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Channels

Keep one customer thread across channels

Let a customer move between web chat, WhatsApp, SMS, calls and e-mail in one thread, with hand-offs, an AI summary of what came before and one response clock.

Last checked For: Administrators and agents

Steps

  1. Know what it does

    Channel-less conversations keeps a customer who changes channel in one continuing thread: One customer thread across web chat, WhatsApp, SMS, calls and e-mail: a customer who changes channel carries on the same conversation. Customers are matched by phone number, WhatsApp number, e-mail address and the signed-in web chat identity. Administrators set the windows; agents see the thread beside each conversation and can move it to WhatsApp or SMS when the customer asks.

  2. Open the settings page

    Choose Channel-less conversations in the menu. You see it if your role can manage channels or routing; only a role that manages channels can save. If the page shows that the feature is switched off, turn it on for the account on Feature access first.

  3. Set how long a thread stays joined

    Join window (minutes): New messages or calls from a known customer join their open conversation within this time, whatever the channel. The default is 1440 (24 hours). Link window (days): After the join window, a new conversation within this time continues the customer’s thread. 0 turns linking off. The default is 7.

  4. Keep the thread with the same agent

    Stay with the last agent (minutes): A thread that changes channel goes first to the agent who last had it, if that was within this time. 0 turns it off. Hold for the last agent (seconds): How long the thread waits for that agent before the queue takes it. The agent must be active and have room for the channel.

  5. Choose the AI summary

    Tick AI summary when the channel changes. The next agent reads a summary of the earlier part. It uses the account’s AI, its spending cap and its rates. The AI must be on in AI settings. Summaries per day (at most) (default 200): A cap on top of the AI spending cap.

  6. Set up links to web chat

    Continue-link lifetime (minutes) (default 60): A link works once, within this time. Page the link opens: A page of your website with the web chat on it. Empty: the web chat site’s first address. It must start with https://. You need an active web chat site: see Set up e-mail and web chat.

  7. Add a WhatsApp template

    Enter WhatsApp template outside the 24-hour window and its Template language, for example en_GB. An approved utility template. Without one, WhatsApp hand-offs work only while the customer’s 24-hour window is open.

  8. Set the thread response targets

    Thread first response target (seconds) and Thread next response target (seconds) time the whole thread, whatever the channel. Leave them empty to use the queue’s target. Choose Save; you see Settings saved.

  9. Read the thread beside a conversation

    In Workspace or Conversations, the Customer thread panel shows the Channels in order, how many conversations are linked and the thread's response clock. After a channel change it shows the summary under Before the move from one channel to the next, marked Written by AI from the earlier messages and calls.

  10. Move the customer to WhatsApp or SMS

    When the customer asks, open Continue on WhatsApp or SMS, pick the Channel, leave Number (optional) empty to use the number on record, tick The customer asked for this and send. The customer gets a message there, and their reply joins this conversation. The box must be ticked: Send it only when the customer asked for it, and tick the box.

  11. Send a link to web chat

    During a call or any open conversation, open Send a link to web chat, pick SMS or WhatsApp, tick the box and send. The customer gets a single-use link that opens this conversation in web chat. The panel lists recent hand-offs as sent, used, not sent or withdrawn.

  12. Check the figures

    With access to reports, the page shows Last 30 days: Threads that changed channel, Threads, Channel changes, Customer explained again (estimate) and Changes with an AI summary ready. The estimate compares what the customer wrote after a change with what they wrote before it.

Good to know

  • A hand-off follows the channel's own rules: WhatsApp's 24-hour window and templates, opt-in, SMS opt-outs and your wallet. When one is refused nothing is sent and the panel shows the reason after Not sent.
  • If the number given belongs to another customer record, the hand-off is refused and a merge suggestion is made. Review it on Duplicate contacts; contacts are never merged automatically by a hand-off.
  • Hand-offs are refused when the conversation is closed or resolved, when there is no number for the customer, or when no WhatsApp or SMS account is connected.
  • A web chat link that has been used, or has expired, no longer opens the conversation. Send a new one.
  • Links to web chat need a server key that your provider sets. Until it is set the page shows a warning and only Continue on WhatsApp or SMS works.
  • No AI summary is made when the AI is off, the summary box is unticked, the daily cap or the AI spending cap is reached, or there was nothing before the change. Each summary is charged at your AI rates.
  • Calls are routed by the phone system's queues, so staying with the last agent applies to messages and e-mail, not to calls.
  • Moving a customer to e-mail is not available as a hand-off; e-mail joins and links to the thread like every other channel.
  • With the feature switched off on Feature access, conversations join within 24 hours as before, nothing is linked or summarised and hand-offs are refused. It is part of the Omnichannel plan.

Still stuck?

Write to hello@ringura.com, or use the contact page, and say which guide you were following.

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