This is just one of many use-cases the Intuit help contact widget needs to support. In this case, it’s helping TurboTax Live customers who need extra tax support and are running out of time—prompting them to file a tax extension.

Solve for all use cases
This experience supported multiple products and contexts, so the messaging needed to work across all scenarios.

Don’t make them think
‍Clearly explain when users will be connected to someone at Intuit and what they need to do to prepare.

Be even-keeled
Users reaching out were often experiencing a range of emotions, from frustration to elation. The tone had to convey confidence, while remaining neutral to their emotional state.

Exploring how we talk about the ways someone can get help

The screen lists all ways a user can connect with Intuit. While clear and direct, it lacked conversational tone and the sense of payoff.

Using "Talk with an expert" limited the widget's flexibility. The updated headline allows it to work across all product teams.

Changing the CTA from "Get the number" to "Call us" provides the user with a clear, actionable step—calling support and getting the phone number.

By eliminating "to get" verbs, we ensured each CTA remains distinct and clear.

What do we call it?

One key decision was what to call the asynchronous and synchronous support experience. While “messaging” was the most commonly used term across various “Connect to Help” systems, we identified several challenges with its clarity. After gaining a deeper understanding of the functionality and learning about user comprehension issues related to the term “messaging,” I proposed that we use “chat” instead. This decision followed thoughtful discussions with stakeholders from across the company.

Sharing wait times with customers

We explored many ways of setting the right expectations. The final message introduced a conversational tone, creating distinct messages for each card and setting clear expectations for when users would connect with support.

"Estimated wait time: 5 min" was used as a placeholder. It was concise, non-intrusive, and fit well within the card’s limited space.

After seeing the message in a proper use-case, I found the "5 min wait" message to be a little cold and terse. I knew we could do better.

I collaborated with the designer to explore alternative messaging and placement.

We settled on a message that put the course of action back on Intuit support and shared how the customer would be followed with.

Learnings

Collaborate with Content Designers
The new "Contact Us" experience will be rolled out to additional product lines. I’ll work closely with XD teams to ensure the widget functions seamlessly across the ecosystem.

Contribute to Intuit’s Style Guide
As over 40 teams adopt this widget, they’ll gain the ability to modify content and design elements. Before this flexibility is introduced, I’ll collaborate with the content design system team to ensure a consistent look and feel for customer interactions with our experts.