Optimize your Helpdesk setup
Routing and views are the backbone of scalable support. When your channels and teams are set up effectively, incoming questions are automatically directed to the right people, helping your team stay organized, respond faster, and prevent tickets from slipping through the cracks.
Watch the video below to learn how to set up channels, views, teams, and routing rules in Helpdesk.
Choose the right routing approach
Tickets can be routed based on details such as channel, issue type, urgency, or customer context. Compare the routing dimensions in the table below to understand what each one means, when to use it, and how it can help your team manage its queue.
Routing dimension | What it means | Best used when | Example rule or view |
|---|---|---|---|
Channel | Route based on where the conversation came from | Different agents own different channels or response styles | Send SMS and WhatsApp messages to the mobile support team |
Issue type / tag | Route based on the topic of the ticket | Certain agents handle specific issue types | Send tickets tagged returns or tracking to post-purchase support |
Customer value | Route based on who the customer is | VIPs or high-value customers need faster, more tailored support | Create a VIP queue for customers with high spend or loyalty status |
Lifecycle stage | Route based on where the customer is in their journey | You want different handling for new, active, or at-risk customers | Create a view for recent buyers or customers likely to purchase again soon |
Order / subscription context | Route based on what the customer is contacting you about in their account | Post-purchase issues need a dedicated workflow | Route subscription changes to the subscriptions team |
Urgency | Route based on time sensitivity or severity | Some issues need immediate attention | Create a priority view for urgent shipping or delivery issues |
Team / agent specialty | Route based on internal ownership | Your team has specialists by function | Route product questions to product support, billing to CX ops |
Open issue status | Route based on whether the customer already has an unresolved issue | You want to avoid fragmented or awkward support | Create a view for customers with open tickets |
Create views for each team role
Different team members need visibility into different parts of the support queue. Expand the dropdowns below to explore a few examples. You’ll see how custom views can help frontline agents, specialists, and managers focus on the work most relevant to them.
Frontline agents
Goal: Help agents identify and respond to the highest-priority tickets in their daily queue.
Examples:
- When an agent begins their shift, they can quickly find new conversations that have not received a response.
- If a customer reports an urgent delivery issue, the ticket can be routed to a dedicated queue for immediate attention.
- Conversations from VIP or high-value customers can be grouped together so agents can provide timely, personalized support.
Specialists
Goal: Direct complex or specialized tickets to team members with the right expertise.
Examples:
- When a customer requests a return or exchange, the conversation can be routed directly to the team responsible for processing it.
- Questions about product fit or recommendations can be collected for agents with deeper product knowledge.
- If a frontline agent cannot resolve an issue, the escalated conversation can appear in a specialist’s queue with its previous context intact.
Managers
Goal: Give managers a clear view of team workloads, potential bottlenecks, and overall performance.
Examples:
- Managers can compare ticket volume across channels to understand where customers are most likely to ask for help.
- A sudden increase in questions about the same issue can help managers identify a larger problem that needs attention.
- Conversations with slow response times can be surfaced so managers can adjust workloads or offer support where it is needed most.
As always, keep an eye on reporting for each team or role. Understanding your team’s bandwidth helps you balance workloads, adjust assignments, and maintain timely support as demand changes.
With tickets prioritized and organized for the right teams, the next lesson will show you how to design escalation and handoff experiences that preserve important customer context. Let’s go!