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

    • Can you create a lead without assigning an owner?

      Here is the question I have:   Is there a way I can create a bunch of leads without assigning it an owner?   What I want is for my salespeople to pick and choose their own leads without me assigning them..   right now all leads are owned by me because

    • Bug - Incorrect example in the documentation

      I found an issue in the Zoho API documentation. The example "Sample Request" on this page is incorrect — it shows the example for "Get Email Attachment Info" instead of "Get Email Attachment Content". Wrong example: curl "https://mail.zoho.com/api/accounts/12345678/folders/9000000002014/messages/1710915488416100001/attachmentinfo"

    • Power of Automation :: Dynamically generate Tasklists based on values selected in Task Custom Fields

      Hello Everyone, A custom function is a software code that can be used to automate a process and this allows you to automate a notification, call a webhook, or perform logic immediately after a workflow rule is triggered. This feature helps to automate

    • WhatsApp Enhancements to Boost Customer Engagement

      We're excited to introduce a series of powerful enhancements to the WhatsApp integration in Zoho FSM, making customer interactions faster, smarter, and more actionable—right from your Zoho FSM interface. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new: Try It Out

    • Store reviews module just got smarter in Zoho Apptics

      Hello, Apptics community! Every app deserves better visibility in the marketplace, and reviews play a crucial role in improving your app's App Store Optimization (ASO), rankings, and credibility across stores. That's why we've rolled out a set of enhancements

    • Try CRM for everyone button in the way of workflow

      Please consider using the bottom bar for offers. Using the top bar for offers like "Try CRM for everyone" really gets in the way of my day to day workflow.

    • Include EVERYTHING in Language Files

      Hey, we are building out a system, that needs to be translated. The language files lack a few things though. 1. Blueprint names 2. Canvas View elements like tab names Please include everything into these files, otherwise it's not really a multi language

    • A way to create kits (groups of items) that do not require bundling and are added to an order as the individual items

      We are evaluating moving off of Sage BusinessWorks (which handles accounting, order entry, inventory control, accounts receivable, etc) to Zoho Books/Inventory. One of the things we heavily use is a feature called Kits, which allows creating a group of

    • Allocating Salesman To Customer

      Hello, please add a feature to allocate a salesman to a particular business customer/account. Regards

    • Shipment

      I have 70 shipments Out of which 40 delivery date are updated( since it is live tracked) 30 numbers i need to update manually. How to do it in bulk?

    • arabic not printing

      Qatar has a legal requirement to have invoices in English and Arabic. When writing invoice fields in Arabic, they don't print. Why?

    • How to show Order Number/SO Ref on Invoice emails

      When creating a sales order or invoice we have an option to input an order number or ref# (see attached images). For the Sales Order email template we can add a placeholder for the SO_REF. However, for the Invoice email template there's no option to reference

    • Specify in-line image size in question

      I have an image inserted into a file upload type question. I can click and drag the corner of the image to make it larger or smaller, but I would like to manually input the dimensions I need. No matter what size I make the image in photoshop before uploading

    • Can you limit who creates tags?

      Hi there, I'd like to find out if it's possible to limit which Agents create tags on Zoho desk. Thank you. 

    • Auto CC - Moving Departments

      We have Auto CC e-mail replies to your support mailbox enabled. We have two departments: Helpdesk (helpdesk@domain.com) Delivery (delivery@domain.com) If we create a Helpdesk ticket, and reply, replies are CC'd to helpdesk@domain.com (OK) We then move

    • Sudden Layout Issue After Last CSS Update for ZML (Temporary Fix Inside)

      Hi, Our clients have noticed today that every section laid out with ZML suddenly shows an unwanted top padding/blank space that interrupts the user screens. It appears that Zoho has changed the default CSS for the .zcp-col.zcp-panel-rowtype-auto element.

    • Customer paid excess. How do I record payment?

      A customer has paid me Rs. 7150 which is in excess. The amount due is Rs. 5388 I owe them Rs. 1762 back which I will be transferring to their account tomorrow. How do I get this entered into Zoho Books? I'm a little lost. :) Rishi

    • Search Bar Improvement for Zoho Commerce

      Hey everyone, I've been using Zoho Commerce for a bit now, and I think the search bar could really use an upgrade. Right now, it doesn't show products in a dropdown as you type, which would make finding items a lot faster. On Shopify, for example, you

    • Tabular View Report | Scale To Fit Screen

      Please add the option to scale Tabular View reports to fit the screen. I constantly have to adjust the column size of Tabular View reports to fit various screen sizes and it just looks messy. You can see in the screenshot below there is a blank gap after

    • Why Server error in creatiing Landing Pages

      Hi Zoho Team, pls see my screenshot and tell me, what's wrong. Thx

    • Tip 31: How to make a field in a Zoho Creator form mandatory based on criteria

      Hi folks,   I'm sure most of you are familiar with the Mandatory property available in our form builder. It enables you to ensure that your users enter an input in a required field. If they don't enter an input in that field, they'll be unable to submit

    • Bulk update account type when adding a bill

      Hi I've only been using Zoho Books for a short while but I'm impressed so far, keep up the great work. One minor issue I'm coming up against is when creating a new bill from a scanned document (supplier invoice). In some cases, the supplier invoice could

    • How to start fresh after many years of using Zoho Books without deleting everything and creating a new organisation?

      Hi, I have used Books since 2016, but never reconciled with my bank account. I was thinking of trying to go back and fix that, but I don't just don't have the time it would take. Instead, I'd like back up my old records and start anew. What is the best

    • How do I modify the the incoming/current call popup? I can modify other call pages but not that one.

      I want to modify the incoming and active call popup on the crm to include customer relevant information, such as purchase history or length of relationship. Under modules and fields, I don't seem to see active call as a choice to modify, only the main

    • Canvas: Add Sections to Detail View

      Currently it is only possible to add fields to a canvas detail view. This makes Canvas hard to maintain, because everytime we add a field to our system, someone needs to go into the canvas view and add it there as well. This leads to additional work and

    • Automation#32:Auto Add New Portal Users to the Help Center User Groups

      Hello Everyone, Introducing a custom function that automates the process of adding new portal users to Help Center user groups, making user management effortless! By default, Zoho Desk allows you to assign new portal users to groups manually. But with

    • Cannot delete old accounts

      Hello, I try to delete old accounts from CRM, but it won't permit, saying documents are still linked to them. I searched in CRM and BOOKS, found some documents and deleted them, but still CRM won't delete them. Any idea how to do that ? I have a lot of

    • Offline mode on Android TV app?

      Hello! Is there a way to use Zoho Show offline in the Android TV app? I have an Android TV based projector, and I travel with it, and don't want to have to rely on a steady internet connection when giving a presentation.

    • Choice-based Field Rules on Global Lists

      Hi, The new Choice-based Field Rules should also be able to work with Global Lists not just local lists. Thanks Dan

    • Tip #36- How to use Survey in Zoho Assist to capture valuable feedback from remote sessions- 'Insider Insights'

      How to use Survey in Zoho Assist to capture valuable feedback from remote sessions The survey feature allows technicians and customers to share their valuable feedback, contributing to the improvement of remote service quality. After the completion of

    • Narrative 3 - Comprehending User Management

      Behind the scenes of a successful ticketing system - BTS Series Narrative 3 - Comprehending User Management User management in a ticketing system includes important aspects of how administrators oversee user access, roles, and permissions. This process

    • Product Details's Description is lost

      Hi CRM lost its description in Product details subform. Can you make some test before deploy any update?

    • Sent items with shared folders

      Hello, this is in some way in between a problem and an idea.  When sharing folders (which is actually not any close to a shared mailbox...) the person which the folder has been shared with can access that folder and can send emails when delegation is

    • Zoho Bookings Issues We are facing

      Hi team, Here are list of issues we are facing with Zoho Bookings when migrating from other platforms. Sorry there is a lot but the bookings app need to be functional and practical for people to actually use it and not-cause MORE problems by being so basic and not customisable to each business.  1: SMS reminders for staff  There should be time limits on these reminders to make them useful. EG. if a new booking comes in more than 4 hours from now we don't really need to get a reminder, however if

    • Booking outside of scheduled availability

      Is there a way for staff (such as the secretary) to book appointments outside of the scheduled availability? Right now to do this special hours must be set each time. There should be a quicker way. Am I missing something?

    • Run workflow on data import in Creator 6

      How to run a workflow on data import in Creator 6?

    • Multi Day booking for resources

      I have following business-case: Rental for Tablets. Customer should be able to select how many device for how many days he'd like to rent. Same as a car rental for multiple days. Is this possible with Bookings on the current version?

    • Add Usage & Voting Analytics for Knowledge Base Articles in Zoho SalesIQ

      Dear Zoho SalesIQ Team, We appreciate the current integration between Zoho Desk and Zoho SalesIQ that allows knowledge base articles to be synced and displayed to users directly within the SalesIQ chat interface. One valuable feature already available

    • Real-Time Alert or Status Indicator for WhatsApp Connection Issues in SalesIQ

      Hi Zoho Team, We’d like to request a feature enhancement in Zoho SalesIQ related to WhatsApp integration stability and visibility. Recently, we encountered a critical issue where our WhatsApp bot stopped responding to messages without any warning or alert

    • Customization of Chat Transcript Emails in Zoho SalesIQ

      Hi Zoho SalesIQ Team, I hope you're doing well. We would like to request the ability to customize the email template that is sent to clients when they request a chat transcript from SalesIQ. Currently, when a client clicks the button to receive their

    • Next Page