Zeppelin University embraces employee service innovation with Zendesk
Zeppelin University utilizes Zendesk as a central service portal that extends well beyond traditional support. As part of a broader change management initiative, the transition to Zendesk significantly enhanced the quality and efficiency of internal service operations - resulting in an impressive 95% first-touch resolution rate in the room booking department.
“We wanted to create a service portal that went beyond IT and facility management to support multiple departments across the university. With Zendesk, we’ve successfully made that vision a reality.”
Stefanie Zeller
Head of IT at Zeppelin University
“Zendesk’s AI-powered ticket summarisation is a game changer. With just one click, it provides a clear three-sentence recap of the ticket history, making it incredibly easy to get up to speed."
Mark Sellner
Digital Transformation Manager at Zeppelin University
Location
Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, Germany
Support team
64 agents
Tickets
~85 percent of incoming inquiries come from employees and students
Channels
85 percent forms, 15 percent email
95%
first-touch resolution rate in the room booking department
78%
of tickets are resolved within a week
16%
of all tickets are resolved in under an hour
17.1 hours
average time from first assignment to resolution (cross-departmental)
Where a close-knit community meets cutting-edge innovation
Zeppelin University (ZU) in Friedrichshafen stands out with its unique degree programs in business, culture, and politics. More than just a university, it fosters a close-knit, interdisciplinary community where students and staff collaborate, innovate, and learn – all in an inspiring setting with direct access to the shores of Lake Constance.
What truly sets Zeppelin University apart is its digital-first mindset. Committed to modern innovation, the private university even boasts a dedicated chair for AI and VR. This forward-thinking approach is reflected in its advanced service portal powered by Zendesk, which serves as a central hub for both students and employees. More than just a support tool, the portal seamlessly integrates multiple departments, streamlining processes across the institution.
“We’ve digitized a vast number of processes – compared to many other universities, we’re already quite far ahead,” says Stefanie Zeller, Head of IT, reinforcing ZU’s pioneering role in digital transformation. Mark Sellner, Digital Transformation Manager and lead architect behind the Zendesk implementation, adds: “What truly defines Zeppelin University is its adaptability and agility. The close collaboration here fosters a dynamic environment where people can grow, innovate, and make a real impact.”
From open source to seamless integration
Customization is a key advantage of the Zendesk platform – one that Zeller and Sellner particularly appreciate. Before switching to Zendesk, Zeppelin University relied on the open-source tool OTRS for IT and facility management. While OTRS offered extensive customization options, tailoring it to meet the university’s specific needs required significant development resources. A more efficient solution was needed to enhance the employee experience and streamline internal service operations.
“The company I worked for before Zeppelin University used Zendesk, and I always wanted it back for my daily work. As an agent, Zendesk always had the most intuitive and user-friendly interface,” recalls Sellner of his time in IT support.
However, the decision to choose Zendesk wasn’t based on personal preference – it was driven by its ability to seamlessly connect both students and employees, who were still managed in separate Active Directories at the time of the transition. Many alternative providers lacked this capability, making Zendesk the clear choice. Additionally, its seamless integration with ZU’s intranet further solidified its position as the best fit.
Since 2022, Zeppelin University has been leveraging Zendesk Suite Growth to power its service operations, ensuring a smooth and efficient support experience across the institution.
A service portal for the entire university
What started as a solution for IT and facility management has evolved into a comprehensive service portal used across Zeppelin University. Today, 64 agents from various departments – including finance, human resources, and room booking – rely on Zendesk to efficiently manage internal requests.
Zendesk’s cross-departmental impact is evident. “Our room booking department manages a complex mix of courses, meeting requests, and event reservations – a process that many companies automate. With Zendesk, we’ve built a solution that seamlessly manages everything in the background,” explains Zeller.
Previously, employees spent significant time manually booking rooms in Outlook. Now, with Zendesk macros, the first-touch resolution rate has surged to 95%, drastically improving the employee experience. “Our employees often mention in informal conversations that they can now complete their tasks almost twice as fast,” adds Sellner.
Creative use cases beyond classic support
Zeppelin University leverages Zendesk far beyond traditional employee service, using it as a versatile platform to streamline operations across multiple departments. From knowledge management to recruiting and student services, Zendesk has become an integral part of the university’s digital infrastructure.
One standout use case is the recruiting process, which was previously managed through a SharePoint-based Excel sheet. By moving this workflow into Zendesk, multiple departments can now collaborate seamlessly on hiring. “Before, as someone working in IT, I had no visibility into whether a new hire even had an assigned office before setting up their computer. I had to call facility management or check in person. Now, I can just look at the ticket,” explains Sellner.
Beyond HR and IT, Zendesk also powers student-focused services. The Student Project Office uses it to certify student participation in initiatives, fully automating the process by means of macros with ticket fields. Some departments have even repurposed Zendesk as an archiving system, showcasing the platform’s flexibility. “We really use Zendesk in the most creative ways possible,” adds Zeller.
Measurable success and improved employee experience
An internal survey at Zeppelin University confirms that agents who actively use Zendesk rate their experience exceptionally high. A key reason? Usability and seamless collaboration. "Zendesk’s user-friendly design is a huge advantage. It has significantly improved how IT collaborates both internally and across departments," says Zeller. The ability to work on tickets simultaneously has been particularly valuable in streamlining processes and increasing efficiency.
For Sellner, the agent interface and internal comments make teamwork effortless: "In IT, we rely heavily on internal comments - they make it easy to loop in colleagues, ask quick questions, and get responses instantly, without switching between platforms."
By leveraging Zendesk’s automation and macros, Zeppelin University has not only consolidated internal workflows but also accelerated them. The result? A significant reduction in open tickets and major efficiency gains:
- 16% of tickets are resolved in under an hour
- 78% of tickets are resolved within a week
The first assignment to first resolution time across departments is 17.1 hours
Zeppelin University uses Zendesk for university-wide operations rather than standard service requests. Processes like internal recruitment and administrative workflows naturally take longer, as they involve multiple stakeholders and approvals. By managing these complex tasks within Zendesk, the university maintains structured, transparent, and efficient workflows.
Managing change for lasting success
Today, Zeller and Sellner receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from employees about the switch to Zendesk. But implementing a new system wasn’t without its challenges – especially in a university setting, where change can be slow, and many employees prefer familiar processes.
“Before we started using Zendesk, it was common for people to simply walk into the IT office and share their request with the next available IT employee. Submitting a ticket was more of an option,” recalls Sellner.
To ensure a smooth transition, the rollout was accompanied by a structured change management strategy. In preparation, Zeller and Sellner engaged with various departments to discuss their specific use cases, shared their vision for an integrated service portal, and worked closely with leadership to highlight the value of a ticketing system as a management tool.
“We focused on key change management principles – communication, participation, and usability – while also guiding a shift in habits,” explains Zeller. “There was some initial resistance, which is natural with any change, but we remained committed to the plan. Now, using tickets has become second nature for everyone.”
By combining clear communication and structured implementation, Zeppelin University successfully established Zendesk as the foundation for streamlined internal service operations.
Zendesk as a catalyst for digital transformation
With solid structures in place and change management successfully completed, Zeppelin University is now focused on expanding and optimizing its service processes. To further enhance the employee experience, the team is particularly interested in Zendesk Copilot.
“A great feature is the ability to summarize ticket histories,” says Sellner. “A ticket for hiring new employees often has a lot of comments. Being able to have the AI briefly summarize what has happened so far in three sentences with just one click is incredibly helpful.”
Zeppelin University demonstrates how a modern institution can use Zendesk to streamline and optimize complex, cross-departmental processes. “We can implement so many things with Zendesk. In some cases, you might think the tool wasn’t originally designed for a particular use case, yet it still works – and that’s really cool,” says Sellner.
Despite its extensive and innovative use of the platform, the university has yet to encounter any limitations. Through its creative and adaptable approach, Zeppelin University proves that Zendesk is more than just a support tool – it’s a powerful driver of digital transformation.
