Fourth Insight - The power of Multi-Layouts

The Wheels of Ticketing - Desk Stories

The power of Multi-Layouts

In the previous insights, we have established that layouts are the foundation for a ticketing system, and fields are the building blocks for the same system.

Fundamentals of layouts

Fields play a crucial role in helping customers and agents collect valuable end-user information to understand their concerns better. Organizations must prioritise collecting accurate data in the right format to ensure efficiency. It's essential to avoid overwhelming end users with unnecessary or confusing fields; clarity is key. Additionally, the layout of these fields should be thoughtfully classified based on the data collected from end users to provide a more intuitive and user-friendly experience.

Understanding multi-layouts

Using multiple layouts in a help desk environment can significantly enhance the customer experience and streamline support processes. 

For instance, let’s take a telecommunication service provider that offers both postpaid and prepaid options. These two services cater to distinct user needs and provide varied features. Imagine an end-user needing to raise a support ticket specifically for a postpaid service. Instead of relying on a single generic form encompassing both service types, the organization can enhance user experience by developing two tailored layouts: one dedicated to postpaid and another to prepaid services. 

This approach involves choosing the right fields to align with each service and streamlining the ticket submission process. Doing so significantly reduces data clutter, allowing the end-user to navigate the forms easily and provide the necessary information to receive adequate and timely support for their queries.

Multi-layout best practices

For a ticketing help desk system to support multiple layouts effectively, consider the following:

• Modular design: Streamline your ticket submission process into multiple services according to your business. Each service can be created as a layout. If there are common details between services, build this interface with reusable fields.
  
• Role-based preset: To simplify onboarding, pre-configure layouts connected to agent roles according to the solutions they provide to customers.
  
• Customisation engine: To ensure accurate information and help agents with all required information, include widgets using extensions and proper recommendations using tooltips.
  
• Responsive data integration: To avoid ticket creation latency, ensure only the required fields are added to the layout. Using layout rules, you can also make the design responsive based on the input.
  
• Performance optimisation: Validate the data given in the layout fields using validation rules to minimise the agent's load time on incorrect data.
  
• Accessibility: Design layouts with keyboard navigation, screen reader support, and high-contrast options to accommodate all users.
  

These best practices can help your organization apply multiple layouts in your ticketing help desk system to accommodate diverse agent workflows, improve efficiency, and raise customer satisfaction levels.

A story for better understanding

Streamlining Support with Multiple Layouts

This narrative illustrates how multi-layouts improve efficiency, adaptability, and the overall experience for agents managing customer support tickets.

At Help Point Innovations, a rapidly growing SaaS company, the customer support team faced challenges managing an overwhelming influx of tickets. While their help desk system was operational, it lacked flexibility and only provided a uniform ticket view, frustrating agents. Simple inquiries were often lost amid more complex technical problems, causing agents to spend unnecessary time navigating multiple tabs to locate information. This led to declining morale and increasing response times.

Enter Chandler, the new support operations manager, tasked with turning things around. He collaborated with the operations team to implement a new ticketing help desk system that supported multiple layouts tailored to different agent needs. 

The Standard Layout – The All-Purpose Form 

On his first day, Chandler shadowed Mike, a level 1 support agent handling general inquiries. Mike used the standard layout, a clean, streamlined form designed for quick ticket triage:

 

• Ticket list pane: A sortable list of open tickets with columns for ticket ID, customer name, priority, and subject. Filters let Mike focus on "New" or "High Priority" tickets.
• Ticket details pane: Clicking a ticket displayed the customer's message, purchase history, and a chat-like thread for internal notes and replies.
• Quick actions bar: Buttons for everyday actions like "Assign to Self," "Reply with Template," or "Escalate" were front and center.

 

Mike valued how the Standard Layout let him process simple tickets, like password resets or billing questions, in under a minute. For example, when a customer asked about a subscription refund, Mike pulled up the ticket, checked the purchase history in the details pane, and sent a pre-approved refund response using a template without leaving the screen.

 

The standard layout empowered level 1 agents to efficiently handle high-volume, straightforward tickets, reducing average response time by 30%.

The Tech Layout – In-depth Troubleshooting 

Next, Chandler observed Lila, a Level 2 technical support specialist who tackled complex issues like API errors and software bugs. Lila switched to the technical layout, and when queries came in, she automated the tickets to move them to this layout so that they could help with in-depth analysis:

 

• Expanded ticket details: The layout prioritized technical data, showing error logs, system diagnostics, and API call history alongside the ticket thread.
• Integrated tools pane: A sidebar linked to debugging tools, a knowledge base, and a code snippet library for quick reference.
• Collaboration panel: A dedicated space for real-time collaboration with developers via internal chat, with options to attach screenshots or screen recordings.
  

When a customer reported an API timeout issue, Lila used the technical layout to view the error log, cross-reference it with the knowledge base, and ping the dev team in the collaboration panel. She identified a rate-limiting issue, shared a workaround with the customer, and flagged the ticket for a permanent fix within 15 minutes.

 

The technical layout reduced resolution time for complex tickets by 40%, as agents had critical tools and data at their fingertips.

The Custom Layout – Personalized Productivity

Finally, Chandler met Riya, a senior agent who handled level 1 and 2 tickets. Riya had created a Custom layout to suit her unique workflow:

 

• Hybrid ticket view: Riya combined elements of the standard and technical layouts, with a compact ticket list and a detailed technical pane for quick switches between complex and straightforward tickets.
• Pinned widgets: She added widgets for her most-used tools, like a live chat monitor and a shortcut to her favorite response templates.
• Colour-coded priority: Riya customized the ticket list to highlight VIP customers in red and urgent tickets in yellow.

 

When a VIP client reported a critical issue, Riya's custom layout let her spot the ticket instantly, access diagnostic data, and respond with a personalized message in record time. Thanks to her tailored setup, she could easily pivot to handling a batch of routine tickets without missing a beat.

Custom layouts boosted agent satisfaction and productivity, as veterans like Riya could work in a way that matched their expertise and preferences.

The Transformation

In just weeks, introducing the new help desk system with multiple layouts transformed Help Point's support operations. Agents became more efficient and effective, customers enjoyed prompt solutions, and the team's morale soared. One of Chandler's highlights was when he caught Mike and Lila discussing which layout was most suitable for specific scenarios, indicating that the operations team had developed multiple tailored views. These custom views enabled agents to focus on the particular requirements of each ticket, boosting productivity by reducing unnecessary clutter.

Wrapping up

The key to success? Flexibility. By offering multiple layouts, standard for speed, technical for depth, and custom for personalization, he help desk system met the diverse needs of the support team and turned disorder into a well-oiled machine.

Please stay tuned for more Desk Module stories.

 

Cheers,

 

Kavya Rao

The Zoho Desk Team

Also read:

• Third Insight - The Importance of Data Segregation
  
• Second Insight - Let's talk Layouts
• First Insight - Find your Fields

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