Starting a chat
Countdown Screen
When an expert opens the app to claim a chat with a shopper, they are shown the Countdown Screen. Here, they have a 15-second timer in which they can claim the chat.
💭 How it’s used.
Experts have up to 90 seconds in which they can claim or decline a chat. This screen also tells them if they’ve previously spoken with the shopper requesting the chat.
Merchants can be confident that shoppers requesting chats will receive an answer quickly, as the short 15-second time window is intended to create a sense of urgency and avoid having shoppers wait for too long.
⚙️ How it works.
Chat requests expire after 90 seconds. That means that experts in the first claim group have 90 seconds to claim the chat from when they receive the incoming chat notification. Experts in the last claim group (if the chat remains unclaimed) are served the incoming chat notification at 60 seconds, meaning they have 30 seconds to claim it.
Once the expert taps the incoming chat notification, they are taken to the Countdown Screen. Here, they have a timer with 15 seconds to claim the chat, information on whether the shopper has already spoken to this particular expert before, and the following options:
Claim this chat.
Decline this chat.
Decline this chat and go unavailable.
The 15-second countdown only begins once the expert arrives at the Countdown Screen. It does not start from the moment the notification about an incoming chat is sent.
🔧 Configuration
The short 15-second window for the Countdown Screen was chosen to create a sense of urgency and avoid having shoppers wait for too long. We do not, therefore, recommend a longer countdown, though it can be customized.
Department Selector
Allows shoppers to directly select the department they wish to speak to. Their chat request will then be routed to experts within that department.
💭 How it’s used.
Merchants can set up departments or teams, and assign their experts to one or multiple. This can save shoppers and experts time when it comes to instantly choosing the most relevant department to connect with.
Shoppers can select which department they want to speak to, allowing them to chat with an expert relevant to their request.
🔧 Configuration
Merchants can configure which departments or teams to display in the Department Selector. Chats are then routed only to experts within the department selected.
Experts can be assigned to multiple departments. If this is the case, they will receive chats for any of the departments they are part of, and will be able to see which department the shopper chose at the beginning of the chat.
Leave a Message
If a shopper starts a conversation while the store is closed, all experts are busy, or which is not claimed by an expert within 90 seconds, the shopper has the option to leave their name and either a phone number or email address to Get Notified once an expert has responded. This means their chat is now a Get Notified chat.
This may happen in the following scenarios:
No experts claimed the chat within 90 seconds, e.g. if they are all currently busy.
No experts are currently available to chat, e.g. if it’s outside of opening hours and On-site Chat has been configured to display regardless of availability.
💭 How it’s used.
Shoppers can choose to get answers or support at a later time so that even when experts are busy or unavailable, they will still be able to receive a response and connect.
Merchants ensure that shoppers who request a chat with their in-store experts are still able to connect with them even when no experts can currently claim their chat.
⚙️ How it works.
Get Notified chats are served to experts in the same way as live chats with regard to location and claim groups. They are served every five minutes until claimed by an expert.
When an expert responds with their first message, the shopper will be notified via email or text depending on which info they left. This message tells them that their query has been answered, and contains a link back to the website to continue the chat.
If a Get Notified chat is not claimed within 48 hours, it will expire. The shopper will be sent a message by SMS or email to let them know.
🔧 Configuration
The 48-hour expiry window and subsequent message the shopper receives if their chat request expires cannot currently be customized.
Needs Selector
Before starting a chat, shoppers can specify a reason for the chat.
💭 How it’s used.
Merchants can give shoppers an idea of why they might want to start a chat with an expert, making them more likely to start a chat in the first place.
Experts see any needs selected by the shopper at the beginning of a chat, meaning they already have an idea of how they can best support the shopper.
Shoppers can specify what support they’re looking for, helping them get the most benefit out of their Virtual Shopping experience.
🔧 Configuration
Merchants can customize the needs highlighted in the Needs Selector.
Merchants can choose to show Customer Service as a need, meaning that shoppers looking for this rather than advice from an expert are transferred seamlessly to their customer service tool.
The Needs Selector can be shown in the following places:
In the Launcher Bubble, on desktop only. This can entice shoppers to begin a chat by surfacing some of the possible ways they can get support or advice through Virtual Shopping.
In the Messenger View, on all devices. Shoppers will only see the Needs Selector in this case after having pressed on the Launcher.
The Needs Selector does not have any impact on the ways chats are routed.
Pre-chat Opt-in
An optional step before a chat starts in which a shopper needs to agree to the terms of using the service.
💭 How it’s used.
Merchants can choose to include this opt-in to ensure shoppers have explicitly consented to their terms before the chat begins.
🔧 Configuration
Pre-chat Opt-in is non-standard and will be switched on if required by the merchant.
The copy for the opt-in can be customized.
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