Add Chat Queue

Prerequisites

A valid system admin account.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Go to your system CloudCX installation domain, and log in with the admin account.

2. From the left navigation menu, go to Global Settings > People > Chat Queue.

3. Click on the “+” button to add a chat queue.

Open

4. On the New Chat Queue > General Setting page, enter the chat queue name and add agents to the chat queue. You can add descriptions to help you identify the chat queue.

Open

5. (Optional) Define whether the chat queue can be used in Omni Widget and Inbox. By default, a newly created chat queue can be used in both Omni Widget and Inbox. 

• Available in Omni Widget: When selected, the chat queue appears as an option in Web Chat configurations such as auto distribution, routing rules, and flows.

• Available in Inbox: When selected, the chat queue appears as an option in Inbox configurations such as auto distribution, routing rules, and WhatsApp flows.

6. Click Save.

Now you have successfully created a chat queue.

Configure Auto Distribution

Auto Distribution enables automatic assignment of web chats and tickets to agents. You can set rules governing how web chats and tickets are assigned to agents in each chat queue, including the maximum number of web chats and tickets an agent can automatically accept.

Web Chat Auto Distribution

Web Chat supports auto distribution which allows you to distribute chats to the agent you want automatically. The advanced rule-based auto distribution allows you to distribute chats to the most suitable agent using a combination of basic distribution rules, preference rules, and backup rules. 

Prerequisites

Enable “Available in Omni Widget” when creating the Chat Queue.

Web Chat Distribution Rules

Web Chat Distribution Rules define how chat requests are distributed to agents within a queue. Basic distribution rules include Load Balancing, Round Robin, Capability Weighted, Preference, and Backup rule.

Load Balancing

Load Balancing distributes chats to the agent who has the least number of concurrent chats. This balances the workload among each agent and prevents that one agent from being overwhelmed by too many chats.

• If agents are taking the same number of concurrent chats, the new incoming chat goes to the agent whose last allocation time was the earliest.
  For example, the maximum concurrent chat number of Agent A and B is 3, and both of them are taking 2 chats, the last time Agent A gets allocated a chat at 10:00, and Agent B gets allocated at 10:02, then the incoming chat goes to Agent A.

• If none of the agents are taking chats, then the chat goes to the agent who has the longest idle time. For agents who have been allocated a chat, the idle time starts from when they ended the last chat; for agents who have not been assigned a chat, the idle time begins from when they get online.
  For example, among Agent A, B, C, Agent A and B get online at 9:50, 9:51.

  • Agent C gets online at 10:00, when none of Agent A, B, C has been distributed a chat, the new chat goes to Agent A (who gets online earliest).

  • When Agent A, B have been distributed a chat and ended the chat at 10:01, 10:02 respectively, and Agent C got online at 10:03, the new chat goes to Agent A (who has the longest idle time).

Round Robin

Round Robin distributes chats to agents in the sequence of time when they get online. This ensures equal chatting opportunities for all your agents, which is especially useful to sales teams who need equal opportunities to close deals.

• Agents who have reached their maximum concurrent chat number are skipped.

• The distribution order remains the same if an agent gets Away or offline.

• If a new agent joins after auto-distribution starts, the sequence of the agent is after current round of distribution completes. For example, Agent A, B, C gets online in time order, Agent A gets distributed a chat, and Agent D joins, then Agent D will be allocated after current round completes (ended by Agent A), and the sequence becomes B > C > A > D.

Capability Weighted

Capability Weighted distributes chats to agents with the lowest capacity utilization ratio. Agent’s capacity utilization ratio = Ongoing chat number / maximum concurrent chat number. Capability Weighted allows you to distribute more chats to agents with higher chat capability.

If two agents have same capacity utilization ratio:

• If they are both taking chats, the chat goes to the agent whose last allocation time was earlier.

• If neither of them are taking chats, then the chat goes to the agent who has longest idle time. For agents who have been assigned a chat, the idle time starts from when they ended last chat; for agents who have not been assigned a chat, the idle time starts from when they get online.

Preference Rule

You can enable Last Chatted Agent Preferred for each queue. When enabled, the chat goes to the agent who has chatted with the visitor if the agent is online and has not reached the maximum chat number. The preference rule helps you provide a more personalized service and increases chat efficiency.

Backup Rule

You can choose a backup chat queue for routing to each chat queue. Chats can be distributed to agents in the backup chat queue when all the agents in the destination chat queue are offline or have reached their maximum chat number. The backup rule allows you to deliver nonstop customer service in special occasions, for example, when the sales chat queue is overwhelmed by visitors in peak seasons, you can set your support team as the backup to balance the workload.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Select a Chat Queue to enter the Auto Distribution page.

2. In the Auto Distribution Method section, you can do the following:

• Select the Auto Distribution Rule for the Chat Queue.

• Enable Last-chatted Agent Preferred if you prefer assigning the chats to their last assignee.

• Select a another Chat Queue for the Backup Chat Queue. When chats are not assigned to the destination Chat Queue, the chat will be auto distributed to agents belongs to the Backup Chat Queue.

3. In the Maximum Number of Concurrent Auto-Accepted Chats section, you can do one of the following:

• Set the maximum number of auto-assigned chats for all agents.

• Set the maximum number of auto-assigned chats for each agent.

• Enable Allow agents to manually accept chats when their concurrent chat number reaches the maximum value.

4. In the Maximum Number/Time of Chat Queue Length section, enable Limit chat queue length and configure the rule for stopping new visitors to enter the queue.

5. Click Save.

Congratulations, you have successfully set up Web Chat Auto Distribution. Your chats will be automatically assigned to the agents.

Inbox Auto Distribution

Auto Distribution in Inbox enables you to auto distribute tickets to agents to make sure the workload is distributed optimally. Once tickets are auto-distributed, agents do not need to pick up tickets manually. You can define distribution rules of how tickets are assigned to agents and the maximum tickets an agent can accept automatically.

Prerequisites

Enable “Available in Inbox” when create the Chat Queue.

How does Auto Distribution work?

• Inbox Auto distribution happens only on newly created tickets. If the same ticket needs to be allocated to another agent, then you can do it manually. 

• Tickets are auto distributed to agents who have logged in to the Agent Console. By default, the system distributes tickets to online agents only. You can change the settings to distribute tickets to agents in Away or any custom away statuses. 

• Once tickets are distributed before the distribution rule is set up, they cannot be auto-distributed again irrespective of the ticket's status. Only agents who have the permission can manually assign those tickets to the agent or re-assign them to another agent.

• Each ticket can only be auto-distributed once. If you manually change an auto-distributed ticket's assignee to Unassigned, it cannot be auto-distributed again.

What happens if all agents go offline?

If all agents go Offline at a given time, New tickets will be auto distributed after agents log in. There is no time lag for the allocated tickets to push out to agents. As long as new tickets and agents do not reach their maximum ticket count, the ticket will be auto-pushed out to the logged-in agent. When all agents reach their capacity, then New tickets will be in a ticket queue waiting to be allocated. 

Inbox Distribution Rules

Inbox follow three types of auto distribution rules—Load Balancing, Round Robin and Keep Chat Queue As Assignee.

Load balancing

Load balancing distributes tickets to the least loaded agent with lowest capacity utilization rate.

Round Robin

Round Robin allocates tickets to agents one after the other based on the order they get online.

Keep Chat Queue As Assignee

Keep Chat Queue As Assignee distributes tickets to the chat queue and won't be allocated to agents.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Select a Chat Queue to enter the Auto Distribution page.

2. In the Auto Distribution Method section, you can do the following:

• Select the Auto Distribution Rule for the Chat Queue.

• Enable Last assignee Preferred if you prefer assigning the tickets to their last assignee.

2. In the Maximum Number of Auto-Assigned Tickets section, you can do one of the following:

• Set the maximum number of auto-assigned tickets for all agents.

• Set the maximum number of auto-assigned tickets for each agent.

3. (Optional) Disable Automatically distribute tickets to online agents only if you want to auto-assign tickets to agents in Away or any other custom away statuses.

4. (Optional) In the Excluded Status section, select Pending External or On Hold or both statuses. Tickets marked with Pending External or On Hold or both statuses are not counted when the Inbox verify if an agent has reached their predefined maximum number of tickets.

5. Click Save.
   Congratulations, you have successfully set up Inbox Auto Distribution. Your tickets will be automatically assigned to the agents.

Configure Office Hours

Operating Hour is the days and hours when your system clock runs. Days when your team working hours are considered Business Days. Business Days are also used to count days within Trigger rules. Non-selected days will be skipped when rules are calculated. Holidays, on the other hand, are days when the system clock won't run.

You can choose Default by global Settings as the Chat Queue’s office hours, or you can set a new office hours for the Chat Queue.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Select the Default by specific settings.

2. Select your Time Zone.

3. On the Working Hours tab, add your working hours for the days on which your customer service team is working.

4. On the Holidays tab, click the Add Holiday button to set your holidays. You can also remove an existing holiday from the Operations column.

5. Click Save.

Now you have successfully set a special office hours for the chat queue.

Manage Chat Queues

Edit Chat Queues

1. Select a chat queue, and click on Edit icon to enter the edit page.

2. In the chat queue’s information, you can do one of the following:

• Add or remove the agents from the chat queue.

• Enable or disable Available in Omni Widget/Inbox.

• Modify the configuration in Auto Distribution.

• Modify the configuration in Office Hours.

3. After edit the chat queue’s information, click Save.

Delete Chat Queues

1. Select a chat queue, and click on Delete icon to delete this chat queue.

2. If the chat queue has been assigned in the chats, tickets and workflow, you need to disassociate the belonging relationship of the chat queue with chats, tickets, workflow and views to set a new chat queue.

3. After disassociate the belonging relationship of the chat queue in the system, go back to Global Settings > People > Chat Queue, and click on Delete icon again.

4. Click Delete to confirm the deletion. The chat queue has been deleted successfully.

The chat queue has been deleted successfully.