You create time intervals (or timeouts) the system uses for threads on the Time Intervals page.
By default, the system uses the same timeout system for all system users in all departments, but timeout values are editable. However, some exclusions are available: using them, you can set specific timeouts for agents that belong to specific departments.
The following timeouts are available:
- Thread closing – This timeout begins once an agent answers in the thread (so it is pending the client’s response) and switches to another thread in their personal queue to work on. If during this timeout the client does not send new messages in the thread, it gets the Closed status, and this thread leaves the agent’s queue making their session available.
- Closing threads with only agent messages – The system uses this timeout if a thread is pending the client’s response but there are no messages from the client in the thread. This might be possible if the thread was initiated using external API methods for creating outgoing threads (with assigning threads to yourself – i.e. who is using the method – or into the queue). If the client does not send messages during the timeout, the thread gets the Closed status and the agent’s session becomes available. If the client does reply, once it is pending the client’s response again, the Thread closing timeout is used.
- Assigning a client to an agent – This timeout begins once a thread is closed. During this timeout, if the client of this closed thread creates a new thread again and if the same agent has a session available, the system will assign this thread to this agent (i.e. the agent who was the last one to work with this client) regardless of the routing settings.
- Agent inactivity with a thread in progress – Thistimeout begins since the last action (sending a message or taking a thread into processing) of an agent that has a thread in progress (when the thread is open in the chat area). If during the timeout the agent does not work with the thread, then, once the timeout ends, the agent receives a warning message.
- Pending agent response after getting inactivity warning – This timeout begins after the agent closes the inactivity warning. If the agent still does not work with the thread after the timeout ends, the system forces the agent to the Not ready status.