How to Manage Auto Assignment for Live Chat Conversations

This article explains how to configure auto-assignment modes in BoldDesk and reuse them within the Workflow Designer. Auto-assignment helps distribute live chat conversations among agents efficiently, improving response times and ensuring balanced workloads.

Types of Auto Assignment Modes

BoldDesk supports two types of auto-assignment modes:

1. Evenly Distributed Round Robin

• Assigns conversations evenly among all available agents.
• Ensures each agent receives a fair share of new conversations.
• Requires selecting a group of agents to distribute conversations among.

2. Load-Based Round Robin

• Assigns conversations based on each agent’s current workload.
• Prioritizes agents handling fewer active chats.
• Also requires selecting a group of agents for distribution.

Configuring Agent Load Limits

To fine-tune how conversations are distributed in Load-Based Round Robin, you can configure agent load limits:

1. Navigate to Admin > Chat > Users and Permissions > Agent Load.
2. Set the global chat limit at the top of the page.
3. Adjust individual agent limits between 0 and 100.

If an agent’s individual limit is set to 0, the global limit will apply.

Why Configure a Wait Message in Load-Based Assignment?

When no agents are immediately available, a configured wait message informs customers about the delay and reassures them that someone will assist shortly.

How the Backlog Queue Works in Load-Based Assignment

The backlog queue for assignment is triggered under the following conditions:

• An agent is added to the group.
• An agent’s assignment limit is increased.
• An agent’s status changes to Available or Away.
• A conversation is moved from Active to Spam or Deleted.
• A conversation assigned to a group agent is closed.
• Auto-assignment is enabled for the agent within the group.

Steps to Set Up Auto Assignment

1. Navigate to Auto Assignment

Go to:
Admin > Chat > Automation > Chat Automation > Auto Assignment

This section allows you to create automation rules for managing live chat conversations.

2. Add Auto Assignment

1. Click Add Auto Assignment.
2. In the Configure Auto Assignment dialog:
   • Select the Assignment Mode.
   • Choose the Assignment Group.
3. Click Add to save the configuration.

Reusing Auto Assignment in Workflow Designer

1. Navigate to Workflows

Go to:
Admin > Chat > Automation > Chat Automation > Workflows

2. Create a New Workflow

1. Click Add Workflow under the Conversation Created trigger.

2. In the dialog:
   • Enter a Workflow Name (e.g., Auto Assign Chat).
   • Select the Brand and Chat Source.
   • Click Next.

The selected brand determines which brand’s conversations this workflow will apply to.

The chat source specifies whether this workflow should apply to conversations from live chat, WhatsApp, SMS, or other channels.

3. After confirmation, a draft workflow will be created automatically.

3. Add an Auto Assignment Block

1. In the Workflow Designer, click on the Conversation Created block.

You can either:

• Reuse an existing auto-assignment, or
• Create a new one directly within the workflow.

To reuse an existing auto-assignment:

• Select it from the list (e.g., Support Team).
• Apply it to the workflow.

To create a new auto-assignment:

• Click Create New Auto-Assignment.
• Configure the rule as needed.

4. Complete and Activate the Workflow

1. Add the End Current Workflow block to complete the flow.
2. Click Publish & Activate to enable the workflow.

BoldDesk does not impose any limits on the number of Auto Assignment rules you can configure. You can create and reuse as many auto-assignment configurations as needed to suit your support strategy.

Additionally:

• Auto Assignment is treated as a block within the Workflow Designer.
• While the overall workflow may have limits on the number of workflows that can be added, individual blocks like Auto Assignment do not have standalone limits.
• You can include multiple Auto Assignment blocks in a single workflow or across different workflows.

This flexibility allows you to build complex routing logic without worrying about hitting a cap on Auto Assignment usage.

Assigning Chats Based on Contact Language

If your support team handles conversations in multiple languages, you can configure workflows to automatically assign chats to the appropriate language-specific team. This helps streamline multilingual support and ensures customers are connected with agents who speak their preferred language.

Automatically assign incoming chats based on the detected language. For example:

• Portuguese chats → Assigned to PT Team
• French chats → Assigned to FR Team
• English chats → Assigned to EN Team

Steps to Configure Language-Based Assignment

Step 1: Create Auto Assignment Groups

Set up auto assignment groups for each language team in the Auto Assignment section.

Step 2: Create a Workflow Rule for Language-Based Assignment

Once your auto assignment groups are set up, you can build a workflow that automatically assigns chats based on the detected language.

To configure the workflow:

1. Navigate to Admin > Chat > Workflows.
2. Select one of the available workflow triggers and click Add Workflow.
3. Fill in the required details. They include:
   • Workflow name – Provide a descriptive name that reflects the workflow’s purpose.
   • Brand – Choose the brand to specify which brand’s conversations this workflow should apply to.
   • Source - Select the channel from which the conversation is expected to originate.
   • Conditions – This is optional.
4. In the Condition section:
   • Choose Language as the condition type.
   • Select the target language (e.g., Portuguese).
5. Click Next to proceed.
6. In the workflow designer page, click the encircled plus (+) icon to add a block.
7. Select Actions > Trigger Auto-Assignment.
8. Choose the appropriate Auto Assignment group linked to the team that handles chats in the selected language.
9. Click Add to save the action.
10. Once done, choose any of the exit options and click Publish & Activate to enable the workflow.

Once activated, BoldDesk will automatically route incoming chats to the correct team based on the contact’s language.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. What is auto-assignment in BoldDesk?
   Auto-assignment is a feature that automatically distributes live chat conversations among agents, helping improve response times and balance workloads.

2. What are the types of auto-assignment modes available?
   BoldDesk supports two modes:

   • Evenly Distributed Round Robin – Assigns chats equally among available agents.
   • Load-Based Round Robin – Assigns chats based on each agent’s current workload.

3. How does Load-Based Round Robin work?
   It prioritizes agents with fewer active chats.

4. Where can I configure agent load limits?
   Go to:
   Admin > Chat > Users and Permissions > Agent Load
   Here, you can set global limits and adjust individual agent limits (0–100).

5. What happens if an agent reaches their chat limit?
   New chats assigned to that agent’s group will remain in the backlog queue until:

   • An agent becomes available,
   • Their limit is increased,
   • Or a new agent is added to the group.

6. Why should I configure a wait message?
   A wait message informs customers when no agents are immediately available, reassuring them that help is on the way.

7. How do I set up auto-assignment rules?
   Navigate to:
   Admin > Chat > Automation > Chat Automation > Auto Assignment
   Then click Add Auto Assignment, choose the mode and group, and save.

8. Can I reuse auto-assignment rules in workflows?
   Yes. In the Workflow Designer, you can:

   • Reuse existing auto-assignment rules, or
   • Create new ones directly within the workflow.

9. How do I assign chats based on contact language?
   Create language-specific auto-assignment groups, configure workflows with Language as a condition, and assign chats to the appropriate team based on the detected language.