Webchats are handled in one of two ways, depending on how your account is configured. Chats may either be automatically allocated to you or placed into a webchat queue to be picked up manually.
- If auto‑allocation is enabled, incoming webchats are automatically assigned to agents who have webchat functionality. When a chat is allocated to you, it will appear directly in your inbox. You will also see a bell notification icon in your inbox to let you know that a new chat has arrived and is ready for you to respond to.
- If auto‑allocation is not enabled, incoming webchats are sent to a webchat queue. These chats remain in the queue until picked up. A counter will alert you to how many chats are waiting in the queue. You can then open the queue and move the chat to your inbox when you are available.
Regardless of how the chat arrives, it’s important to regularly check your inbox and notifications. Customers using webchat expect timely responses, so chats should be picked up and responded to as quickly as possible.
Responding to a webchat #
In order to respond to a webchat it needs to have been moved into your inbox. This will either have happened via auto-allocation or by picking up a webchat from a webchat queue. Once the chat is in your queue you will need to select it from the list of items in your inbox which will display the details in your workspace area.
You will then need to make the chat active in order for it to become your active item. To do this click the play icon at the top of the webchat workspace area. When a you make a chat active your status will update to Handling a chat and the active item dialogue will update with various options on how to handle the webchat such as selecting a template, entering a response or assigning a contact to the chat.
You can then begin communicating with the customer. You can type responses into the message box in the active item dialogue or in the centre panel of your screen. Both you and the customer will be able to see when the other is typing so you are aware active communication is taking place.
Agent view - Customer is typing
The time a customer has been waiting for your reply is shown on their most recent message, along with an alert icon. If the waiting time reaches a set limit (configured by your company administrator), the alert icon will change colour to indicate that a response is required.
There is no time limit for how long a customer can take to reply to your messages.
Other functionality #
Webchat also includes a range of features to help you manage conversations efficiently. Response templates can be used to speed up replies and maintain consistent, professional messaging. You can pause a webchat to retain ownership and return to it later, or transfer the chat back to a webchat queue so another agent can pick it up if needed.
When a webchat ends, it enters a wrap‑up period where you can add final notes and classify the conversation. Webchats can also be classified during the chat, helping to reduce wrap‑up time afterwards.