Web-based Portal Support Email

Project Overview

Context

The portal support team receives numerous incomplete customer support tickets, requiring additional follow-ups before initiating case resolution. This results in delays of up to a day, negatively impacting resolution times and customer satisfaction. The goal of this project was to design a structured email template that captures complete information upfront, streamlining case submission into a sales platform for faster turnaround times.

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Objective

Create an intuitive email template that ensures customers and business partners provide all necessary details upfront, reducing back-and-forth communication and accelerating case resolution.

Problem Statement

The current web-based portal support request process results in incomplete submissions, causing delays in case resolution. An improved email template is needed to ensure cases are submitted with all required information, reducing response time and improving customer satisfaction.

Design Process

Wireframing

• Created wireframes of the new email form to align with portal’s interface.
• Ensured the form language and structure matched portal terminology for user familiarity.
• Utilized Carbon Design System’s white theme for a clean and consistent IBM experience.

Key Design Principles

• ‍Customization: Separate forms for customers and business partners based on their unique portal usage.
• Clarity: Clear instructions to guide users in providing the necessary details.
• Integration: Designed to seamlessly integrate withSalesforce for automated case logging.

Design Solutions

Final Email Template Structure

1. Subject Line: Auto-generated based on issue type for easier tracking.
2. Pre-filled Information: Auto-populates user details where possible.
3. Dynamic Form Fields: Specific sections for customers vs. business partners.
4. Guided Prompts: Simple, structured questions ensuring all required details are provided.

Additional Enhancements

• Improved support submission form to align with the new email structure.
• Provided training materials for internal teams to familiarize themselves with the update.

Implementation

• Collaborated with stakeholders and development team to integrate the template into sales platform.
• Worked with support personnel to refine final templates and process flow.

Results & Impact

Metrics Achieved

• ‍40% Reduction in average resolution time for support cases.‍
• Significant decrease in back-and-forth communication between users and support.‍
• Positive feedback from both customers and business partners on the clarity of the submission process.

User Feedback

‍“The new form makes it so much easier to submit my request accurately the first time!” – Customer‍

“We’ve seen fewer delays incase processing since implementing the new template.” – Support Team Member

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Key Learnings

• ‍User-Familiar TerminologyImproves Adoption: Aligning form language with external IBM terminology and no internal terms reduced confusion.
• Customization was Key: Separate forms for customers and business partners ensured relevant information was collected.
• Proactive Research Prevents Delays: Identifying issues with the support form early prevented additional project delays.

Next Steps

• Automate data pre-fill where possible to further reduce user effort.
• Expand improvements to other web-based portal-related support processes.
• Gather ongoing feedback for iterative enhancements.

The design artifacts represented is a conceptual example and does not represent the official designs created for the company. It is intended for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted as an official or final design.