Redesigning the Agent Experience for a Customer Support Tool
Overview
RelayDesk is a customer support platform used by B2B SaaS companies to manage tickets, live chat, and internal escalations. Support agents were struggling with slow context loading, too many clicks to resolve simple tickets, and a layout that made multitasking across conversations feel chaotic.
I redesigned the agent workspace to reduce resolution time, improve multitasking, and give agents faster access to customer context. The goal was to make the daily support workflow feel less reactive and more in control.
-23%
Resolution Time
+29%
Agent Throughput
+20%
CSAT Score
Three-panel agent workspace with tickets, conversation, and context
Challenge
Agents were juggling multiple tickets at once, but the workspace was built around one conversation at a time. Switching between tickets meant losing context, scrolling to find past interactions, and navigating away from the reply field to access customer details or internal notes.
The result was slower responses, more back-and-forth, and lower satisfaction scores from customers who had to repeat information they had already shared.
Problem Statement
How might we redesign the agent workspace so support staff can handle multiple conversations efficiently, with full customer context, without feeling overwhelmed?
Heatmap showing constant tab-switching in the original workspace
Approach
I shadowed support agents during live shifts to understand where time was lost, then designed around eliminating the most frequent interruptions in their workflow.
What I found
Most delays came from two things: finding customer context (account details, past conversations, previous tickets) and switching between active conversations. Agents were constantly opening new tabs, searching knowledge bases, and copying details between windows.
Shadowing notes identifying context-hunting as the biggest time sink
What I changed
I introduced a persistent customer sidebar that stays visible alongside the conversation, a quick-switch panel for jumping between active tickets, and inline suggested replies based on ticket category. The layout was restructured to keep the reply area, context, and actions visible simultaneously.
Old single-pane view versus new three-panel simultaneous layout
Why it worked
With context always visible and ticket switching reduced to a single click, agents spent less time hunting for information and more time actually resolving issues. The workspace started feeling like a control center instead of a queue.
One-click ticket switching that preserves the agent's draft reply
Solution
The redesigned workspace put context, conversation, and actions in a single view, optimized for agents handling multiple tickets simultaneously.
Customer sidebar: Full context without leaving the conversation
A persistent right-side panel shows account details, subscription status, past tickets, and internal notes. Agents no longer need to open a separate tab or search the CRM to understand who they are talking to.
Customer sidebar showing account details and past ticket history
Quick-switch panel: Jump between tickets in one click
A left-side ticket list shows all active conversations with status badges and preview snippets. Clicking a ticket loads the conversation instantly without navigating away from the workspace, and each ticket remembers the agent's draft reply.
Quick-switch panel with priority badges and message previews
Inline suggestions: Faster replies for common issues
Based on ticket category and keywords, the system suggests relevant reply templates and knowledge base articles directly in the reply area. Agents can insert, edit, and send without context-switching to a separate search.
Inline reply suggestions based on ticket category and keywords
Results
The redesigned agent workspace improved response speed, increased throughput, and lifted customer satisfaction scores across all pilot teams.
-23% resolution time
Agents resolved tickets faster with context and replies in a single view
+29% agent throughput
Each agent handled more tickets per shift without feeling more rushed
+20% CSAT score
Faster, more informed responses led to higher customer satisfaction ratings
Resolution time and agent throughput gains from pilot teams
Reflection
Support tools are often designed around the ticket, not the agent. But agents are the ones doing the work, and their experience directly shapes the customer's experience.
The most impactful change was not a new feature. It was rearranging existing information so it was visible at the right moment. Good tool design is often just good information placement.
Next Project
