Imagine this: It’s a busy Monday morning at a customer support center. The phone lines are ringing off the hook as customers call in with questions about a recent software update that has left many feeling confused and frustrated.
As call volumes soar, agents are doing their best to keep up, but wait times start to stretch. Complaints are piling up, frustration is growing, and some customers even hang up before their issues are resolved. Meanwhile, customer support managers are left in the dark, unaware that two agents are overwhelmed with complex cases while others have lighter workloads.
Now, picture how different this situation could be if managers had access to real-time data on agent availability. With a well-designed customer service dashboard, that critical information would be right at their fingertips.
In this article, we’ll dive into what customer service dashboards are, what they can look like, and how to create one that helps you make the most of your data.
What is a customer service dashboard, and why do you need one?
A customer service dashboard is a visual tool that pulls together important metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) for customer support operations. Think of it as an observation post from which you can easily monitor what your customer service teams are dealing with and how well they perform.
A customer service dashboard typically has the following elements:
- Metrics and KPIs. A customer service dashboard combines various metrics: ticket volume data, team and agent KPIs, agent availability information, customer satisfaction metrics, and beyond.
- Frequent data updates. Unlike traditional reports, many dashboards offer real-time insights.
- Visualization. For easier analysis, customer service dashboards present most of the data as charts and graphs.
- Interactivity. Customer service metrics dashboards are usually interactive. Users can drill down into data, filter views, hover over graphs to see more context on the data they visualize, and customize displays to focus on specific metrics or time frames.
- Alerts. Many customer service dashboards come equipped with real-time alerts for critical issues or significant changes in metrics that require immediate attention from management or support teams.
- Customization. Dashboards are often highly customizable. Quite a few solutions allow users to build customer service dashboards, choosing which data to display and how.
At its core, a customer service dashboard is a dynamic, interactive, and highly customizable report. This flexibility lets customer service managers instantly view ongoing activities, spot bottlenecks, and take immediate action.
A well-designed customer service dashboard empowers both managers and agents. Managers can distribute workloads more evenly and identify skill gaps, tailoring training activities to meet the team’s needs. Meanwhile, agents are motivated to enhance their skills —many dashboards highlight the ratings of top performers —collaborating and prioritizing customer queries more effectively.
Plus, since dashboards are customizable, you can create one that fits your specific goals. It’s no surprise that they come in so many types.
Types of customer service dashboards [with Examples]
A classic customer service dashboard brings together all the essential data from your daily support operations. Take a look at this dashboard created in Freshdesk. It provides valuable insights into ticket volume, including how many tickets are unresolved, pending, or open. You can also see where tickets are coming from, highlight your top-performing agents, check call center data, and track important metrics like the first contact resolution rate.
Other customer support dashboards might offer a narrower focus. Such specified dashboards come in various forms and shapes, but generally, we can single out three broad categories of customer service dashboards:
- Channel-focused
- Agent-focused
- Customer-focused
Each of these categories comes with subcategories.
Examples of customer service dashboards focused on channels
| Name | Description | Purpose / Role | Metrics |
| Omnichannel analytics dashboards | Pull together customer support data from multiple channels —email, phone, messengers, and social media | Provide consistent customer service experience across channels | Ticket volume by channel, peak hour traffic, ticket volume trends over time, response times per channel, channel preference distribution, etc. |
| Real-time call center dashboards | Designed to monitor and manage phone interactions | Real-time insights into call handling, agent performance, and customer interactions | Call volume, average handling time, first call resolution, wait times, etc. |
| Social media customer service dashboards | Designed to monitor and analyze customer interactions and engagement across various social media platforms | Help organizations track their social media performance, respond to customer inquiries effectively, and manage their online reputation | Engagement metrics (likes, shares, comments), response times, sentiment insights, customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), etc. |
| Self-service analytics dashboards | Provide insights into the efficiency of your self-service touchpoints like FAQ sections, video guides, forums, and chatbots | Search for knowledge gaps, identify missing content, and optimize search functionality while reducing agent workload | The number of knowledge base views and search terms used, the percentage of inquiries resolved through self-service, etc. |
This list is far from exhaustive and covers only the most common channel-focused dashboards. Let’s take a look at Zendesk Talk’s call center dashboard. What sets it apart is its ability to let users compare metrics and analyze their correlations on a graph, seeing how various factors are connected.
Examples of customer service dashboards focused on agents
The image below shows an agent performance dashboard. It displays the number of cases an agent is currently handling, along with how many they’ve resolved. You can also see their escalation rate, average resolution time, and average CSAT scores —all tracked over a specific period. This gives a clear picture of the trends and the agent’s performance.
Examples of customer service dashboards focused on customers
| Name | Description | Purpose / Role | Metrics |
| Customer experience (CX) dashboards | Represent important data about how customers engage with a company’s products or services | Allow support and product teams, as well as customer experience and success managers, to gain insights into customer behavior, identify areas for improvement in a company’s product or service | Customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), net promoter score (NPS), customer effort score (CES), churn rate |
| Customer service feedback dashboards | Visually represent key metrics and insights that reflect how well the support team is meeting customer expectations and needs | Help organizations monitor and enhance customer satisfaction levels with their support services while maintaining consistent service quality across channels | CSAT, CSAT trends (changes of CSAT over time), channel-specific CSAT insights, etc. |
The screenshot below shows a great example of a customer satisfaction dashboard. It displays the overall satisfaction score for the selected period, breaks down the number of tickets with positive and negative scores, and shows the percentage of each. Plus, it highlights the percentage of interactions that actually received a score, giving managers a more complete view of customer feedback.
The type of dashboard determines the metrics it needs to include.
What to include in a customer service dashboard
There is no one-size-fits-all template for a customer service dashboard. What you should include depends on your goals for real-time analytics. Let’s look at a classic dashboard that provides a clear snapshot of everything going on in your support team. Here’s what it might include.
Ticket volume
This section helps you understand the workload your team is handling. It typically shows the total number of customer inquiries or “tickets” submitted, pending resolution, and resolved. When the number of unresolved tickets is too high, you might need more agents to handle the workload, or there might be a bottleneck in the process.
Agent availability numbers
Here, you’ll see how many agents are currently available to assist customers. This metric is crucial for managing resources effectively. If you notice that many agents are offline or busy, it might be time to adjust schedules or bring in additional support to ensure customers aren’t left waiting too long.
Average response time
This metric tracks how long it typically takes for your team to respond to customer inquiries. A shorter response time usually leads to happier customers, so keeping an eye on this number is worth it. If the average response time is creeping up, it might be a sign to reevaluate processes or provide additional training.
First contact resolution (FCR) rate
The first contact resolution rate measures the percentage of customer issues resolved during the first interaction. A high FCR rate indicates that your team is effective at addressing concerns right away, which is something customers love! By monitoring this metric, you can understand how well your agents are equipped to handle inquiries.
Customer satisfaction score (CSAT)
CSAT measures how satisfied customers are with their service experience. Typically gathered through post-interaction surveys, this score gives valuable insight into customer perceptions and can guide improvements in service delivery. A high CSAT means your team is doing great!
Net promoter score (NPS)
NPS gauges customer loyalty by asking how likely they are to recommend your service to others. This score can provide a broader view of customer sentiment and help identify brand advocates and areas needing attention. A strong NPS suggests that customers feel positively about your brand.
Customer retention rate
This metric tracks the percentage of customers who continue to use your service over time. High retention rates often indicate that customers are satisfied and see value in your offer. Monitoring this can reveal trends in customer loyalty and inform strategies for keeping clients engaged.
Tracking all these metrics turns your customer service dashboard into an essential tool for understanding your performance and finding ways to elevate your service game. Ready to build your own customer service dashboard? Let’s get started.
How to create a customer service dashboard
Packing your dashboard for customer service analytics with as much data as possible can be tempting. But too much information can overwhelm your team instead of helping you reach your goals.
To create a customer service dashboard that truly drives results, you need a focused, strategic approach. Here are the main steps.
Step 1: Identify key objectives
Before diving into numbers, take a moment to think about what you want to achieve with your dashboard. Are you looking to improve response times, boost customer satisfaction, or reduce ticket backlog? Clear objectives will guide you through the entire process of creating a dashboard and keep your focus on what truly matters.
Step 2: Select relevant metrics and KPIs
Once the objectives are set, choose the metrics and KPIs that align with them. If you’re building a customer satisfaction dashboard, you might want to look at CSAT scores across multiple timeframes and channels. Meanwhile, churn rates and customer lifetime value are the key metrics of a customer retention dashboard.
Choose metrics that cover all important aspects of your analysis, but don’t go overboard with too many KPIs. A cluttered dashboard can obscure priorities and slow down decision-making.
Step 3: Choose the right tools
Now that you know what exactly you want to track, it’s time to select the right software to build your customer service KPIs dashboard. There are plenty of options available, but don’t let the sheer variety overwhelm you. If you already use a top help desk platform, chances are it has built-in features for creating dashboards.
If you’re starting fresh, however, look for a tool that best suits your team’s needs and skill level. Choose one that can easily integrate with your existing systems so all the processes run smoothly.
Step 4: Design and customize the dashboard
With your objectives, metrics, and tools in place, it’s time to get creative! Design a dashboard that’s as functional as it is easy to understand. Use visual elements like charts, graphs, and color coding to effectively represent the information. For example, line graphs work well for tracking trends over time, while bar charts are great for comparisons. Consider setting up alerts to instantly notify you of SLA breaches or other critical issues.
Consistency is key: Stick to a consistent color palette and layout to ensure your dashboard is visually appealing, easy to navigate, and matches your brand’s style.
Finally, customize it based on your team’s preferences and make it user-friendly —after all, this dashboard is for you!
Step 5: Validate your customer service dashboard
Before finalizing your dashboard, validate the data with key stakeholders to ensure its accuracy. Engaging the end users in this process helps catch errors and fine-tune the metrics tracked.
Step 6: Monitor and adjust
Creating the dashboard is just the beginning. This tool is only useful if it reflects current data.
Regularly review the metrics and analyze trends over time. If something isn’t effective or new objectives come up, adjust accordingly. Your dashboard should always display timely, accurate information and evolve alongside your team’s needs and goals to drive improvement.
Conclusion
What you can see, you can control, they say. A well-designed customer service dashboard brings this idea to life. It can save even the busiest Monday morning in your contact center —but only if it’s tailored to meet your needs.
If your current help desk lacks the dashboard capabilities you need, and you’re considering a switch to a new platform, Help Desk Migration is here to ensure a smooth transition.