Help the Next Customer

There are two ways to receive new Customers to assist in Gladly. You can:

  1. Click the Next button adjacent to the Availability Controls.

  2. Click the Next or Close & Next button adjacent to Topics.

Customers routed or manually assigned to you will appear in your My Customers list.

While the primary purpose of the Next button is to request the next Customer to assist, how Gladly Routing Engine routes Customers depends on the Next button you click.

'Next' button adjacent to the Availability Controls

Icons representing messages, calls, and notifications with a 'Next' button for navigation.

The Next button here is only clickable if you are available in at least one Channel (e.g., Voice). Click Next to receive Customers waiting in the Channel you made yourself available in from the Inboxes you're assigned to.

  • Email, Task, Voicemail – An email or Task item (if there's any waiting) will automatically route upon going available in the Email, Task, Voicemail Channel. You must click Next to request additional Mail or Task items as long as you are available in the Email, Task, Voicemail Channel.

    • Note – There's no limit to the number of Mail or Task items you can request, but you should do so only if you have the capacity to work on new items.

  • Voice – Phone calls automatically route as long as you are available in the Voice Channel.

  • Messaging – Social messages, SMSes, or chats route automatically up to Standard Messaging Capacity configured by Administrators. Click Next to receive more up to the Maximum Messaging Capacity limit configured by Administrators.

'Next' or 'Close & Next' button adjacent to Topics

Navigation options for furniture inquiry with highlighted topics and next button.

Click Next or Close & Next to receive Customers already assigned to you that need attention (i.e., there's a new response or update you haven't seen) on your My Customer list. This button is always clickable regardless of your Channel Availability. If there are no new updates from Customers assigned to you, and you are available to receive new Customers, click Next or Close & Next to receive Customers waiting in the Inboxes you're assigned to from the Channel(s) you made yourself available in.

Get to know the 'Close' and 'Close & Next' buttons

You may see Next, Close & Next, or End & Close as the default buttons, depending on the Channel you're helping the Customer in. See Next and Close & Next Buttons Behaviors to learn more.

Help the next Customer

Routing Engine automatically routes Customers based on Channel Availability

  • Voice – Phone calls automatically route as long as you are available in the Voice Channel and not already on a phone call.

  • Messaging – Social messages, SMSes, or chats route automatically up to Standard Messaging Capacity configured by Administrators.  

    • Click Next to receive more up to the Maximum Messaging Capacity limit configured by Administrators.

    • You can receive both Voice or Messaging Contacts at the same if available in both Channels.

Routing Engine automatically routes only one Customer upon going available for a Channel

  • Email, Task, Voicemail – A Mail or Task item (if there’s any waiting) will automatically route upon going available in the Email, Task, Voicemail Channel. You must click Next to request additional Mail or Task items as long as you are available in the Email, Task, Voicemail Channel.

    • Note – There’s no limit to the number of Mail or Task items you can request, but you should do so only if you have the capacity to work on new items.

Customer issue is not yet solved, but you are ready to work on a new Customer.

Upon responding to the Customer, click Next adjacent to the Availability Controls. This keeps the current Conversation open while allowing you to receive a new Customer waiting in an Inbox to help.

Icons representing messages, calls, and notifications with a 'Next' button for navigation.

  • You can also click Next adjacent to Topics. You'll receive Customers already assigned to you until all of them are helped.
    Navigation options for furniture inquiry with highlighted topics and next button.

If you want to close the Conversation, click then click Close & Next.

Buttons for closing or proceeding to the next step in a user interface.

You’ve solved the Customer’s issues, and you're ready to help a new Customer

Click Close & Next from the bottom right corner of the Customer Profile. This will mark the Conversation as Closed and Gladly will route the next Customer needing attention in your My Customer list.

Navigation menu showing topics related to South America with a next button.

If no Customers need your attention, you'll be routed to a Customer waiting in the Inboxes you're assigned to based on the Channel(s) you're available in.

You’ve solved the Customer’s issues, but you're not ready to help a new Customer

You have multiple options to stop any new incoming requests from coming through after you close a Conversation.

  • If you remain available on any Channels, you can decline new requests. Declining incoming requests will stop Gladly from routing them to you, which could impact your Availability-related metrics.

  • Toggle your Availability status to make yourself unavailable.

  • Click Close on the bottom right corner of the Customer Profile screen by clicking  . While this will not immediately route you to the next Customer, based on the Channel(s) you're available in, a phone call or chat could still be routed to you.