A decade of success: how Fortnox and Zendesk make every interaction count
Fortnox partners with Zendesk to deliver seamless, high-quality customer and employee support at scale. By leveraging Zendesk’s robust ticketing system, API, Explore, and AI, Fortnox efficiently manages over one million support tickets annually while maintaining an impressive CSAT score of 4.7 out of 5. With 150 specialised agents and a strong multi-channel approach, this partnership ensures small businesses and entrepreneurs across Sweden are empowered to navigate through complex financial processes with clarity and confidence.
"In the end, what matters most is what the user thinks about their specific interaction with us. That’s what’s most important - and Zendesk helps us deliver experiences that keep our customers coming back."
Carl Elmqvist
Head of Customer Support at Fortnox
"When we looked at Zendesk alternatives, we couldn’t find a compelling reason to switch. The API is strong, the agents are happy, and it scales effortlessly with our growth."
Olof Berg
Infrastructure Area Manager at Fortnox
Customers
500K+
Tickets annually
1M+
Agents
150
Zendesk customer since
2013
4.7/5
CSAT
4.2/5
Fortnox Support Index
<1 minute
chat response time
<6 minutes
phone response time
Fueling the future of small business
Fortnox was founded on a mission to empower businesses in Sweden. At a time when cloud-based solutions were still emerging, Fortnox introduced an online bookkeeping platform that revolutionised financial management. Today, it has grown into Sweden’s leading business platform, offering a comprehensive suite of digital solutions for accounting, invoicing, payroll, tax reporting, factoring, and business financing, to more than 500,000 customers.
"We believe in Swedish businesses, and our mission is to help them grow and succeed," notes Carl Elmqvist, Head of Customer Support at Fortnox. "Bookkeeping and tax reporting aren’t why people start businesses - they’re just necessary parts of running one. That’s why we’ve made support a fundamental part of our offering. Our goal isn’t just to solve issues, but to empower our customers to focus on what they do best."
What started as a small team managing customer queries via Gmail has grown into a robust support organisation with 150 agents structured into 12 specialised teams. Each team focuses on a distinct product area - from payroll to bookkeeping - ensuring deep expertise and faster issue resolution.
"We’re very product-based in our support approach," explains Elmqvist. "Customers receive assistance from experts in their specific area, making interactions smoother and more effective."
Seamless interactions with an integrated support ecosystem
With a constantly expanding customer base, Fortnox needs a scalable, centralised system to manage interactions across multiple channels. For over a decade, Zendesk has been the backbone of its support infrastructure, consolidating all customer communications.
“All phone calls, chats, and emails eventually end up in Zendesk, giving us a complete record of customer interactions and enabling a seamless experience,” says Olof Berg, Infrastructure Area Manager at Fortnox.
Beyond centralising customer interactions, Zendesk’s powerful API has also enabled Fortnox to build custom integrations, including a customer-facing ticket tracking system within its own platform. This solution gives customers real-time visibility into their support requests, enhancing transparency and efficiency. "From a technical perspective, Zendesk’s API documentation is excellent - unlike many other vendors. Our developers and BI team are very happy with it," Berg notes.
In addition to its API capabilities, Fortnox leverages Zendesk Explore to gain valuable insights from support data. “It enables us to track key interactions and monitor service performance effectively,” says Berg. “Explore also perfectly integrates with our BI platform, ensuring customer ticket data flows smoothly for holistic reporting and deeper analysis.”
Beyond external customer support, Fortnox also integrates Zendesk into its internal operations, using it as a ticketing tool for HR, payroll, legal, and finance teams to manage internal requests. These departments rely on Zendesk to track and organise inquiries, ensuring a structured and efficient workflow.
A high-touch support strategy powered by Zendesk
Unlike many companies that attempt to minimise customer interactions, Fortnox embraces support as a core differentiator. With 40% of inquiries handled via phone, 40% through chat, and 20% via email, Fortnox prioritises accessibility and personalised engagement.
By leveraging Zendesk’s robust ticketing system, API, Explore, and Copilot, Fortnox efficiently manages over one million support tickets annually while maintaining an impressive CSAT score of 4.7 out of 5.
In addition to traditional performance metrics, Fortnox has developed its own Support Index to measure the effectiveness of its customer service. This internal benchmark evaluates key factors such as agent competence, availability, and overall service quality, consistently scoring above 4 out of 5. More than just a performance metric, the Support Index is a vital tool for agent enablement - helping Fortnox identify training opportunities, refine processes, and continuously improve service delivery.
Fortnox also sees its support team as a driver of business growth. Agents are trained to provide consultative guidance, leading to frequent upsell opportunities where customers discover additional features that enhance their businesses.
“A call, a chat, or an email exchange with us always creates value for both the customer and for us,” Elmqvist notes. With Zendesk centralising customer interactions, Fortnox agents have a clear view of past inquiries, allowing them to provide more personalised and valuable recommendations.
A strategic partnership built for the future
Fortnox is making AI a major focus as it looks to scale and optimise support operations. As part of this strategy, the company recently implemented Zendesk Copilot to assist agents with ticket resolution and workflow optimisation. While still in the early stages, Fortnox is excited about its potential. "We have implemented Zendesk Copilot only recently indeed, but we are already starting to see its impact," Berg mentions.
Fortnox’s commitment to innovation extends well beyond AI - it also prioritises continuous learning and collaboration. A strong example of this is the Customer Support Festival, a day dedicated to celebrating and empowering its support team. Last year, Zendesk participated in the event, sharing best practices and insights on delivering outstanding customer experiences.
This is just one of many examples of how Fortnox’s relationship with Zendesk has evolved into a true strategic partnership over the years. "It's pretty unique that you can go from two agents to 400 seats and still be happy with your solution," Berg says. "We have a strong relationship with Zendesk - it feels more like a partnership than a vendor relationship."
Berg continues, "When we looked at Zendesk alternatives, we couldn’t find a compelling reason to switch. The API is strong, the agents are happy, and it scales effortlessly with our growth." With AI and innovation shaping the future of its support operations, and with Zendesk as its foundation, Fortnox ensures that every customer interaction is not just about solving a problem - but about building trust, delivering value, and creating long-lasting relationships.
"In the end, what matters most is what the user thinks about their specific interaction with us. That’s what’s most important - and Zendesk helps us deliver experiences that keep our customers coming back," Elmqvist concludes.
