If Online Agent Action

One of the main advantages of Pingstreams compared to its competitors is that it allows you to hand over the bot conversation to your human agent. In many cases, the bot can perfectly handle the conversation, but sometimes the conversation is complicated, and it is better to hand over the conversation to an available agent.

But how can you be sure that there is an available agent before handing over? This is where the “If Online Agent” action plays an important role in the conversation.

When to Use If Online Agent

When you want to use the Agent Handoff action, it’s very helpful to use “If Online Agent” before it, as you can see in the image below:

Configuration Options

By clicking on the “If Online Agent” action, you can also define a specific department or keep it as the default “Project Wide”:

Configuration Options:

• Project Wide: Checks for any available agent across all departments
• Specific Department: Checks for availability within a selected department only

Setting Up the Flow

Finally, from the green endpoint (which means there is an available human agent), continue the flow to “Agent Handoff,” and from the red endpoint, direct to the offline message, as you can see in the image below:

Flow Logic:

1. Green Path (Agent Available): Continue to Agent Handoff action
2. Red Path (No Agent Available): Show offline message or alternative support options

Additional Features

You can also:

• Define operating hours for your business
• Create different departments specific to your business needs

Benefits of Using If Online Agent

This action provides several advantages:

• Prevents Failed Transfers: Ensures there’s an available agent before attempting handoff
• Better User Experience: Provides appropriate messaging when agents are unavailable
• Department-Specific Routing: Can check availability within specific departments
• Fallback Options: Allows for alternative flows when no agents are online

Best Practices

When implementing the If Online Agent action:

1. Always check availability first before attempting agent handoff
2. Provide clear offline messages when no agents are available
3. Set up operating hours to manage customer expectations
4. Use department-specific checks for specialized support teams
5. Offer alternative options like callback requests or email support when agents are offline

Common Use Cases

• Customer Support Escalation: Check if support agents are available before transferring
• Sales Inquiries: Route to sales team only when available
• Technical Support: Ensure technical specialists are online before handoff
• After-Hours Support: Provide appropriate messaging outside business hours
• Department-Specific Routing: Check availability in specific departments (billing, technical, etc.)

Integration with Other Actions

The If Online Agent action works well in combination with:

• Agent Handoff: For seamless transfers to human agents
• Change Department: To route to specific departments
• Reply Actions: To provide status updates to users
• Condition Actions: For complex availability logic

This action is essential for creating smooth, professional customer support experiences in Pingstreams, ensuring that handoffs to human agents happen only when appropriate support is available.

For more information about setting up agent availability and department management, contact our support team or explore our comprehensive documentation.