Project overview
British Gas customers were calling about their off supply emergencies and spent several minutes on the phone, failing to get the appropriate help they needed.
As the Product Designer, I set out to solve a key problem— customer care agents were struggling to address customer queries correctly. Through research and design, I uncovered the real issues and crafted a solution to make their workflow more efficient and intuitive.
Problem statement
British Gas customer care agents faced challenges in efficiently resolving customer queries. They struggled to access the right information quickly, leading to customer frustration and increased operational costs. This inefficiency highlighted the need for a streamlined solution that would improve agent workflows, reduce call times, and enhance overall customer experience.
How might we empower British Gas customer care agents to efficiently resolve queries by streamlining their access to relevant information?
Hypothesis
‘I believe that by designing and implementing a triage system to provide British Gas customer care agents with faster, more intuitive access to relevant information, agents will feel more confident in resolving queries efficiently, reducing call durations and enhancing customer satisfaction’
Organising Knowledge for Efficient Support
To improve information accessibility, I categorised all the content from the agent’s process manual. This reorganisation aimed to simplify complex information, making it easier for agents to find what they needed quickly and efficiently.
Building the triage architecture
With the content now structured, I designed a clear and actionable user flow that mapped out the steps and questions agents needed to follow when handling emergencies. This structured approach provided agents with a reliable guide, improving their ability to resolve issues confidently and effectively.
Easier for agents, better for everyone
I designed a user-friendly triage system within Salesforce, the platform agents relied on for managing customer calls. This intuitive system streamlined workflows, improving both efficiency and accuracy for agents. Additionally, I meticulously documented all new components and interactions added to the design library. Using Figma's tokens and variables ensured seamless collaboration, allowing designers to easily update the library and developers to implement changes with minimal friction.
Results
The triage system led to a 20% reduction in call handling time, significantly improving agent efficiency. This streamlined approach not only boosted agent confidence when handling cases but also enhanced the overall customer experience.
As a result, British Gas saw a reduction in operational costs, saving approximately £55,367 annually. This solution delivered smoother operations, increased productivity, and a more cohesive user experience, while providing significant cost savings.
Bonus - Enhancing the smart meter settings journey – user flow design
I redesigned the user journey for setting up smart meter readings to improve clarity, reduce friction, and ensure customers could make informed choices about their energy usage data. While this solution was designed for the benefit of customers, it was primarily managed by customer care agents, who needed a more efficient and intuitive system to assist users effectively.
This solution was a bonus deliverable, discovered while working on the triage design. During that process, I identified inefficiencies in how smart meter settings were handled, which prompted me to refine the flow to enhance both the customer and agent experience.
Challenges Identified
Through usability testing and feedback from customer care teams, I identified key pain points:
Customers found it difficult to understand the implications of different smart meter reading frequencies, often requiring agent assistance.
Error messages were unclear, making it harder for agents to guide users toward resolution.
The confirmation process lacked transparency, leading to confusion for both customers and support teams.
Solution & Design Approach
To enhance the experience for both customers and customer care agents, I introduced:
Progressive Disclosure: A step-by-step approach that enabled agents to guide customers through the selection process more effectively, reducing misunderstandings.
Clearer Error Messaging: Structured alerts provided agents with better information to troubleshoot and support customers with confidence.
Improved Decision Flow: A more intuitive process allowed agents to clearly explain the differences between half-hourly and monthly readings, ensuring customers made informed decisions.
Final Outcome
The refined user journey improved both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. Customers benefited from clearer communication and better guidance, while customer care agents had a more structured and efficient system to support them. By enhancing error handling, decision-making clarity, and overall transparency, this unexpected but valuable enhancement helped British Gas deliver a smoother, more effective service aligned with its digital transformation goals.