Change Availability Status

```mediawiki Navigation: Main_Page > Conversations > Change Availability Status

How to Change Your Availability Status for Conversations Chat

ActiveCampaign’s Conversations feature allows agents to engage effectively with customers through a chat widget on your website. One of the aspects that determine the quality of customer interactions is the response time. Ensuring that you set your availability status correctly can significantly enhance the customer experience. This article provides you with a step-by-step guide on how to change your availability status for the Conversations chat.

Introduction

The Change Availability Status feature in ActiveCampaign enables agents to communicate their availability to customers effectively. By setting your availability status, you can indicate whether you are online and ready to assist or unavailable at the moment.

This status plays a crucial role in managing customer expectations. Providing a timely response can create a positive impression and lead to higher customer satisfaction rate. With Conversations, you have the option to customize your availability based on your personal preferences or business needs.

How to Access This Feature

To utilize the Change Availability Status feature, you must have access to your ActiveCampaign account. From here, navigating to the Conversations settings will allow you to manage your availability status.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow the steps below to change your availability status in the Conversations feature:

1. Go to the left navigation panel and click on Conversations.
2. Click on Conversations Settings.
3. Select the Channels option.
4. Ensure that the Enable Web Chat toggle is flipped to On.
5. Under Display Rules, select your availability preference from the three available options.

You can choose from the following options for your Display Rules:

1. Always Visible - Your chat widget will always be displayed on your website regardless of your availability status. 2. Only When an Agent is Online - This option allows you to specify when you are available to handle chats. 3. Set Business Hours - With this setting, you can designate specific business hours during which you are available to respond to web chat requests.

It’s worth noting that for the last two options, you can still show the chat widget on your website with an offline indicator. This feature helps set realistic expectations with site visitors that responses may be delayed when you are not available.

Configuration Options and Settings

The key configuration options for adjusting your availability status include:

- Always Visible - Choose this option if you want your chat widget to remain accessible at all times. - Only When an Agent is Online - Select this to limit chat availability to when you are actively online. - Set Business Hours - Use this to specify the exact times during which you will be available for chatting.

These options effectively manage how and when customers can interact with you via chat, ensuring clarity and setting expectations.

Best Practices and Tips

Here are some best practices to consider when changing your availability status:

- **Regular Updates:** Consistently review and update your availability status to accurately reflect your current state. - **Communicate**: If you anticipate periods of unavailability, adjust your status accordingly to inform customers. - **Set Realistic Hours**: If you choose Set Business Hours, make sure those hours are realistic and align with your actual availability. - **Test Changes**: After making changes to your availability settings, test how it appears to customers to ensure everything is working smoothly. - **Monitor Customer Interactions**: Pay attention to how customers respond to your availability settings. Adjust based on feedback or interaction patterns.

Common Use Cases with Examples

Here are some scenarios where adjusting your availability status can make a significant difference:

- **Example 1**: If you're a part-time agent, using the Set Business Hours option can help manage customer expectations. For instance, if you are available from 9 AM to 1 PM Monday to Friday, setting these hours ensures customers know when they can reach you.

- **Example 2**: During busy periods, if you cannot engage with customers, using the Only When an Agent is Online option will help prevent customer dissatisfaction. Showing an offline indicator during busy times can help mitigate frustration.

Troubleshooting

If you find that your availability status is not displaying as expected, consider the following troubleshooting tips:

- **Check the Toggle**: Ensure that the Enable Web Chat toggle is set to On. - **Review Display Rules**: Double-check that you have selected the correct availability option in the Display Rules. - **Clear Browser Cache**: Sometimes, old settings can appear due to browser caching issues. Clear your cache and refresh the page. - **Confirm User Permission**: Ensure you have the necessary permissions to change settings in the Conversations feature. If permissions are an issue, contact your account administrator.

FAQ

1. **Can I set different availability statuses for different days?**

  - No, the current setup does not allow for different availability statuses on different days; business hours apply uniformly for the selected hours.

2. **What happens if I don’t set a status?**

  - If no status is set, the chat widget will default to the last configured state; this could lead to potential confusion for customers.

3. **Is there a mobile version for changing availability?**

  - Yes, you can adjust your availability status using ActiveCampaign’s mobile app.

4. **Can customers see when I am offline?**

  - Yes, if you use the Only When an Agent is Online or Set Business Hours option, customers will see an offline indicator when you are unavailable.

5. **How can I test my availability status?**

  - You can log in from a different browser or incognito mode to see how your status appears to customers.

6. **Is there a way to receive notifications when customers are trying to chat with me?**

  - Currently, there are no specific notifications; ensure that your widget is set to appear during business hours for optimal customer interaction.

By following this article, you will effectively change your availability status in ActiveCampaign’s Conversations feature, thus enhancing customer interactions and satisfaction. ```