Customer support ticket routing redesign

The Challenge

Customer support tickets were routed using a simple round-robin system, which meant urgent issues often sat in queues while agents handled low-priority requests. Customer satisfaction scores were declining, and the support team felt overwhelmed.

The Approach

I analyzed three months of ticket data to understand patterns:

• Which ticket types took longest to resolve
• Which required escalation to specialist teams
• Which customers had SLA requirements

This revealed that routing all tickets equally was creating both delays and inefficiency.

The Solution

I redesigned the routing system with three tiers:

1. Tier 1: Simple questions handled by generalists (password resets, basic how-to)
2. Tier 2: Product-specific issues routed by category to specialists
3. Tier 3: Escalations with SLA urgency flagged immediately

We also introduced "office hours" where engineering joined the support queue for complex technical issues, rather than waiting for formal escalation.

The Results

• Response time: Average first response improved by 35%
• Resolution time: Complex issues resolved 40% faster through better routing
• CSAT scores: Customer satisfaction improved by 18 points

What I Learned

One-size-fits-all processes create equality but not effectiveness. Designing for different needs — even when it adds complexity — often improves both customer and team experience.

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