Set Your Channel Availability to Accept Work

Updated on 03 Aug 2020
2 minutes to read

Depending on the type of Channel(s) implemented in your company, you will have relevant Channel controls that determine your availability to accept work for each Channel.

Understanding Channel availability controls

You can select which Channels you want to set yourself as Available to receive incoming requests. The icon turns green, signifying you are Available on the Channel you selected.

If the focus of the day for you is to handle Customers contacting you via your Messaging Channels (i.e., .Chat, SMS, and Facebook Messenger), you'll click on the Message button and nothing else. Then if (and when) you're ready to take on all three channels, just click on all of them. Depending on what you choose, Gladly will automatically serve the next most urgent Customer based on the Channels you've set yourself as Available on (more on this in Channel Priority).

Tip - Customers waiting for assistance

Whether you've made yourself Available on a Channel or not, you'll also be able to see the number of Customers waiting in the queue for that Channel in the form of a green bubble on the top right of each Availability Button.

Mails (Email, Voicemail) + Tasks

When you set yourself as Available for Mail + Tasks, you'll be routed:

Emails
Voicemails
Tasks

If Mail + Tasks is the only Channel you've set yourself as available for, you'll be routed the next most urgent Task or Customer reaching out on the various Channels above (i.e., whose Conversation is closest to hitting its SLA deadline).

Tip - Receiving Mail + Task items

Task items are only automatically routed once when you are logging (not coming back from an Away state.) You will need to select "Next" to receive additional Task items.
Mail items are pushed to automatically pushed to you as long as you are available (green) in the Mail + Tasks Channel.

If you've made yourself Available on multiple Channels, you'll be served up the next most urgent Customer across those Channel(s).

Voice

If you've set yourself as Available for Voice, you'll be routed the next Customer reaching out over the phone, regardless of the other Channels you've made yourself available for.

Note - Voice control availability

While Gladly lets you make and receive calls directly through the platform, your company companies might still use a different telephony system.

Though not common, if you notice that your Voice Availability button is greyed out and can't be clicked on, that means your company is using a telephone system that's separate from Gladly's built-in Voice system. This means you won't be able to handle your Voice Availability via Gladly.

Messaging

When you set yourself as Available for Messaging, you'll be routed Customers reaching out over live chat, whether that's via the web or their mobile phones, SMS, or Social Channels such as Facebook Messenger.

If Messaging is the only Channel you've set yourself as Available for, you'll be routed the next Customer reaching out via a Messaging Channel.

Changing your Channel availability

There are a few steps involved in making yourself Available and ready for incoming Customer Conversations.

Mark yourself Available for a Channel

Click on the Availability Control(s) of the Channel(s) that you want to help Customers on. Whether that's one Channel or multiple, it's up to what you feel ready for.
The Availability Control(s) will turn from a black outline to green.
Select Next and Gladly will serve up the next most urgent Customer on the Channel(s) you've made yourself available on.

Mark yourself Unavailable for a Channel

Click on the Availability button of the Channel you want to make yourself Unavailable on. The button will turn from green and back to a black outline.

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