Routing Rules

Routing Rules

This is the most important section of the Teambox which helps to route the incoming chat in various ways as per your business requirements.

To open Routing Rules click on Organisation -> Routing Rules (Tab) and you will able to see an image as below, You have to select the Channel on which you need to configure the routing rules

Upon selecting the channel you will see the settings as shown below;

Available Type of Routing Rules

We have made the following types of routing rules a business may select any one of the routing rules as per their requirements

1. Broadcast

2. Round Robin

3. Manually Assign

4. Route to Contact Owner

5. Route to Last Assisted Agent

6. Contextual Based Routing (Smart Replies)

7. Out of the Box Routing Rules

8. Assigning Chat from Picky Assist Products

Broadcast

Broadcast allows businesses to notify all the online users in an organization when a new chat comes when any of the users accept the chat the notification will get dismissed to all other users and the chat will be assigned to the user who accepted the request first.

This works similarly to parallel ringing in your traditional office PBX system.

You will also have the option to send a default no response/offline message to the customer in case all the users are offline or have not attended the chat within the time you specified here as shown in the below image;

Please set the value only between 1 to 10 minutes

Round Robin

One of the most loved features for businesses to keep all users engaged is the round-robin method, which distributes incoming chats equally among team members. Our auto re-assign mechanism ensures that if a user does not attend to a chat within the specified time, the chat is automatically routed to the next available user to ensure that no chats are missed.

Reassign the chat to the next user after _ minutes This settings helps you to auto-assign the chat to the next available user after the time you configured here in minutes, please put this value between 1 and 5 minutes

Maximum _ number of rotations before sending default no response messages This settings means how many times the system should rotate before sending the default no response message, let’s explain with an example ;

Let’s say you have 4 users and have setup the “Reassign the chat to the next user after 1 minutes” so here the system will first allocate the chat to the user 1 and within 1 minute if the user 1 not attended the chat then it will assign to the next user and wait for 1 minute, if none of the 4 users are not attended the chat then again this rotation will start i.e after 4 minutes the system will start again assigning the chat from the User 1, now in order to avoid the infinite rotation here you can define how many times the system should rotate the chat before sending the default / no response messages.

We highly recommend keeping both to 1 minute.

Manual Chat Assign

This is something like a telephone operator who attends the call then enquires about the query and routes the call manually to the right person, when manual assign routing rule is enabled all chats will be assigned to a single agent and further can be transferred to a team or a user.

Please note that in this case only the user selected here will get all new chat requests.

Assign Owner During Missed Chat

There will be a situation if a new customer contacts you via WhatsApp and none of the users were not online during the period, in this case, you can configure who should be the Contact Owner, and you have 3 options to choose ;

1) Admin -> By Default the Admin will be the owner of the contact whose chat is missed

2) Specific User -> If this is selected then you have to select a user in your organization to add it as a contact owner, so whenever a chat is missed the system will add the contact owner as specified by you here

3) First Person in the Routing Rule -> If this is selected then the system will automatically selects the Owner as the User who is in the first in the routing rule configured by you.

Route to Contact Owner

This option when enabled gives you the power to route the new incoming chats always to the owner of the contract, this helps you to redirect the customer always to their Account Manager, SPOC, etc

Route to Last Assisted Agent

This is one of the great features to save the time of your agents and customers as the last assisted agent is aware of the context of the conversation and able to extend help in a much easier way than a new agent, so when this is enabled the chat will be allocated to the last assisted agent if available else it will fall back to the default routing rule.

Smart Replies Pause

If you have enabled the smart replies then you can specify how long the smart replies should be paused, and specify the value in minutes, these settings avoid duplicating the messages from your user and bot.

No Response/ Offline Message to User

This configuration helps you to set up the message that needs to be sent to the users when no response or all users are offline.

Contextual Based Routing

We have set up the Global Routing Rules which works with all Users & Departments, now let’s see how we can able to route the incoming chats based on the message contents that are sent by the customers.

This is the routing rule that works with our Smart Replies powered by AI, based on the user conversation you can route the chat to a specific department or assign a user who is an expert in the topic for example if a customer asks “I want to renew my car insurance” then let’s assign the chat to a department who deals with Car Insurance similarly a chat can be assigned to an individual agent who is specialized in certain skills like language, technical skill etc.

To setup the Contextual Based Routing the Smart Replies must be enabled and Online, now against each Smart Reply question you have to setup a Smart Action as shown below;

In the smart replies you have 2 routing rules to choose as explained below;

Default Routing Rules

If you select the default routing rule then whenever a customer message matches the specific smart reply keyword it will follow your default/global routing rules configured, for an example if your default routing rule is "Broadcast" then it will broadcast the new chat notification to all the departments or users you selected as Smart Reply Action.

If No Response / Offline messages is enabled in your default/global routing rule then whenever a user is not available the configured default no response/offline message will send to the customer, but when you use it with the smart replies you have the option to enable or disable this settings which are specific only to certain smart reply keywords. i.e you have the option to choose whether an offline default no response message should be send or not.

To enable sending no response/offline message please make sure you have ticked the box as shown below;

Assign Chat

When you select the routing rule as Assign Chat against a smart reply then the system will ignore all the global routing rules and give priority to this rule against the specific keyword, if you are assigning a chat to a department or multiple users then it will be like a group chat where all users who are assigned to the conversation able to see the messages and reply.

In the above case all users in the "HRD" departments are assigned to the chat and any of them able to see the conversation and reply to the messages.

Setting the Default No Response / Offline Message

If the Smart Replies is enabled and our system is not able to give the answer then the system will automatically make use of the global routing rules configured by you, if you want to assign these chats to a specific department then you have to set a Smart Action in the Smart Reply -> Settings -> Default Message (Fallback)

Out of the Box Routing Rules

Out-of-the-box routing rules help you route chats without waiting for incoming messages on any of your channels. Instead, they can route chats based on events that happen in third-party software, such as a new contact being added, an order being canceled, or negative feedback being received. This allows your users to immediately start conversations with customers. This feature is done through the Picky Assist Connector "Actions" Assign Chat. Read More

Assigning Chat from Picky Assist Products

Apart from the Global Routing Rules, the Contextual Routing Rule with Smart Replies its possible to assign chat through Workflow, Funnels & Chatbots through action step

This is useful for assigning chats when specific events occur in your Picky Assist CRM, such as when a status changes from one to another, allowing you to assign the chat to the lead owner. Other examples include when a user selects "Chat with Human" in a Chatbot Flow or clicks on the WhatsApp button and shows interest in one of your funnel messages. Using this action, you can contextually assign the chat to a user, whether it be the lead owner, someone from the sales team, or a specific department. The possibilities with dynamic actions are infinite.

In order to assign or route the chat when you are building a workflow, funnel, or chatbot simply add the action step and click on the "Assign Chat" action where you can define the chat assign rules as shown below

Frequently Asked Questions on Routing Rules

What are the routing rules in Teambox?

Routing rules in Teambox are configurations that determine how incoming messages are assigned to your team members. These rules are essential for ensuring that customer inquiries are directed to the most appropriate agent, which helps improve response times and customer satisfaction. Routing can be based on factors like agent availability, customer history, or the nature of the inquiry.

How does the Broadcast routing rule work?

The Broadcast routing rule sends an incoming message to all available agents simultaneously. The first agent to respond takes over the conversation. This method is effective in scenarios where quick responses are crucial, as it allows any free agent to pick up the conversation immediately.

What is Round Robin routing, and how does it work?

Round Robin routing is a method where incoming messages are distributed evenly among all available agents. The system rotates through the list of agents, ensuring that each one gets an equal number of chats. This method helps prevent any single agent from becoming overloaded with tasks and promotes fairness in workload distribution.

Can I manually assign messages to specific agents?

Yes, Teambox allows for manual assignment of messages to specific agents. This feature is useful when a particular agent has the expertise or relationship with the customer that makes them the best fit to handle the inquiry. Manual assignments can be done directly from the Teambox interface, allowing for flexibility in managing your team’s workload.

What happens if a message is missed or not responded to?

If no user joins the chat within the specified time, it will be marked as a "Missed Chat" and will be shown under the "Missed Chat" tab in the Teambox. Please note that all users who miss a chat will see it under this tab. For instance, one contact may appear as a missed chat for all users who missed that particular chat.

What is contextual-based routing?

Contextual-based routing is a sophisticated feature that routes messages based on specific criteria or context, such as the content of the message, the customer's history, or predefined keywords. This method ensures that messages are directed to agents who are best equipped to handle them, enhancing the overall customer experience by matching the right agent to the right inquiry.

How do Smart Replies interact with routing rules?

Smart Replies can be integrated with routing rules to provide automated responses based on the context of the message. For instance, if an incoming message contains specific keywords like "Help," "Contact," or "Sales," you can set up different actions to route those chats to the appropriate team members who are best equipped to handle the conversation. This allows for more efficient and accurate assignment of inquiries, ensuring that customers are connected with the right support quickly.

Can I set different routing rules for different communication channels?

Yes, Teambox allows you to configure different routing rules for various communication channels, such as multiple WhatsApp Numbers, Facebook Messenger, Instagram etc This flexibility ensures that messages from each channel are handled in a way that best suits the nature of the communication and the resources available on each channel.

What are the 'Out of the Box' routing rules?

Out-of-the-box routing rules help you route chats without waiting for incoming messages on any of your channels. Instead, they can route chats based on events that happen in third-party software, such as a new contact being added, an order being canceled, or negative feedback being received. This allows your users to immediately start conversations with customers. This feature is done through the Picky Assist Connector "Actions" Assign Chat. Read More

What are Global Routing Rules and other Routing Rules and how they are different ?

Global Routing Rules in Picky Assist are set for each communication channel under the Organization's Routing Rules section. These rules dictate how chats should be assigned across the system. However, Picky Assist also allows other custom routing rules that can override these global settings. If a chat is managed by one of these custom rules, the Global Routing Rules are bypassed. Only if no other routing rules apply will the Global Routing Rules take effect, ensuring flexibility in how chats are handled.

How can I ensure that messages from certain contacts are routed to specific agents?

In your global routing rule, you can enable the "Route to Contact Owner" option. When this is activated, the system prioritizes routing incoming chats to the assigned contact owner. If the contact owner does not attend to the chat within the specified time, the system will then follow the global routing rules you've configured. This ensures that the contact owner has the first opportunity to handle the chat, but if they are unavailable, the chat will still be managed according to your overall routing strategy.

Is it possible to have multiple routing rules active simultaneously?

Yes, it is possible to have multiple routing rules active simultaneously based on different scenarios. For example, you can use Smart Replies combined with Smart Actions to route messages containing specific keywords like "help," "sales," or "contact" to your sales team members. Additionally, you can set up rules to assign chats based on changes in your Picky Assist CRM or third-party CRMs, such as when a lead status changes. However, you cannot have more than one global routing rule active for a single channel.

Is it possible to assign chat to multiple users at a time?

Yes, you can assign the chat to multiple users when you are assigning chat through actions from Smart Replies, Workflow, Funnel & Chatbots, at this moment it's not possible to assign chat to multiple users through the global routing rules.

What is the difference between a forceful chat assign and a regular chat assign?

Forcefully chat assign is possible only through actions i.e can be defined only through Smart Replies, Workflow, Funnel & Chatbots and this means the chat will forcefully assigned to the selected agents in other routing rules the agent must accept the chat in order to join the conversation i.e forceful chat assign means the agent will see the conversation under the "My Chats" where in regular chat assign the agent will see a notification under "My Chats" and they need to manually join the conversation, in this case, the agent can reject the chat request as well where in forceful chat assign don't have the option to reject the chat request.

Is it possible to add or remove more agents to the conversation when the chat assignment is completed through any routing?

Yes, it is possible to add or remove one or multiple agents to a conversation even after the initial chat assignment through routing rules has been completed. There are two options available for doing this. First, you can manually add or remove agents through the Teambox interface. Second, you can use Actions available in Smart Replies, Workflow, Funnel, and Chatbots to automate the addition or removal of agents from a conversation.

How does Teambox handle routing when all agents are busy?

Picky Assist does not have specific rules or features to determine whether all agents are busy due to its robust capabilities. The system will continue to allocate chats according to the predefined routing rules, regardless of the agents' current workloads. This ensures that messages are continuously routed and handled, even if agents are occupied or if the chats are assigned outside the Picky Assist product ecosystem.

What happens to messages outside business hours?

Currently, Picky Assist does not have the option to set up business hours, so chats will continue to be assigned to users according to the routing rules, regardless of the time of day. If a user does not attend to the chat within the specified time set in the routing rules, there is an option to automatically send a message back to the user, informing them that someone will join the conversation soon. The chat will then be flagged as a "Missed Chat," allowing the user to respond when they become available.

What is skill-based routing, and does Teambox support it?

Yes, Teambox supports skill-based routing. This feature allows you to set routing rules that direct messages to agents based on their specific skills, ensuring that customer inquiries are handled more efficiently by the most qualified agents. To implement skill-based routing, you can utilize Smart Replies, Workflow, Funnel, or Chatbot actions.

Can routing rules be integrated with my CRM?

Yes, Teambox’s routing rules can be integrated with your CRM to route messages based on customer data or interaction history. This integration allows for more personalized and efficient handling of customer inquiries, as the system can leverage existing data to determine the best agent for each message. You need to make use of the Smart Replies, Workflow, Funnel or Chatbot actions to route the chat from your CRM.

Can I set routing rules based on language preferences?

Yes, Teambox allows you to set routing rules based on the language preference of the customer. This ensures that messages are directed to agents who are fluent in the customer’s preferred language, improving communication and customer satisfaction. You need to make use of the Smart Replies, Workflow, Funnel or Chatbot actions to route the chat to the right users who can handle the language.