Configuring a messaging queue
A queue is a temporary container that holds and processes the incoming chat and messaging requests. There are several ways of mapping a specific request to a queue. For chats, the system can auto-select a queue based on the URL from which the customer initiated the chat. You must configure at least one queue for requests to be collected and then routed. If you have several queues, you can prompt customers with a list of questions or options that map to different queues.
Video
Transcript
This demo shows how you can configure a new queue and add skills and members to handle a category of chat questions.
Chat queue in action
First, notice how queues work in Pega Customer Service™. U+ Bank has set up Web Messaging on its website. The bank has configured a chatbot to direct customers to the appropriate queue. Sara Connor is using the U+ Bank website to resolve a billing issue. She uses chat to ask for help. The chatbot responds with a menu to direct Sara to an appropriate agent. The menu represents the available queues.
Sara selects Billing, and her request is routed to the Billing queue.
The chatbot responds with a question. PreChat questions further define the customer issue before the chat is assigned to a customer service representative. You can configure PreChat questions for each queue.
Bill, a customer service representative (CSR), is an expert in Billing issues. He receives the request. He views the transcript of the conversation and continues the chat with Sara.
Adding a queue
U+ Bank has a significant mortgage lending business. The team asks you to configure a queue to handle mortgage questions.
Log in to App Studio and click the Queue settings. Configure the settings in the Customer Service application so that the settings are available to any self-service applications.
Add a queue named Mortgage and configure the basic settings:
Set the Max concurrent conversations to 3. This field means the routing engine offers up to three conversation requests from this queue to the CSR. The system routes any further requests only after the CSR completes one of those three active conversations.
The Queue selection text is displayed on the list of queues displayed to the chat customer. For the Mortgage queue, enter I have a mortgage question.
The Queue questionnaire is optional. For this scenario, select Mortgage questions, so the chatbot asks questions to define the customer issue further. This questionnaire is already configured in Dev Studio.
Set the schedule for when the queue is available.
Set an Off-hours behavior message to display when the queue is in the off-hours period.
Set wait times for customers connecting to the queue.
Maximum wait time refers to the time that a new customer waits for connection to a CSR in a queue. When a new customer escalation arrives in a queue, the routing engine estimates the time that the system requires before the first available CSR can take the customer request. If the estimated wait time exceeds the maximum wait time, the queue is seen as unavailable.
For example, if a queue has a maximum wait time of 600 seconds, and the estimated wait time that the routing engine calculates is 660 seconds, then the customer request does not enter the queue.
Default wait time is the time that is displayed to every customer regardless of CSR availability. If a CSR is available, then the customer waits less time than the default wait time. If CSRs are not available, then the wait time takes longer than the default time.
Set the Agents not available message to display when no CSRs are available to answer a chat.
Add Members and their required skills. In this case, a customer service representative needs to know how to handle mortgage questions.
Add the Mortgage processing skill. The Members list shows the operators who have the required skills.
Note that skills are created and assigned in the operator record. For example, in Dev Studio, you can open the operator record for Ashlea Buckley. On the Work tab, Ashlea is assigned the Mortgage processing skill.
Showing the new queue in action
Ashlea is a customer service representative who knows mortgage processing. When she starts her day, she logs in to Pega Customer Service, selects the Mortgage queue, and sets her availability.
Sara Connor is reviewing her mortgage information on the U+ Bank website. She initiates a chat, then selects I have a mortgage question. The chatbot sees that Sara selected the Mortgage queue and asks the two pre-chat questions. The chatbot then assigns a live chat to Ashlea and attaches the transcript of the conversation with Sara.
Ashlea receives Sara’s request and views the transcript. She then continues the chat with Sara in a live session.
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