How ApproveThis + ServiceBell Zapier Integration Cuts Approval Delays (Without the Headaches)

When Live Support Meets Approval Automation

ServiceBell’s live video chat and user monitoring tools help companies catch customer issues as they happen. But what happens when your team needs to escalate a support request, approve a discount, or get sign-off on a custom solution? That’s where most companies hit a wall – stuck waiting for internal approvals while customers wait on hold.

ApproveThis removes that friction point. By connecting ServiceBell alerts to automated approval workflows via Zapier, you turn real-time customer interactions into immediate action. No more manual handoffs between systems. No more "I'll get back to you" limbo.

Why This Combo Works for Mid-Sized Teams

Companies between 50-5,000 employees often have enough complexity to need approvals, but not enough IT bandwidth to build custom solutions. Here’s how this integration solves three specific headaches:

• Support Teams: Approve account credits/discounts during live chats without leaving ServiceBell
• Sales Teams: Route custom contract terms for legal review while the prospect is still engaged
• Operations Teams: Escalate urgent technical issues to engineering leads without chaotic Slack pings

Real-World Use Cases (Not Just Theory)

Let’s break down exactly how this works across different business scenarios:

1. Instant Discount Approvals During Sales Calls

Scenario: A SaaS prospect on a ServiceBell video call asks for a 15% annual discount. Your sales rep needs manager approval to proceed.

The Fix: Create a Zap that triggers when a ServiceBell "Visitor Dial" event occurs. ApproveThis automatically routes the discount request to the sales director via email. If approved, the rep gets instant notification in ServiceBell’s chat interface. Total wait time: 2 minutes instead of 2 days.

2. Escalating Technical Support Issues

Scenario: A VIP customer’s dashboard crashes during a screen-sharing session. The support agent needs engineering approval to prioritize the fix.

The Fix: ServiceBell’s alert trigger starts an ApproveThis workflow that:

• Checks the customer’s contract tier (using Calculated Fields)
• Routes to the correct engineering lead based on issue type
• Auto-approves if the lead doesn’t respond within 15 minutes (Approval Thresholds)

3. Managing External Contractor Access

Scenario: A marketing agency needs temporary access to your CMS via ServiceBell’s screen takeover feature.

The Fix: New contractor requests in ServiceBell automatically create approval requests that:

• Require IT + department head sign-off (Approval Groups)
• Set access expiration dates (Custom Fields)
• Notify the contractor directly when approved (no ApproveThis license needed)

What Makes This Different From Other Approval Tools?

Most approval systems create MORE work. ApproveThis + ServiceBell works because:

For Support Teams: Approvers can review requests via email without logging into another system. Critical when dealing with external partners or clients who shouldn’t have full platform access.

For Finance Teams: Automatic approval thresholds ($500+ goes to CFO, under that to managers) prevent bottlenecks on small requests.

For Distributed Teams: Vacation delegation ensures requests never stall because someone’s OOO. If the primary approver is unavailable, it automatically routes to their backup.

Setting It Up Without the Tech Headache

Here’s the simple version:

1. Connect ServiceBell and ApproveThis in Zapier (takes 3 minutes)
2. Choose your trigger (New Alert, Visitor Dial, etc.) from ServiceBell
3. Map the key data points to ApproveThis fields (amount, contact info, urgency level)
4. Set approval rules: Who needs to approve what, in which order, with what deadlines

Pro Tip: Start with one high-impact workflow (like discount approvals) before scaling to other use cases.

Why This Matters for Customer-Facing Teams

In 2024, 68% of customers expect same-hour responses. Waiting 24 hours for an internal approval kills deals and damages trust. This integration keeps your front-line teams empowered to act fast while maintaining oversight.

Sales Benefit: Close deals during the discovery call instead of losing momentum

Support Benefit: Resolve Tier 1 issues immediately instead of escalating

Operations Benefit: Audit trail shows who approved what and when

The Hidden Cost of Manual Approvals

Let’s get real – every minute your team spends chasing down approvals via Slack/email is money lost. For a 100-person company:

→ 5 approval requests/day × 10 minutes each × 260 workdays = 2166 hours/year
→ At $30/hour average wage = $65,000 in wasted time

This isn’t about software – it’s about removing friction that silently drains revenue.

Common Objections (And Why They’re Wrong)

“We’re fine with email approvals.”
Cool – until someone forgets to CC a stakeholder, an approval gets buried, or a new hire doesn’t know the process. Structured workflows prevent fires.

“Our CRM has approval features.”
Great for sales-specific requests. Useless when you need cross-functional approvals (legal + finance + exec team) that live across multiple systems.

Getting Started Without the Overwhelm

Don’t try to automate every approval process at once. Pick one pain point:

→ Are discount approvals slowing deals?
→ Do client onboarding requests get stuck in legal?
→ Are support agents waiting hours for manager OKs?

Start there. Prove the ROI. Then expand to other workflows.

Bottom Line

ServiceBell gives you real-time customer insights. ApproveThis turns those insights into immediate action. Together, they help mid-sized companies move at startup speed without the chaos.

Ready to stop losing deals to approval delays? Register for ApproveThis or book a 15-minute demo to see live workflows.