Fourth Insight - The power of Multi-Layouts

Fourth Insight - The power of Multi-Layouts

The Wheels of Ticketing - Desk Stories

The power of Multi-Layouts




QuoteIn 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


    • Recent Topics

    • Sending possible. Receiving not possible.

      We are not receiving mail in our company email. Could you please solve this. It has been recurring and I want it to be resolved once and for all. Please help.

    • Problema para enviar y recibir correos

      Buenos días, mi cuenta de correo secretaria@construccmauro.com presenta problemas y no me permite ni me envía ni recibe correos, me sale este error.No fue posible enviar el mensaje; Motivo: 554 5.1.8 Correo electrónico bloqueado saliente.  Aprende más., Agradezco

    • Data access tasks like 'For each record' aren't supported for 'integration forms'.

      My code is not running because i get the error "Data access tasks like 'For each record' aren't supported for 'integration forms'." I have my integration setup with Zoho CRM + Zoho Creator, the form is visible and working on my zoho creator however in

    • Zoho Reports Not Grouping from Subforms

      I have created reports from a subform. We have a budget from a standard field, and the bills added to a subform. I've summarised the bills in a field. In edit mode, the bills are joined per supplier, which is what we want. But then it converts and separates/duplicates

    • Create Automation for the Field "Mark up by"

      Hello everyone, I'm importing expenses from Zoho Expense to Zoho Books. I want to auto-calculate the "Mark up by" field based on the custom field “Discount” I created before. The trigger of the workflow will be the creation of the expense itself. The

    • Free Webinar Alert! Before vs After: Proven ROI from Zoho CRM + Workplace Integration

      Hello Zoho Workplace Community! Before: Scattered tools, lost leads, fragmented communication. Are you ready to stop the constant back and forth between tools to manage leads, emails, and team communication? After: Connected tools, streamlined processes,

    • Zoho Forms to Zoho Sign Integration - Fields Missing

      If a Zoho Form has image fields, it seems these can't be transferred to a Zoho Sign template for digital signature. Is there any way of pre-filling Zoho Form images onto a Zoho Sign template? Many thanks.

    • Is zoho SMTP slow today?

      Hi guys, Since yesterday I'm facing a slow communication over SMTP while sending emails. I already tried to use tls and ssl but nothing changes. There is anyone else experiencing related issues? I didn't find any maintenance in progress. Tested another

    • Link project invoices to sales orders

      As a business owner and project manager I create estimates with my clients which then become sales orders. When billing for project work I want to invoice against the agreed sales order. I see that I can create invoices and link them to sales orders in

    • The Urgent Need for Native Brazilian Payment Integrations: PIX and Direct Bank Connections

      Hello Zoho Team, I am writing to emphasize a critical functionality gap for Zoho Books in the Brazilian market: the lack of modern, native payment gateway integrations. The current options are insufficient. The Mercado Pago integration, for instance,

    • How to Fetch Images from Related Modules in Zoho CRM Mail Merge Templates?

      Hi team , Hope this email finds you well. I have a requirement where I need to create mail merge templates within Zoho CRM in such a way that they fetch images from a record stored in a different module. The way it works is I have one module "A" which

    • Zoho Calendar (Refresh Rate)

      Why don't the calendars refresh more than every 12 hours? That is crazy. I cannot be the only user who wants to see this change? I see and understand that I can MANUALLY update them, but need them to auto refresh either (1) whenever there is a change

    • "In Zoho CRM, during the Blueprint transition to the QC stage, I want to make the 'Packing Proof' image field mandatory."

      @Dr Saurabh Joshi @Haiku Technical Support @Ishwarya SG @Sparrow Hill President @Hugh Marshall "In Zoho CRM, during the Blueprint transition to the QC stage, I want to make the 'Packing Proof' image field mandatory."

    • Flow Error

      Hi Zoho Team, Any idea on this? This happens recently. Zoho Desk says "You are not authorized to access this resource."

    • Zoho Books/Square integration, using 2 Square 'locations' with new Books 'locations'?

      Hello! I saw some old threads about this but wasn't sure if there were any updates. Is there a way to integrate the Square locations feature with the Books locations feature? As in, transactions from separate Books locations go to separate Square locations

    • Books/Square integration with multiple bank accounts

      Hello, I need some workaround ideas! We have two parts of our business which have their own bank accounts and customers. We use 'locations' in Square to allocate the payments to the correct place and we use 'branches' in Zoho Books to define which transactions

    • Intergrating multi location Square account with Zoho Books

      Hi, I have one Square account but has multiple locations. I would like to integrate that account and show aggregated sales in zoho books. How can I do that? thanks.

    • [Webinar] Deluge Learning Series - Deluge Learning Series Built-in Functions in Deluge

      We’re excited to welcome you to the next session in our Deluge Learning Series – Built-in Functions in Deluge – Part 1. In this focused 1-hour live session, we will explore the practical use of built-in functions in Deluge scripting, with a spotlight

    • Zoho Hilfe in NRW für Kundenprojekt gesucht!

      Hallo, wir sind auf der Suche für ein Kundenprojekt, wer die Implementierung von Zoho übernehmen kann. Unsere Stärke liegt im Onlinemarketing, bzw. der Automatisierung mit Klick-Tipp und den Tools drum herum. In dem Projekt können wir dem Kunden mit dem jetzigen CRM nicht weiter helfen, bzw. ihn nicht auf die nächste Stufe bringen. Leider komme ich mit meiner Suche in Foren, SocialMedia und sonst wo nicht weiter.  Der Idealfall ist ein gemeinsamer Besuch vor Ort beim Kunden und hier eine Präsentation

    • Gaps in Core HR Functionalities in Zoho People

      Hello People team, We've been using Zoho People for quite some time now and truly appreciate its flexibility and customizability. That said, I wanted to share some feedback based on our experience implementing core HR processes within the platform. Several

    • Product and Service

      Hi guys, there is a difference between layout of product and service if Long Description field have some kind of text. Please see screenshot 1 for Service here: https://prnt.sc/7xWwPKd29nWP for Product here: https://prnt.sc/LGmtVd_U6H7q As you can see

    • Anyone Building AI-Based SEO Dashboards in Zoho Analytics?

      Hey everyone, I’m currently working on an SEO reporting dashboard in Zoho Analytics and looking to enhance it with AI-based insights—especially around AI visibility, keyword trends, and traffic sources. The goal is to track not just traditional metrics

    • Phone Number Integration

      I would like to be able to track my cell phone calls in the CRM.  So if a contact calls my cell phone number, a note of that phone call will be made in the CRM so that I don't have to remember to go back in and add the call manually. Is there a way to connect the CRM and my cell phone via a 3rd party? Such as Google Voice, Skype, etc. Its important that my clients don't have to call a new or different number and that sent calls use the same number as well. So if there is a way to connect my phone

    • Woocommerce Line Item Information

      I'd like to add each line item from a Woocommerce order to a zoho creator form record. The line items are found within the line items array, but I'm not sure how to get each item out of the array? Any help would be much appreciated.

    • Create Encrypted Zoho Forms URL for SMS Pre-Population forms using zfcrm_entity=

      Hello Zoho Forms Community and Zoho Team, I’m trying to send a Zoho Forms URL via SMS with pre-populated CRM contact data, inspired by a post from four years ago by GlennP (https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/community/topic/passing-the-crm). Our form is

    • Sales IQ - Bot Builder - Forward to Operator Action Card Improvement

      Hi team, It would be a great improvement to have an additional branch out of the Forward to Operator Action Card. I would like to allow 10 seconds for an operator to pick up the chat, if they don't or if they reject the chat I would like the Bot to continue

    • Important notice: Migration is needed from the legacy ASAP to the latest ASAP Zoho Desk flow

      We recommend upgrading to the latest version, as the older version will eventually be discontinued and will no longer receive any further enhancements or bug fixes. We are announcing an important update concerning the ASAP help widget in Zoho Desk. The

    • NFC Support

      Hi, I would like NFC Support like Zoho Creator, to pre-fill field values by scanning an RFID device. Zoho Creator NFC here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4JoMWnF82I Both on a Field's User Input (Mobile Apps), in additon to QR Code & Barcode today,

    • Live webinar: Building brand consistency using Zoho Show

      Getting people to remember your brand isn’t easy. And if your branding isn’t consistent, it becomes almost impossible. One place where consistency really matters? Presentations. Whether it’s a sales pitch, an event deck, or a team update, your slides

    • Getting an error "Not able to connect server. Verify your network connection" during proforma invoice converting to invoice.

      Getting an error "Not able to connect server. Verify your network connection" during proforma invoice converting to invoice. 

    • calendar I created in Zoho Creator not being imported to Google calendar any longer

      A calendar that I created in my Zoho Creator app is no longer updating (or showing up at all) in my google calendar. It used to export appointments I set up in my app to google calendar. I cannot figure out how to correct this.

    • Quoting Subscriptions with one Time costs

      Hello all, We sell a subscription SaaS service for which we provide one-time services for implementation and customization. Using CRM quotes i was able to create customized total fields to show the total one-time costs, monthly cost, total subscription

    • Automatisez efficacement avec le nouveau concepteur de workflows flexibles

      Auparavant, l'automatisation dans les modèles de fusion de Writer se limitait à des actions simples comme « fusionner et stocker », « fusionner et envoyer par e-mail » ou « fusionner et envoyer pour signature ». En revanche, il était jusqu’à présent impossible

    • More context, fewer tabs: View lookup modules' data within a CRM Canvas page

      Hello everyone, How often do your users juggle multiple browser tabs just to piece together the full context of a record? This update can make their lives easier. You can now add lookup modules' fields to a Canvas detail view page and a Canvas list view

    • On click of the Blueprint transition (Qualified or Not Qualified), the 'Convert' option should be enabled in the Lead module.

      On click of the Blueprint transition (Qualified or Not Qualified), the 'Convert' option should be enabled in the Lead module. console.clear(); let convertButton = ZDK.Page.getButton('convert'); let leadStatus = ZDK.Page.getField('Lead_Stage').getValue();

    • Show all items making up the composite item in transactions

      Dear Zoho, Currently, when we select a composite item in Zoho Inventory for a transaction, we do not receive a breakdown of the individual items that make up the composite. This makes it challenging for our team to accurately pick, pack, and ship the

    • Custom Roles & Granular Permission Control in Zoho SalesIQ

      Hello Zoho SalesIQ Team, We appreciate the functionalities offered by Zoho SalesIQ, but we would like to request a crucial enhancement regarding user roles and permissions. Current Issue: At present, Zoho SalesIQ provides fixed roles—Admin, Supervisor,

    • Condition to skip recipient signature

      Is there a way, alone or with a Zoho Form integration, to skip a recipient signature when a condition is set? This happens because in this template, not always all the recipients need to sign it. Sometimes its just a few. We are using a Zoho Form integration

    • How to filter emails by Reply-to field?

      I receive a very particular newsletter from an association A registered on a website W (that is used by many associations), and the emails fields are not great: the From just contains the generic website's W's email, while A is only mentioned in the Reply-to

    • Wich version of Backstage is included in Zoho One

      Hello I am in the event business and i am considering Zoho One to replace my current tools. I will need Backstage to manage my events but I am wondering wich version of backstage will I get if I subscribe to Zoho One. Thank you Guillaume

    • Next Page