Best Practices
Respond Promptly
Real-time presence tracking shows visitors when you are online. Delayed responses harm customer satisfaction. Make it a priority to acknowledge incoming conversations quickly, even if you need to follow up with a full response later.
Use Snoozing Strategically
Snooze conversations that are waiting on customer follow-up or internal information. The system automatically unsnoozes them after the set time, keeping your Open queue clean and preventing forgotten tickets. This is especially useful when you need to gather information before responding.
Mention Colleagues When Collaboration Is Needed
Use the mention system (@mention) to create a focused ping without disrupting the full conversation thread. This brings the right person's attention to the conversation without overwhelming your team.
Leverage the Claude Assistant
For drafting responses, grammar cleanup, or rephrasing, use the in-app Claude panel to speed up your work without breaking context. This tool helps you maintain consistency and professionalism in your messaging.
Assign Conversations Clearly
Use agent assignment to distribute work and avoid duplicate responses. Presence avatars show who is viewing each conversation, so you know if a colleague is already handling it.
Archive Resolved Conversations
Once a conversation is closed and settled, archive it to reduce clutter. Archived conversations are hidden from all views but remain searchable if you need to reference them later.
Mark Obvious Spam Early
Spam-flagged conversations are quarantined from the main inbox but remain recoverable if needed. This keeps your active queue focused on legitimate customer inquiries.
Conversation Sources & Statuses
Where Conversations Come From
Conversations arrive from three channels:
Product Chat: Support widget embedded in your application
Marketing Chat: Website widget on your marketing site
Email: Inbound email through AgentMail integration
Each conversation displays a source label in the UI so you immediately know where the customer contacted you.
Conversation Statuses
Conversations flow through five statuses as you work with them:
Open: Active conversations requiring attention. This is your primary queue.
Closed: Resolved conversations. You can reopen them if the customer responds or if you need to revisit the issue.
Snoozed: Temporarily hidden from your inbox. The conversation automatically reappears after the scheduled time expires, so you don't forget about it.
Archived: Soft-deleted conversations that are hidden from all views. They remain searchable if you need to look them up later for reference or compliance.
Spam: Quarantined conversations. These are separated from your main inbox but can be recovered if flagged incorrectly.
The filter panel on the left sidebar lets you view conversations by status. Snoozed conversations are automatically excluded from the Open filter—they reappear once the snooze time expires.
Real-Time Messaging & Presence
How Messages Work
All messages flow bidirectionally through Pusher Channels. When a visitor sends a message via the chat widget, it appears instantly in your chat view. You don't need to refresh—the system delivers messages in real time.
Typing Indicators
Typing indicators show when the visitor or another agent is composing a response. This helps you avoid sending duplicate responses and keeps you aware of ongoing activity in the conversation.
Agent Presence Avatars
Agent presence avatars appear at the top of the chat header and display which agents are currently viewing that conversation. This prevents multiple agents from responding to the same customer and helps you coordinate handoffs.
Visitor Online Status
Visitor online status appears in the Visitor Info drawer. If the chat widget is open on the visitor's browser, they are marked as online. This presence data uses native Pusher presence channels rather than HTTP heartbeats, reducing latency and server load so you get real-time updates.
Message Delivery & Status
Understanding Message Status Badges
Messages are tagged with delivery status so you know if your response reached the customer:
Pending: Message is being sent
Sent: Message has been sent to the customer
Delivered: Message has been acknowledged by the recipient
Failed: Message delivery encountered an error (e.g., network interruption)
You see these status badges in the message thread, giving you confidence that your response was received.
Retrying Failed Messages
If a message fails to deliver, a retry button appears next to the message. Click it to resend the message. The system logs all message metadata (timestamp, sender, channel source) for auditing and compliance purposes.
Conversation Snoozing
How to Snooze a Conversation
Click the snooze icon on a conversation card or in the detail view
Set a future time or duration for when you want the conversation to reappear
The conversation hides from your Open inbox immediately
Automatic Unsnooping
The automation scheduler checks every 5 minutes for expired snoozes and automatically unsnoozes them, re-adding them to your Open queue. You don't need to manually bring them back—they resurface automatically.
When to Use Snoozing
Snooze conversations when:
You're waiting for the customer to provide additional information
You need to gather internal information before responding
The customer has asked you to follow up at a specific time
You're handling a high volume and need to prioritize other conversations
Assignment & Collaboration
Assigning Conversations to Agents
Use agent assignment to distribute conversations across your team and ensure each customer gets a dedicated point of contact. When you assign a conversation:
The assigned agent receives a notification
Their presence avatar appears in the conversation
Other agents know not to duplicate responses
Mentioning Colleagues
Use @mention to bring a specific colleague into the conversation without assigning it to them. This is useful when you need input or expertise from another team member on a specific issue. The mention creates a focused notification without disrupting the full conversation thread.
Presence Avatars
Presence avatars at the top of the chat header show all agents currently viewing the conversation. This prevents accidental duplicate responses and helps you coordinate if multiple people need to work on the issue.
AI-Powered Response Assistance
The Claude Assistant
The in-app Claude assistant helps you draft, refine, and improve your responses. Use it for:
Drafting responses: Describe what you want to say, and Claude helps you write it
Grammar and tone cleanup: Paste your draft, and Claude refines it for professionalism
Rephrasing: If your response feels unclear, Claude can reword it
Consistency: Claude helps you maintain a consistent voice across responses
The Claude panel stays open alongside your conversation, so you maintain full context while working on your response.
Example Conversations & Tools in Action
Example 1: Handling a Product Chat Support Request
Scenario: A customer contacts you via the Product Chat widget asking how to export their data.
Steps:
You see the conversation appear in your Open queue with a "Product Chat" source label
The Visitor Info drawer shows the customer is online (green indicator)
You read their message: "How do I export my data?"
You click the Claude assistant panel and type: "Explain the steps to export data from our app"
Claude generates a draft response with step-by-step instructions
You review, refine, and send the response
The message status shows "Delivered" within seconds
The customer responds with a follow-up question
You respond in real time, and the conversation remains Open until fully resolved
Once the customer confirms they've solved their issue, you mark the conversation Closed and Archive it
Tools used: Real-time messaging, Claude assistant, presence tracking, archiving.
Example 2: Coordinating a Complex Support Issue
Scenario: A customer reports a billing discrepancy that requires investigation by your finance team.
Steps:
A customer emails support via AgentMail about an unexpected charge
The conversation appears in your Open queue with an "Email" source label
You read the issue and realize you need help from your finance colleague, Alex
You type a response to the customer: "Thank you for reporting this. I'm looking into it with our finance team and will follow up within 24 hours."
You use @mention to tag Alex in the conversation: "@Alex Can you investigate this charge for account #12345?"
Alex receives a notification and joins the conversation
Alex adds a note with findings, and you incorporate that into your response to the customer
You send the customer a detailed explanation of the charge
The customer is satisfied, and you mark the conversation Closed
You Archive it for future reference
Tools used: Multi-channel support (email), mentions, collaboration, presence tracking, archiving.
Example 3: Using Snooze for Follow-Up
Scenario: A customer asks you to check on a refund status and follow up in 3 days.
Steps:
You receive the customer's message via chat
You respond: "I'll check on your refund status and get back to you in 3 days."
You click the snooze icon and set the snooze for 3 days from now
The conversation disappears from your Open queue
You continue handling other conversations
After 3 days, the automation scheduler automatically unsnoozes the conversation
It reappears in your Open queue as a reminder to follow up
You check the refund status and send the customer an update
The conversation is resolved and Archived
Tools used: Snoozing, automation, time-based follow-ups.
Example 4: Handling Spam
Scenario: You receive a conversation that is clearly spam.
Steps:
A conversation arrives with promotional content unrelated to your product
You click the spam flag icon
The conversation is immediately quarantined and removed from your Open queue
It appears in the Spam filter if you need to review it later
If it was flagged incorrectly, you can recover it from the Spam view
Tools used: Spam flagging, status filtering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What's the difference between Closed and Archived?
A: Closed means the conversation is resolved but still visible in your conversation list. You can reopen it if the customer responds or if you need to revisit the issue. Archived removes the conversation from all views to reduce clutter, but it remains searchable. Archive conversations once they're fully settled and you don't expect further activity.
Q: How often does the system check for expired snoozes?
A: The automation scheduler checks every 5 minutes for expired snoozes and automatically unsnoozes them. This means there may be a slight delay (up to 5 minutes) before a snoozed conversation reappears in your Open queue.
Q: Can I mention someone who isn't assigned to the conversation?
A: Yes. Mentions (@mention) are separate from assignment. You can mention any colleague to bring them into the conversation without assigning it to them. This is useful for quick input or expertise without transferring ownership.
Q: What happens if a message fails to deliver?
A: A retry button appears next to the failed message. Click it to resend. The system logs all delivery attempts for auditing purposes.
Q: Can I see which agents are viewing a conversation?
A: Yes. Presence avatars at the top of the chat header show all agents currently viewing the conversation in real time.
Q: How do I know if a visitor is online?
A: The Visitor Info drawer displays the visitor's online status. If the chat widget is open on their browser, they're marked as online. This helps you prioritize responses to active visitors.
Q: Can I recover a conversation I marked as spam?
A: Yes. Spam-flagged conversations are quarantined but recoverable. Filter by Spam status in the left sidebar to view and recover them if needed.
Q: What's the best way to use the Claude assistant?
A: Use it to draft responses, clean up grammar and tone, or rephrase unclear messages. The Claude panel stays open alongside your conversation, so you maintain full context. It's especially helpful when you're handling high volume and need to speed up response time without sacrificing quality.
Q: Can I assign a conversation to multiple agents?
A: The assignment feature assigns a conversation to one agent at a time. If you need multiple people to collaborate, use @mention to bring others into the conversation without reassigning it.
Q: What happens if I close a conversation and the customer responds?
A: If a customer responds to a closed conversation, it automatically reopens and returns to your Open queue. You won't lose track of it.
Q: How do I filter conversations by status?
A: Use the filter panel on the left sidebar. You can filter by Open, Closed, Snoozed, Archived, or Spam. Snoozed conversations are automatically excluded from the Open filter until they expire.
Summary
The Help Desk gives you all the tools you need to provide fast, professional support across multiple channels. By following best practices—responding promptly, using snoozing strategically, leveraging the Claude assistant, and collaborating through mentions—you can handle a high volume of conversations efficiently while maintaining customer satisfaction. Use the status filters and presence tracking to stay organized, and don't hesitate to archive resolved conversations to keep your queue focused on active issues.