Call centre: operator workspace

Context

Context and problems

Per the client, operators work in three to seven interfaces per call. The core three are Case Management (logging the request), CSR Toolbox (customer information) and the Call Window (call control).
Most of the time goes into finding the cause of a problem, not solving it: the interface is unintuitive, overloaded, and sometimes shows incorrect data.
According to the client, more beginners drop out during training.
Operators struggle to track their own productivity.

Stage 1

Analysis

I started with object-oriented UX. I listed every object an operator works with and all the information a customer can have, then grouped them into logical blocks. That structure became the basis of the interface and made it more intuitive to work with.

Then I mapped the business processes and walked each one through its basic scenarios, such as "Where did the money go?". It helped me check that the functionality I designed held together across the main cases.

The legacy interfaces an operator works in during a call — The legacy tools: several windows per call

Object-oriented UX table of the objects, their fields and operations — Objects, fields and operations

Diagram of the business processes of a call — The business process of a call

Stage 2

Design

For the layout I took a cue from music streaming services like Spotify, which keep playback controls at the bottom. In a sense, an operator is also a listener: they help customers solve problems and bring revenue to the company.

The visual style uses the fonts and colours the client already had, so the product stays consistent.

The UI kit of the operator workspace — UI kit

Stage 3

Solutions

Nine hypotheses that link interface changes to business goals: shorter calls, faster training, more sales. Each comes with its reasoning. The effects, including the percentages, are expected outcomes the design was built to test, not results of the testing.

1

Dashboard

If: I put a brief summary of every tab on the customer's home page.
Then: Calls should get shorter, and operators should have more time to sell.
Because: They find answers to simple questions in one place and open the tabs only for details.

2

Rates

If: All tariff data sits on one screen, next to the subscriber's current tariff.
Then: Training time and AHT (average handling time) should go down.
Because: Operators don't have to memorise every tariff and can compare it with the customer's.

3

Services

If: Services are split into "connected" and "all", so it is clear at a glance what the subscriber has and what is available.
Then: AHT should go down and the time for additional sales should go up.
Because: Operators find information faster and can offer the most profitable services.

4

Transactions

If: Related functions are combined and the screen shows only the basic, necessary transaction data.
Then: AHT should go down and the time for additional sales should go up.
Because: Operators move through the table faster.

5

Call window

If: The call window is fixed at the bottom of the screen and shows the average AHT as a call timeline (the blue line); when that time runs out, the "To Register" button becomes active.
Then: AHT should go down and sales should go up.
Because: Operators don't need to move around the screen, can follow AHT, make offers on time and keep the caller's name in view.

6

Sales

If: Each offer is a card with clear data.
Then: Sales should go up and each subscriber should be served faster.
Because: All the details are in one place and easier to read.

7

Registration

If: I add navigation on the left with the request history, replace the drop-down category lists with tags and add a comment field for details.
Then: AHT should go down, second-line experts should solve complex problems faster, and repeated requests about the same problem should drop by an expected 20–30%.
Because: Registering a request becomes more convenient and faster.

8

Gamification

If: I add achievements, as in Monobank: positive reinforcement for an action.
Then: Calls should get shorter and sales should rise by an expected 20%.
Because: Operators get a reason to collect achievements, as meeting KPIs earns bonuses.

9

Statistics

If: One screen shows how many people the operator helped compared with the previous period, the sales chart and AHT.
Then: Productivity should go up, with an expected 20–30% growth in sales.
Because: Operators start to compete with themselves and the work turns into a game.

Stage 4

Testing

Method. Six participants, none of whom had ever worked in a call centre. Each had five minutes to explore the interface, with an introduction to an operator's main tasks. Then they worked through those main tasks by answering five key questions:

Where did the money go?
Where are my minutes and megabytes?
What is my tariff, when and how much was paid?
Why was the subscription fee not debited?
I want to change the tariff.

Observations. Everyone finished onboarding within the time given and found the answers to all five questions quickly.

Stage 5

Outcomes

−59%estimated time on the main operator tasks: ~6.5 vs ~16 min

< 1 minto find each answer, all six participants

4 minaverage onboarding for newcomers, out of 5 given

Tested with six people new to call centres. The −59% compares main tasks in testing with an average whole call (per the product manager), so it shows a direction, not a measured saving.