You can transfer a thread to another agent or a group of agents while processing it (that is when the thread is active).
Before it transfers the thread, the system checks who was the last one to send a message in the thread: you or the client. If there is a message from the client that you have not responded to yet, the system throws you a warning. However, you can ignore it and transfer the thread anyway. After you do it, the system goes through the rules for assigning transferred threads to find the appropriate agent to work on it further.
Note that the number of times you can transfer a thread is limited (the number is set by your admin). Once you reach the limit, you receive a warning. In this case, you need to finish the thread by yourself
To transfer a thread:
- In the thread operations menu, click Transfer thread
. - In the Transfer thread window, click Any agent if you want to transfer the client to any agent in the company regardless of any filters and settings. In this case, the system transfers the thread to any active agent that has at least one available session in their personal queue.
- If you want to transfer the thread based on more specific settings, select the filters first. Use the following options:
- Agents with free sessions – To transfer the thread to an agent/group of agents that have at least one available session.
- Active agents – To transfer the thread to any active agent regardless of whether they have an available session. If they do not, they will receive the thread once a session clears.
- All agents –To transfer the thread to any agent regardless of whether they are active or not and whether they have an available session. If they do not, they will receive the thread once a session clears.
- Then, specify who you want to continue processing the thread. The options include:
- Departments – Select the department(s) the thread needs to be transferred to. Any available agent from this department(s) will get this thread.
- Employees – Select a specific agent or a group of agents to transfer the thread to. All agents are gathered under theiк supervisor (i.e., under the supervisor to whose group they belong). If an agent has an alias, the system displays it after a slash in the following format: Name / Alias.
- Skills – Select the specific skill(s) you want an agent to have to process the thread (for example, credit cards, negotiation, technical deep dive, etc.)
- Bot – Select a bot to transfer the thread to (if one exists).
- Enter a comment, if necessary. The comment is not visible to a client but is visible to the agent in the chat area.
- Click Transfer.
Rules of Assigning Threads after Transfer
After a thread is transferred, the system follows the following rules when assigning it:
- When transferring to a department/employee/skill with available sessions, the thread is assigned to the most fitting active agent that has at least one available session in their personal queue.
- When transferring to a specific agent whose sessions are currently occupied, the thread is assigned to the agent when there is an opening in their personal queue.
- When transferring to a group of agents (including transferring to a skill/department) none of who has an available session, the thread gets higher priority and is assigned when someone has an opening in their personal queue.
In the case of the latter, higher priority means the following:
- If there is only one thread transferred over the agent’s limit of sessions, then it is assigned first, and other threads are assigned then according to the routing settings.
- If there are two and more threads transferred to the agent over their limit, the threads are assigned one by one (from the earliest to the latest), and other threads are assigned after that according to the routing settings.
It is also possible to assign threads over an agent’s limit when transferring them. This setting can be enabled via edna Support. With this setting enabled, if a thread is transferred to a department/employee/skill, it is assigned to the most fitting agent. If this thread goes over the limit in their personal queue, the system creates an additional session for it. If there is more than one active agent:
- The first priority goes to the agents that have an available session in their personal queue. If there are several of them, then the system selects an agent with the maximum number of available sessions or, if there are several of them too, an agent whose sessions have been free the longest.
- The second priority goes to the agents that have no available sessions and no additional sessions. If there are several of them, the system selects the one with the minimum amount of sessions.
- The third priority goes to the agents that have no available sessions but have additional sessions. If there are several of them, the system selects the one with the minimum amount of sessions.