Simultaneous Conversations

You can handle several conversations simultaneously from the conversation view. Administrators define how many conversations one person can handle simultaneously, for example, only one phone call but a few chats, or, you can be offered a phone call during a chat but no chats during a phone call.

To differentiate conversations when multi-tasking, various colored avatars are used along with the initials from directory matched entries, otherwise as:

  • Webchat: alias or name

  • SMS: sender's phone number and the carrier in the tooltip
  • WhatsApp: sender's phone number and the carrier in the tooltip

  • Facebook Messenger: Facebook name and Facebook ID

If the above information is not available, then Visitor is displayed. Longer names will be truncated in the conversation.

Number of Simultaneous Conversations

The following table shows how many conversations and of which type you can have at the same time. Note that if you have an conversation that is ended, it is still counted as one conversation. For example, if it is defined that the maximum number of simultaneous chats is 6 and you have 5 active chats and 1 chat that is ended, no further chat is offered to you until one of the chats is closed.

Your administrator uses System Configurator to manage max. conversation settings.
  • The multi-chat settings affect how many conversations are offered. The maximum number of text chats marked with asterisk (*) in the table below is defined by the value of Maximum Number of Chat Sessions.
  • The queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open also has an effect. .
  • The setting Busy During Wrap-Up that can be set on the system and queue level affects whether a chat is counted as active or not.

  • Email refers to all conversations handled via email queues.

Table 1. Simultaneous Conversations - when auto-allocated by the system to agent
Ongoing conversation What conversations can be offered and handled on top of an ongoing conversation
Action Item Email Task Call Chat
Queue Direct Outgoing Queue Direct**
Call No No No No Yes: active call is put on hold No No Yes
Action Item (the queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open in System Configurator disabled) No No No No Yes Yes No Yes
Action Item (the queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open in System Configurator enabled) No No No Yes (1) Yes Yes Yes (1-*) Yes
Email (the queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open in System Configurator disabled) No No No No Yes Yes No Yes
Email (the queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open in System Configurator enabled) No No No Yes (1) Yes Yes Yes (1-*) Yes
Task (the queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open in System Configurator disabled) No No No No

Yes

Yes

 No

Yes
Task (the queue setting Allow Other Contacts When E-Mail Open in System Configurator enabled) No No Yes (1-*) Yes (1) Yes Yes Yes (1-*) Yes
Chat; Whether the user setting Allow Queue Calls When Chatting is enabled or disabled has no effect except for queue calls. No No No No; except when the setting Allow Queue Calls When Chatting is enabled, then: Yes (1) Yes (1/2); On second call, the first one is put on hold Yes (1) Yes (1-*) Yes (no limit)

* The maximum number is defined in user's or user template's Contact Settings by the value of Maximum Number of Chat Sessions.

** In Communication Panel, direct chat refers to agent-to-agent chats, meaning consultation chats.