This section of the user guide is focused on FAQs related to being a live chat operator. To help you navigate the article we have broken it down into the following sections:

Technical FAQs

Should I use a specific browser with live chat?

In general, you may engage in live chat using any browser including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge; however, Chrome is the preferred browser for live chat performance. 


Can I log back on after a timeout and pick up a conversation in progress?

You can log back on after a timeout and pick up a conversation in progress. You can make yourself available with the toggle in the upper right-hand corner and pick up where you left off in your conversation.


As a best practice, if the user has left the conversation, the agent should end the conversation to close it out. The user will always be able to come back and re-engage with an active live chat agent.


How long are the timeouts?

Within the admin portal, a live chat agent's availability status will "timeout" or become “unavailable” after 60 minutes of inactivity. Their availability status light will change from green to orange when they've automatically been moved to “unavailable.”

Within a live chat conversation, a conversation will be closed if it meets one of the following criteria:

  • After 12 hours of non-activity by the live chat end user or live chat agent in a live chat conversation, the live chat conversation will be automatically closed.
  • If a live chat end user leaves a live chat conversation/disconnects, the live chat agent is provided a user went offline message within the conversation panel.  This live chat conversation will be closed automatically after 5 hours.
  • If the live chat end user is still able to return to the same live chat conversation (in the case that the live chat agent hasn't ended the conversation) the live chat agent will be notified if/when the live chat end user returns to the conversation. After 12 hours of non-activity, the live chat conversation will be automatically closed.
  • A live chat conversation that began at least 24 hours ago, will be closed.


Is there a character limit for live chat agent responses?

When responding to an end user (e.g. a student) a character limit of 5000 characters exists. If you exceed the character limit, you will not be able to send the message and the "send" button will be gray.

It is recommended to split your response into multiple responses.


If you are inserting suggested content, be sure to only insert suggested content one at a time to avoid exceeding the character limit.


Operator FAQs

What words or phrases prompt live chat?

When the following words or phrases are sent by the end-user while using the chatbot, the live chat feature will be prompted. 


Words:

  • Live agent
  • Customer service
  • Service
  • Live person
  • Real person
  • Contact
  • Representative 

Phrases:

  • How can I get a staff member?
  • How can I speak with a staff member?
  • How can I chat with a live advisor?
  • I want to talk to a human
  • I want to talk to a live chat
  • Need live chat
  • I need to talk to a real person
  • I don't want to talk to a chatbot
  • I want a real person not a chatbot
  • I need a live agent
  • How do I speak with a live agent?
  • Are live agents available?
  • I want a live person
  • I'm looking for a real person to help me
  • Can a live agent help me?
  • How do I contact a live person?
  • Can I speak with real person?
  • May I speak with someone?
  • Is there someone I can speak with directly to answer our questions?
  • Who can I ask?
  • Can you put me in touch with a real person?
  • How do I talk to someone?
  • Can someone help me?
  • Contact the office
  • How do I talk to a human?
  • Can I chat with a real person?
  • I would like to talk with a live person


Does live chat support any languages other than English?

Live chat can only be prompted by English words and phrases at this time. Additionally, the Suggested Content Panel is driven solely by the recognition of English words and phrases. However, if you have a live chat agent who can communicate with students in another language, they could transition to that language after the live chat conversation has been launched.


How do I attach documents and/or images?

To attach an image or a document, select the paperclip “insert file” icon above the text box of your conversation. 

Select the file you’d like to insert.  The file size should not be an issue, as it allows for loading of files 1G or higher. Then select the send button.


This feature is one-directional, meaning, only live chat agents can send attachments. 



Why does the suggested knowledge base content not populate while the user is typing?


Suggested content (knowledge base answers, videos, and/or links) will not be generated in the right-side pane until the user fully submits their question/comment/response.


Once the user submits their question/comment/response, the suggested knowledge base/video/link content will then populate in that pane.



What videos will be displayed in the live chat suggested content pane?

When you are engaging in a live chat session, you will notice suggested content on the right side pane including these content types: 

  • Knowledge base - suggested answers to the question from the Ocelot knowledge base
  • Links - suggested helpful links from the client's webpage 
  • Videos - suggested helpful videos from the video library


If you have created custom videos in your video portal, this content will not display in the suggested content pane unless you have created a custom question in your chatbot and the video has been attached to that question by an Ocelot team member. 


Will the student be notified if I set my agent status to "Away"?

Best Practice

At the end of your shift as a live chat agent, it is best to set your status to "Away" 15-30 minutes prior to your shift ending so you can finish any live chat conversations that are assigned to you. Once your status is set to "Away", you will not be able to take new conversations and the option to engage with a live chat agent will not be offered if your status is set to "Away" and no other live chat agents are available for your department.


If an agent sets themself to "Away" mid-conversation

If a live chat agent has picked up a conversation and the live chat agent sets their status to "Away" mid-conversation, the live chat participant will not be notified. The participant will be able to continue to engage in live chat with the agent until the live chat agent re-engages and selects "End Conversation" or the student, otherwise goes offline/ends the conversation on their end.


If an agent sets themself to "Away" with an active conversation in the queue that has not been picked up

If a live chat participant is waiting in the live chat queue, and no agent has picked up that conversation and if the live chat agent sets themselves to "Away" (from "Available"), within about 5 minutes, the live chat participant will be notified that there is no longer a live chat agent available to connect.


The live chat participant will be able to "Keep Waiting" for another live chat agent to become available, "Leave a Message" to send information to the office the live chat participant was trying to connect with, or the live chat participant can select "Take me back to [chatbot name]" to return to engaging with the chatbot.


Can I make myself available in live chat for one office if I have access to multiple offices?


A live chat agent can select to set themselves to “Available” within an individual office instead of site-wide:

Similarly, agents can set themselves “Away” within an individual office:


Live chat administrators can set agents to “Away” for an individual office as well as set all users in an office to “Away” for just that office. 


Transferring FAQs


Does the live chat conversation history transfer to the new agent when I reassign it?


Within a live chat conversation, if you transfer the conversation to another agent, the conversation history may or may not be viewable to the new live chat agent, depending on their assigned permissions.  

 

If the agent you are transferring the student/conversation to has access to the same department or office that you (or the initial agent) have, the conversation history will transfer. 


If the agent you are transferring the student/conversation to does not have access to the same department or office that you (or the initial agent) have, the conversation history will not transfer.


For example, if an agent is associated with Financial Aid and transfers the conversation to Admissions, the new Admissions live chat agent will not see the previous conversation. 

If an agent is associated with Financial Aid and transfers the student/conversation to another agent within the Financial Aid department, the new Financial Aid live chat agent will see the previous conversation that occurred between the initial live chat agent and the student. 


How do I transfer the conversation to another live chat agent?

A live chat agent can transfer an active conversation to a different live chat agent when necessary.


During the conversation, a live chat agent can open the "Assignee" dropdown and then choose another live chat agent to assign that conversation to a different agent. 

When you open the dropdown menu, the list of available live chat agents will appear, showing the other live chat agents who are "Available" to accept the conversation.


The dropdown list will display any other live chat agents who are set to "Available".  The dropdown list will not display other live chat agents who are set to "Away".


Notice the list of agents in the "Assignee" field is listed by department.  


Once the original live chat agent assigns the conversation to a new, available live chat agent, the new live chat agent will be listed in the "Assignee" field.  The original live chat agent will not see that conversation in the "Assigned to Me" list of live chat conversations.


Once the original live chat agent assigns the conversation to a new, available live chat agent, the new agent will receive notification(s) that a new conversation is assigned to them if they have notifications enabled.  


For information about notifications, review the Enabling Notifications and Alerts article.


The new, live chat agent can transfer the conversation again, as needed.