Chat Routing in Instant Messaging
What is chat routing in IM
Chat routing automatically distributes incoming customer chats among available agents in IM. It ensures workload management, faster responses, and consistent customer engagement. For businesses, it improves operational efficiency and service quality; for agents, it prevents burnout; and for customers, it guarantees quick, uninterrupted support.
How chat routing works
Customer initiation
- A customer starts a conversation via a supported channel, such as WhatsApp, Business messaging, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook messenger, WeChat, Line.
Chatbot handling (if enabled)
- The chatbot handles the initial interaction, collecting details like the customer's name and issue type, and responding to common queries.
Escalation to agents
- When a chatbot transfers a conversation to an agent, the system first checks agent availability. If no agents are available, or if it is outside business hours, the chat remains in the queue.
- Once business hours begin and agents become available, the chat is automatically assigned to them sequentially.
Sequential assignment
- During business hours, the Chat is assigned to the next available agent in a cyclic order to ensure fair workload distribution.
Inbox and notification
- The assigned agent receives a real-time notification within the inbox, ensuring a prompt response.
Note: Agent-to-Agent direct transfer doesn't apply to the chat routing Rules.
Steps to set up chat routing
- Access Zoho Desk
- Click the Setup icon ( ) in the top bar.
- Under Channels, click Instant Messaging.
- From the Left Panel, select Preferences.
- In Preferences, click the Automation sub-tab.
- Enable Chat Routing: Toggle the Chat-routing option for the required channels.
- System will auto-assign chats to agents linked to those channels.
- Save and Test Configuration:
- Run test cases to ensure proper chat distribution and escalation.
- Make sure you have the required access permissions to configure chat routing.
During Business Hours when chatbot is enabled:
- The chatbot handles initial interactions and attempts to resolve the query.
- If the issue is unresolved, the chatbot escalates the chat to an available agent based on the routing logic.
- Agents receive chat notifications instantly in their inbox.
Outside Business Hours when chatbot enabled:
- The chatbot informs the customer that support is currently unavailable.
- Pending chats are queued, and notifications are sent to agents once business hours resume.
Chat routing in Desk vs IM
Desk chat routing
In Zoho Desk, chat routing is enabled through three routing methods:
- Load-Based Assignment: Assigns requests to agents based on their current workload until each reaches a set threshold.
- Sequential Assignment: Assigns requests equally among agents, cycling through the agent list.
- Skill-Based Assignment: Matches customer queries with agent expertise by assigning chats according to defined skill sets.
IM chat routing
In Instant Messaging, chat routing is streamlined with Sequential Assignment method only. It means the incoming chats are automatically distributed to agents one after another in a fixed order. When a new chat arrives, it’s assigned to the next available agent in the sequence.
Best practices for handling offline chats
- Offer self-service FAQs or automated responses.
- Make sure that queued chats are assigned to agents as soon as business hours begin.
Benefits of enabling chat routing
- Automated Distribution: Ensures a balanced workload among agents.
- Integrated Chatbot Support: Handles initial interactions to reduce agent workload.
- Optimized Resource Management: Minimizes the need for supervisor intervention.
- Efficient Notification System: Real-time alerts keep agents informed about new chats.
- Fair Workload Distribution: Prevents burnout by evenly distributing chats.
Disadvantage of disabling chat routing
- Chats remain unassigned until a supervisor manually assigns them.
- Chatbots handle a higher volume of customer interactions without escalation.
- Business hours settings still apply, but response times may be delayed due to manual intervention.
- Chat queues may increase due to reliance on supervisor routing.
- Inbox notifications for chat assignments are disabled and require manual tracking.
- Increased operational overhead for supervisors managing chat assignments.
- Beneficial for cases requiring personalized manual routing.
Upgrade and downgrade effects
- Upgrading: Adds chat routing and automatically assigns chats in a cyclic manner.
- Downgrading: Removes chat routing capabilities, making all chat assignments manual.
Troubleshooting FAQ
Chats not getting assinged
- Ensure agents are available.
- Ensure chat routing is enabled in settings.
- Verify business hours settings for correct routing times.
Uneven chat distribution
- Confirm that all agents are online and included in the routing pool.
- Run a test to check the routing sequence.
Chatbot not transferring chats to agents
- Confirm transfer triggers are correctly configured.
- Ensure at least one agent is available to receive escalated chats.
Agents not receiving notifications
- Advise agents to refresh their inbox or re-login if needed.
Offline agents receiving chats
- Ensure agents set their status to offline before logging out.
- Remove offline agents from the assignment pool if needed.
Chat routing not working correctly
- Verify chat routing is enabled in chat routing settings.
- Check if manual assignments are overriding automatic routing.
- Run a test to validate the routing order and agent inclusion.
Chats not assigned outside business hours
- Review business hours settings to confirm restrictions.
- Enable chatbot fallback or queueing for after-hours chats.
Chats remain in the queue instead of being assigned
- Ensure agents have set the status to available to take new chats.
- Verify that chat routing is active and not overridden by priority rules.
- Enable chatbot support to reduce queue build-up.
Returning agents not receiving chats
- Refresh the agent's status or re-add them to the routing cycle.
Conclusion
Chat routing with chatbot integration and business hours control ensures efficient and balanced workload distribution among agents. By automating workflows, defining operational hours, and utilising fallback mechanisms, businesses can improve both agent productivity and customer satisfaction. A well-configured IM ensures optimal performance and seamless operations.
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