# Escalate VIP Zendesk tickets with OpenAI and Slack: n8n workflow

> Started by an event in a connected app, and works across Airtable, Gmail and Slack. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/escalate-vip-zendesk-tickets-with-openai-and-slack (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Automation library](https://millionrounds.com/workflows) · [Customer support](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?category=Customer+support#library)

# Escalate VIP Zendesk tickets with OpenAI and Slack

Started by an event in a connected app, and works across Airtable, Gmail and Slack. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI. 13 steps, 2 branches, 1 loop or waits: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium Calls a model: OpenAI

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fescalate-vip-zendesk-tickets-with-openai-and-slack)

**13 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**2** Branches: places the flow splits

**1** Loop or waits

**3** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 1 Model 1 Logic 5 Service 6

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

- 1 **New ticket received** Zendesk trigger *Starts it*
- 2 **is the VIP Customer?** If *Logic*
- 3 **Intelligent Ticket Analysis** Open Ai *Model*
- 4 **Prepare non VIP ticket data** Set *Logic*
- 5 **Store VIP Ticket details** Airtable *Service*
- 6 **Combine all VIP ticket** Aggregate *Logic*
- 7 **Get support team members** Slack *Service*
- 8 **Notify for non VIP customer** Gmail *Service*
- 9 **Check each team member** Split In Batches *Logic*
- 10 **Get a user's presence status** Slack *Service*
- 11 **Is someone Active?** If *Logic*
- 12 **Notify directly Active user** Slack *Service*
- 13 **Notify support channel** Slack *Service*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** An event in a connected app
- **Steps:** 13, with 2 branches, 1 loop or waits
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Airtable, Gmail, Slack
- **Model:** OpenAI

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Airtable, Gmail and Slack accounts, and a key for OpenAI. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on an event in a connected app.

Does it use AI?

Yes. It calls OpenAI. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 13 steps is enough that you should read each one before running it.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

**Before you run it**

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 13 steps before you point it at anything that matters.

## Run it in n8n

- **Create your n8n account** Free to start. n8n is where the workflow runs. [Create an n8n account ↗](https://millionrounds.com/n8n)
- **Download the workflow** Free with a Millionrounds account. [Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fescalate-vip-zendesk-tickets-with-openai-and-slack)
- **Paste it into n8n** Open a new workflow in n8n and paste. Then connect your own accounts.

Stored with the author's traces removed: canvas notes, instance identifiers, saved credential names and any live document they had left behind.

## Connects to

Each opens the other workflows that use it.

[Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Airtable#library)[Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Gmail#library)[Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Slack#library)

## Workflows like it

Also customer support, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**AI Customer Support Bot: Auto-Classify, Route** 13 steps · calls a model · Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/ai-customer-support-bot-auto-classify-route)
- [**AI-powered support automation with Outlook and OpenAI** 13 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Jira](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/ai-powered-support-automation-with-outlook-and-openai)
- [**Assess churn risk from HubSpot tickets with DeepSeek and Slack** 13 steps · calls a model · HubSpot, Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/assess-churn-risk-from-hubspot-tickets-with-deepseek-and-sla)
- [**Collect and theme customer complaints with Apify and OpenAI** 13 steps · calls a model · Apify, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/collect-and-theme-customer-complaints-with-apify-and-openai)
- [**Route customer support chats with OpenAI and Slack** 13 steps · calls a model · Google Sheets, Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/route-customer-support-chats-with-openai-and-slack)
- [**Run a RAG support copilot with Claude and OpenAI** 13 steps · calls a model · Gmail, in-memory vectors](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/run-a-rag-support-copilot-with-claude-and-openai)