Round Robin: New ticket distribution option for Help desk tickets

What is it?

We’re adding Round Robin as a new distribution method for ticket assignment in Help Desk routing rules and workflows. This option distributes tickets in a sequential, rotating order—ensuring each eligible team member is assigned one ticket before any team member receives a second. Round Robin complements the existing Load Balanced (formerly “Balanced”) and Random assignment options, offering teams more flexibility in how tickets are routed and ownership is distributed.

Why does it matter?

While many teams benefit from distributing tickets to the least busy agent (now referred to as Load Balanced), others require a more structured approach to ensure fair workload rotation. Round Robin assigns one ticket to each eligible user before beginning a new cycle, promoting transparency and consistency in routing logic. This option is particularly useful for teams seeking a clear and orderly distribution process.

How does it work?

Round Robin is now available as a distribution method in Specific users and teams routing rules in addition to Load Balanced and Random distribution options.

Round Robin Ticket Distribution

Round Robin assigns tickets one-by-one to eligible users and team members before any user receives an additional automatic assignment, ensuring equitable assignment over time.

Users are considered eligible for assignment if they have:

• A service seat
• Are not deactivated
• Have capacity for the incoming ticket
• Are available, unless the routing rule ignores user availability status

Note: Newly eligible users are incorporated without resetting the cycle. For example, if a user becomes available they will be added to the current distribution cycle and not be assigned again until the next distribution cycle begins.

Where you’ll see it

Round Robin is available in:

• Help Desk Routing Rules for Email, Forms, and Messaging Channels
  • Messaging channels will now have an option to choose Round Robin or Load Balanced distribution
  • Note:
    • By default, all messaging channels assign based on user availability and users who are away will not be eligible for Round Robin assignment
    • Round Robin is not an option on Calling channels or Inbox Routing

Distribution options for email and forms

Assignment options in Live Chat

Send to Team Member action within Chatbots

• Ticket-based workflows (if the portal is enrolled in the beta for Rotate Owner)
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Please note:

Round Robin assignment applies only within each individual routing rule. If you use multiple routing rules—such as one per support channel—or multiple Rotate Owner actions in a workflow, each one will manage its own Round Robin cycle independently.

This is consistent with how Rotate Owner works today and ensures each rule distributes tickets fairly based on the users defined in that specific rule.

Important Notes

• ‘Balanced’ is now renamed to ‘Load Balanced’, to better describe how it distributes tickets to users with the least amount of open tickets first
• Round robin is not available for inbox conversation routing
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Who gets it?

Service Pro, Service Enterprise