Agents can handle multiple chats at the same time. The 8x8 Configuration Manager administrator can configure each agent to handle up to six chats with customers, and an unlimited number of chats with other agents of the same tenant.
Features
- 8x8 Contact Center manages concurrent chats with multiple customers and agents.
- The customers and agents chat list provides easy access to chats in progress.
- The chat list is sorted primarily based on waiting time; the longest waiting chat is placed on top of the list.
- Icons differentiate agent-to-customer chat from agent-to-agent chats.
- Icons highlight unread chat messages.
- Icons indicate customers waiting for agent's response.
- Icons send alert if customers are waiting longer than targeted Service Level Agreement (SLA).
- A pop-out chat window improves handling multiple chats.
- Relevant customer records pops up when accepting chats.
- Customer information such as Name, Email, and Transaction ID display on the title bar of the popped out chat window.
- The chat list can be sorted by identification such as Nickname, First Name, Last Name, Email, and Transaction ID. By default, the chat list is sorted by waiting time.
- Tracks messages from new customers using Transaction ID.
- Searches chat list by name.
Agents can handle multiple concurrent chats with customers and agents. Agents must be in Available state to accept the first chat. After accepting the first chat, agent’s status changes to Busy. Based on the number of interactions allowed for the agent, chat requests continues to be offered to the agent until he reaches the maximum allowed customer chats. When a new chat request is offered, the chat tab indicates an incoming request by blinking if the Chat tab is not in focus.
At the same time, the customer receives a message to wait until an agent becomes available. You can accept or reject the chat at this time. On accepting a chat, the system looks to see if that is of an existing customer. If a matching CRM record is found, the customer detail record is presented to the agent in a separate tab. In the absence of a matching record, a new customer record opens.
The agent can now chat with the customer and be open for handling more chat requests.
Multiple chats can be:
For details, see our multi-chat table.
Chat List
To keep track of multiple chats in progress, a chat list is maintained for customer chats and agent chats. When a new chat is offered to an agent, the Chat List is updated to show this new entry at the top of the appropriate Group. A Question Mark 
appears in the new message column next to the customer name. Accept 
and Reject 
icons appear in the same row:
The chat session starts as soon as you accept the chat. A customer chat is displayed in the Customer List while an agent chat is displayed in the Agent List. If the agent selects a chat, the chat information is shown in the chat panel with the Transaction tab selected. If the agent accepts the chat, the chat continues as expected.
See Also
