Seamlessly Migrate from Zendesk to HubSpot Service Hub: A Complete Guide

In today's customer-centric world, businesses must deliver exceptional support experiences. With 88% of customer service professionals noting rising customer expectations, companies can no longer afford disconnected systems or generic service solutions. If your team currently uses Zendesk but is considering a move to HubSpot Service Hub, this guide will help you navigate the transition seamlessly—ensuring no downtime, data loss, or service interruptions.

As a certified HubSpot agency, we specialise in helping businesses migrate their customer support operations from Zendesk to HubSpot Service Hub. Our structured approach ensures a smooth transition, improving customer retention, service efficiency, and operational synergy across your marketing, sales, and service teams.

Why Move from Zendesk to HubSpot Service Hub?

Zendesk is a strong customer support tool, but HubSpot Service Hub offers a fully integrated front-office platform that connects customer service with marketing and sales. Here’s why companies are making the switch:

• Unified Data & Collaboration: Unlike Zendesk, which primarily focuses on customer support, HubSpot integrates marketing, sales, and service data in one place, enabling teams to collaborate more effectively.

• Customer Success Tools: HubSpot offers features such as Customer Success Workspaces, AI-powered Health Scores, Playbooks, and automated meeting scheduling.

• Advanced Reporting & Feedback: With built-in CSAT, NPS, and CES surveys, you can continuously measure and improve customer satisfaction.

• Customizable Help Desk: HubSpot’s new help desk unifies all support tickets and customer interactions while enabling automation and proactive service.

• Lower Total Cost of Ownership: HubSpot removes the need for complex third-party integrations, reducing maintenance and long-term costs.

Example in Action: A growing eCommerce company switched to HubSpot Service Hub and reduced their incoming support tickets by 20% while improving cross-team collaboration. By integrating their customer feedback surveys into marketing workflows, they identified upsell opportunities and increased their average order value.

The 5-Step Migration Process

We’ve refined the migration process into five core steps to ensure a smooth transition from Zendesk to HubSpot Service Hub.

1. Pre-Migration Planning

Before diving into migration, it’s crucial to develop a clear roadmap.

• Create a Migration Timeline: Avoid migrating during peak business periods. Consider maintaining one Zendesk license post-migration for fallback access.

• Plan Integrations: HubSpot’s App Marketplace offers native integrations for Jira, Pendo, and Segment.

• Audit & Clean Your Data: Remove outdated or redundant data to avoid clutter in your new system.

• Define Key Metrics & SLAs: Set up Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for response times and resolution benchmarks.

Example: A SaaS company migrating from Zendesk mapped out their entire customer support workflow, allowing them to set up automation in HubSpot that reduced response times by 30%.

2. Configuration, Testing & Data Migration

Once planning is complete, the next step is setting up HubSpot and migrating historical data.

• Set Up Ticket Pipelines & Statuses: Customize workflows to match existing Zendesk structures.

• Import Data Carefully: Migrate contacts, companies, tickets, and historical activity (emails, tasks, and calls) using HubSpot’s API or third-party migration tools like SyncMatters or Import2.

• Test the System: Conduct a sample migration with 10% of data before a full migration.

3. Service Desk Optimization

Migrating to HubSpot is an opportunity to improve workflows.

• Define Intake Channels: Set up team emails, chat, forms, and WhatsApp within HubSpot.

• Automate Ticket Routing: Use predefined rules to ensure the right team members handle incoming requests.

• Configure SLAs: Set up due soon and overdue time-based triggers for different ticket priorities.

Example: A logistics company leveraged HubSpot’s automation to categorize incoming tickets by priority, reducing escalations by 25%.

4. Self-Service & Customer Feedback Implementation

Enhancing self-service options can reduce ticket volumes and improve customer satisfaction.

• Build a Customer Portal: Allow customers to view open tickets, track responses, and access resolutions.

• Migrate & Optimize the Knowledge Base: Restructure content for better searchability and user experience.

• Set Up Feedback Loops: Deploy customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys to measure service improvements.

5. Go-Live & Post-Migration Monitoring

• Assign Roles & Train Teams: Conduct team training sessions and provide ongoing support.

• Run a Pilot Phase: Launch with a select group of service reps to gather feedback before full rollout.

• Monitor & Optimize: Track key performance indicators (KPIs) and continuously improve workflows.

Example: A fintech firm ran a two-week pilot before full deployment, identifying process gaps that saved them from future issues post-launch.

Why Choose Our HubSpot Migration Services?

As a certified HubSpot solutions partner, we ensure a seamless Zendesk to HubSpot migration with:

• Bespoke Migration Strategies: We tailor each migration plan to suit your business needs.

• Minimal Disruptions: Our structured approach ensures zero downtime.

• End-to-End Support: From planning to post-migration optimization, we’re with you every step of the way.

• Ongoing Optimization: We help fine-tune workflows and automation to maximise HubSpot’s capabilities.

Migrating to HubSpot Service Hub isn’t just about switching platforms—it’s about enhancing your customer experience. Contact us today for a consultation and take the first step toward a more connected and proactive customer service operation.

Get Started with Your Migration

Ready to switch from Zendesk to HubSpot Service Hub? Schedule a free consultation with our HubSpot experts today and let’s build a migration plan tailored to your needs.