In this article, we detail the procedures for initiating chats across multiple platforms, including website widgets, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and more. Additionally, you'll find guidelines on managing and responding to incoming chats in Engage, concluding interactions, and logging customer profiles. It's designed to provide agents with a clear understanding of the chat process from start to finish.
Initiating a chat
A chat interaction can be initiated using any of the following channels:
- Chat widget on the company website
- Facebook Messenger
- SMS
When a customer starts a chat, one of two things will happen:
- The customer is connected to the next available agent.
- A ‘Bot’ that has been configured to help the customer will respond. If the Bot is unable to help with the query it will transfer the customer to an agent. At any point during the conversation with the Bot the customer may type ‘Speak to an agent’, or simply ‘Agent’, and the chat will be transferred to an agent.
Initiate a Chat from the website
Use your browser to navigate to your website where the Chat widget has been enabled. Click on the chat icon to initiate a Chat.
Once the chat widget has been opened the customer is presented with a Welcome message. The customer can now start a conversation.
Initiate a Facebook chat
Using your browser, go to your website where the Facebook Messenger widget has been enabled. Click on the Messenger icon to initiate a chat. Below is an example website with a Messenger widget in the top right-hand side of the screen.
Select the Message button on the page to start a chat.
Initiate a chat from WeChat
To initiate a Chat through WeChat, install the WeChat app on your mobile. Once installed, you can start a Chat with a respective phone number or WeChat group by sending a message. When you start a chat, you will be presented a welcome message before being transferred to an agent where you start a conversation.
Initiate a chat from Whatsapp
To initiate a chat through WhatsApp, install the WhatApp app on your mobile. Once installed, you can start a chat with a respective phone number or WhatsApp group by sending a message. When you start a chat, you will be presented with a welcome message before being transferred to an agent where you can start a conversation.
Initiate a chat using email
To initiate a chat through email, you send an email to the email address of the company you wish to contact. This email is the email address/es that has been set up in Connect and Engage.
Initiate a chat using SMS
To initiate a chat through SMS, you send an SMS to the phone number of the company you wish to contact.
Initiate a chat from Twitter
Using your browser, go to your company’s Twitter account. Click on the Message icon to initiate a chat. Below is an example website with a Message icon next to the black Follow button.
Select the Message icon on the page to start a chat.
Accepting an incoming chat in Engage
You can accept up to 10 incoming chats from multiple channels in Engage at any one time. The steps necessary to answer the chat, reply and end the chat remains the same for any number of open chats at a time.
Differentiation between the channels can simply be identified through the icons present next to the chats, for example, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, SMS, Email.
When you receive a chat, a ringtone will sound, and a contact will be displayed on your screen with a green tick and a red x. To accept the chat, click the green tick. If you decline the chat by selecting the red x, it will be automatically passed to the next available agent.
If you don't answer the chat, it will be transferred to the next available agent, and you'll receive a "Missed" message on your screen. If you aren’t set to automatically clear the Missed interaction status in your Agent settings, you will have to clear the Missed status in order to receive further interactions.
Reply to chat
Once you accept the chat, in the middle of the screen you can see all the previous interaction the customer had with the Bot (if configured) before connecting to an agent.
You can start chatting with the customer through the Reply tab. You can also use Snippets and emojis when sending a reply.
Notes can be added to your interaction.
End chat
For you to end the chat first with the customer, click the red x button and you will be in After Call Work ACW status. If the customer ends the chat from their side, this will automatically put you into AWC.
You can add notes about the chat and select resolution codes before closing the interaction.
When you are interacting with a new customer it is mandatory for you to create a Customer Profile before closing the chat. After the Customer Profile is successfully created, you can add a resolution code and close off the Chat by selecting the Save and Close Contact button.