Gearbox, CS Internal Platform
Transforming a fragmented internal system into an action-oriented CS agent workbench to reduce handle time and improve service accuracy for Turo’s customers.
Brand
Turo
Product
Desktop
Key Highlights
Diaries Studies, UX Research, Data, API integration, Tooling, Design Systems, IA
Reach
2000+ CS Agents
Core Collaborators
Context
The redesign of Turo's internal tool, Gearbox, was necessitated by critical operational inefficiencies impacting Customer Service (CS) agents. The original system presented a significant barrier to agent productivity and effective customer service. Problems included fragmented information across siloed systems, resulting in excessive context-switching and a high cognitive load due to a cluttered interface. Agents struggled with the consumer-like experience of an internal tool that failed to provide a holistic view of a user's status—forcing them to hunt for details across multiple screens to handle complex tasks like claims or refunds. This inefficiency translated directly into delays with CS agents and customers locked in lengthy back and forth impacting CSAT. As well as CS agent inability to resolve issues due to technical limitations and data delays causing errors, this all resulted in creating a strong business case for a foundational overhaul.
Goal
The core rationale was to reduce operational costs, boost customer satisfaction, and improve agent retention by providing a modern, efficient workspace for our CS Agents.
Action and Build
The primary Design Principle was to transform Gearbox into an action-oriented, contextual workbench. This commenced with stakeholder (CS Agents) interviews and detailed journey mapping to truly understand existing agent pain points through observation and diaries studies over a period of 1 month. The design strategy centred on adopting principles focused on a context-driven display eliminated fields or information which was not relevant for the agents, effectively prioritising the most relevant data within the workflow. After which, the agents rigorously tested the various workflows, and I optimised further to simplify the most frequent and complex agent tasks, thereby reducing required clicks.
A core decision for the build was creating a unified data view through a highly structured layout. This involved designing and documenting the component library for the new interface, ensuring a persistent customer snapshot sidebar and a segmented main content pane using tabs for different data sets (e.g., payments, claims). Furthermore, prototyping and usability testing were executed with agents to validate the information hierarchy and key interaction models. The structure integrated visual guidance and policy snippets in real-time to ensure compliance and consistency across the team.
Impact
The successful redesign and deployment of the new Gearbox CS Platform yielded measurable improvements against the initial challenges.
Key performance indicators showed;
A significant reduction in average handle time (AHT) by 27%
An increase in first contact resolution (FCR), directly improving operational efficiency and lowering costs.
Furthermore, the intuitive interface, coupled with integrated policy guidance, reduced the agents' cognitive load, leading to improved agent satisfaction and faster, more effective training for new hires.
Ultimately, this internal transformation resulted in a better, more accurate, and quicker service experience for Turo's customers.