives with the video link.

Book a free 15-minute call
Guides

Help desk guides for the admin doing the work

Platform changes read for you and checked against the vendor's own docs.

Navy diagram of four outlined boxes connecting through a gold vertical bar to two solid blue boxes, with the Smart Instinct wordmark.
Gorgias, new

Gorgias AI Agent actions for Shopify: what it can change and how to set it up safely

Six Shopify actions, from Cancel order to Add to order note, where they stop, and the guardrails to set first.

 Navy diagram of two blue squares linked to a gold segment in a long progress bar, with empty squares to the right and the Smart Instinct wordmark.
Zendesk

Zendesk stopped charging credits for its own actions

What changed for native actions and Zendesk connectors, and what still uses credits.

 Navy diagram of a grid of rounded squares fading from left to right, with a gold dot beside it and the Smart Instinct wordmark.
Zendesk

Zendesk legacy custom objects are gone. Here is the way out.

Zendesk removed legacy custom objects on July 27, 2026. What to rebuild, and where.
FAQ

Helpdesk questions we get on the call

Which platforms do you work on?

23+ platforms, including Zendesk, Gorgias, Intercom, Aircall, Pylon, Help Scout, Front, Kustomer, Zoho Desk and HubSpot Service Hub. The price does not change between them.

Do you set up internal IT and HR help desks?

Yes. Employee service desks on Zendesk, ServiceNow, Jira Service Management and Zoho Desk, with request forms, routing and a knowledge base your staff can search.

Do you support B2B teams in Slack and Teams?

Yes. We set up Pylon for B2B support in Slack, Microsoft Teams and email, with shared channels, routing and AI agents.

How fast do I get a price?

On the call. A fixed price, not a range you chase through a proposal cycle.

How long does a build take?

Two to four weeks on Essential, three to five on Professional, four to six on Premium.

Do your AI agents say they are AI?

Yes. Every build that touches AI gets a launch check with an AI notice, a path to a person, logging and test tickets.

Will you guarantee a deflection rate?

No. We commit to a method that moves the number, and you decide how far the AI is allowed to go.

Do your prices include the software?

No. You pay the vendor for your plan directly. Our price covers our work.

Who owns the work when you leave?

You do, documented. The price includes writing it down. We do not hold the keys, and you do not need a retainer to keep it running.

What can change the price?

Only scope you approve. Build hours are good for 90 days from kickoff.

When do I pay?

The audit, the sprint and Essential builds are paid upfront. Professional, Premium and migrations are 50% to start and 50% at go-live or cutover, or 15 business days after the build-complete notice, whichever comes first.

What is free?

The 15-minute call, and the AI launch check on any work that touches AI: an AI notice, a path to a person, logging and test tickets.

Still have a question? Ask it on the call. Fifteen minutes, and you leave with a fixed price.

Book a free 15-minute call