BeDesk offers two distinct layouts for the agent inbox to manage customer conversations: Chat Layout and Table Layout. Understanding the differences will help you and your team choose the best view to optimize your workflow. You can switch between them at any time with a single click.
The Chat Layout provides a focused, messaging-app-style interface, perfect for real-time conversations and handling conversations one by one.
Three-Panel View: This layout is organized into three columns for a clear, streamlined workflow.
Conversation List (Left): A list of all your active tickets and chats, similar to the inbox of a messaging app.
Active Conversation (Center): The full history of the currently selected conversation, allowing you to scroll through messages and reply directly.
Details Panel (Right): A comprehensive overview of the customer and conversation, including contact information, custom attributes, recent conversations, and technical details.
You can hide conversation list and details panels via toggle buttons in panel headers.
Best For: This view is ideal for agents who primarily manage live chats or need to deep-dive into individual customer issues without distraction. It provides a familiar, conversational context that feels intuitive and efficient.
The Table Layout offers a data-rich, traditional helpdesk view that allows agents to see and manage multiple conversations simultaneously. It's designed for high-volume environments where getting a bird's-eye view of the queue is essential.
Customizable Grid: Displays your conversations in a powerful table format. Each row is a conversation, and each column represents a piece of data (e.g., Status, Customer, Assignee).
Column Customization: This is the standout feature of the Table Layout. You have full control over the information you see. The right-hand panel allows you to easily add or remove columns from a wide range of available data points, such as Priority, Category, Request date, and more.
Best For: This view is perfect for support managers and agents who handle a large number of tickets (email, forms, etc.). It allows for quick scanning, sorting, and prioritizing of the entire support queue at a glance.
You can instantly toggle between the Chat and Table layouts to suit your immediate needs. In the top-right corner of your inbox, you will find the layout switcher icons. Click the icon for the layout you wish to use.