MY ROLE
UX Researcher & Designer
GOAL
Redesign the internal workforce-facing web application (ACSS) UI for Verizon Customer Financial Services (CFS) call centers; empower customer service agents to achieve better call resolution within a shorter time.
ABOUT
Automated Customer Support System (ACSS) facilitates Verizon customer service agents on call-related tasks such as:
Billing inquires
Account maintenance
Service/plan update
Basic troubleshooting
Phone and accessories orders
RESEARCH
Content Research
I analyzed the current UI by observing live calls through performance-monitoring software. I also studied content audit notes created by my coworkers in Excel.
User Research
I visited four call centers, familiarizing myself with agents' working environment and how they interact with ACSS. During observations, I clearly recognized how the current UI made simple transactions more complex. I sympathized with the agents’ frustrations and was determined to improve their experience. My coworkers also held focus groups in call centers to collect general feedback and pain points.
Focus group held in a call center
Painpoints & Opportunities
(based on feedback from user research)
Painpoints
Agents have difficulty keeping track of information and navigating the screens
Agents’ roles and expertise varies depending on their department and tenure
Inconsistent UI, too many codes on the interface and a large gap between training and launch
Opportunities
Reduce pop-ups, use a guided flow to bring information upfront
Customize screen based on agents' roles and allow some level of personalization
Adapt Verizon design standards and make the UI cleaner and more intuitive
THE USER JOURNEY
Identifying Scenarios
We partnered with call center managers and business analysts who provided us with detailed requirements and scenarios.
Teamwork
We broke down the multilayer functionalities in ACSS into task flows/use cases. Members of my team took the lead on use cases and created designs individually, with regular team design critiques throughout ideation. Use cases were written in JIRA so the development team could easily keep track of bugs and issues and the overall team had one place to refer back to the use case. I worked on one use case called “Payment Hub.”
Narrowing In On The Use Case
I worked on designing for a specific use case called “Payment Hub". The work above helped me identify the scenario, painpoints and design solutions associated with the use case.
CREATION
“Digital” Sketching
I first sketched on paper and then recreated my sketches digitally in the Sketch application. This helped me quickly explore concepts. Sketching also allowed me to see the flow in a more abstract way, interpret it and generate new ideas.
Wireframes & Design
I transformed my sketches into digital wireframes that followed the Verizon Digital Standard guides. I showed them to my team and based on the team’s feedback, updated the design.
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Hi-Fi Prototype
Once the designs were ready to test, I used Invision to make interactive clickable prototypes.
VALIDATING DESIGN
User Testing
Each time my coworkers or I needed user testing, we connected with call centers remotely and recorded agents feedback. Agents were open to sharing thoughts, which gave us great insights and helped us narrow down wireframe options and move on.
Once the interactive prototype was completed, we reconnected with call center management and invited two groups of three agents (our end users) to the testing sessions in order to make sure that they feel comfortable with the interaction design and overall flow.
Outcome
Modules of "NextGen" UI were built and released every month. Agents who have been using the new UI achieve better performance and shorter call handling time.
Verizon call center agents