Skip to main content


         This documentation site is for previous versions. Visit our new documentation site for current releases.      
 

Timeout and close behavior

Updated on June 2, 2023

Pega Customer Service enables you to configure the timeout and close behavior of Legacy Webchat and Digital Messaging channels, such as Web Messaging, Apple Business Chat, Facebook Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp, iOS SDK, Android SDK and Channel API.

Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide Pega Customer Service Implementation Guide
Configure the timeout and close settings to:
  • Handle the idle time of the customer conversation
  • Send reminder messages to the customers after timeout
  • Configure settings when the the network disconnects from the CSR or the CSR closes the conversation tab in Interaction Portal or logs out of the network
  • Handle customer questions when the CSR becomes unavailable during off-hours

To configure the timeout and close behavior settings, perform the following steps:

  1. In the navigation pane of App Studio, click SettingsChat and messaging.
  2. In the list of chat and messaging settings, click Timeout and close behavior.
    Result: The Timeout and close behavior page has tabs for different Digital Messaging channels and Legacy Webchat.
  3. Click the tab of the channel for which you want to configure the timeout and behavior settings.
  4. Click Save.

Timeout and close behavior of Digital Messaging channels

Enable the timeout and close behavior settings of the Digital Messaging channels.

Configuring timeout settings of Web Messaging and private channels

Configure the timeout and close behavior settings of Web Messaging and private Digital Messaging channels, such as Apple Messages for Business, Facebook Messenger, SMS, WhatsApp, Mobile SDK, and Channel API.

  1. In App Studio, click SettingsChat and messagingTimeout and close behavior.
    Result: The system displays the Time and close behavior section.
  2. Click the Web Messaging tab.

    The following figure displays the timeout and close behavior settings for Web Messaging:

    Timeout and close behavior settings for Web Messaging
    Timeout and close behavior settings for Web Messaging
  3. The system displays the following sections:
  4. After you configure the settings, click Save.

Idle timeout

Idle timeout is the behavior when a customer or a CSR have not messaged for a specified time.

  1. In the Idle timeout section, perform the following steps:
    1. In the If CSR is idle for field, enter an amount of time to specify the CSR idle time.
    2. In the Idle timeout list, select one of the following units of time:
      • mins (default)
      • hours
      • days
    3. In the then field, configure the timeout behavior from the following options:
      Requeue interaction
      To route a request to any agent, the system queues the conversation first. The Requeue interaction option requeues the conversation after the timeout, and then routes the conversation on a first in, first out basis.
      Requeue interaction with priority
      The Requeue interaction with priority option gives the conversation priority to be requeued before queuing or requeuing any new interaction.
      End conversation (default)
      The End conversation option ends the conversation.
      Switch to long running

      If a conversation is set to long running, then whenever a customer sends any message, the system queues the conversation for routing.

    4. In the If Customer is idle for field, enter the amount of time to specify the customer idle time.
    5. In the Idle timeout list, select one of the following units of time:
      • mins (default)
      • hours
      • Days
    6. In the then field, which specifies the behavior at timeout, the system displays the end conversation option, by default.
      For example: If the customer is idle for 15 minutes, then the system ends the conversation.

Reminder message

Reminder message is a message that system sends the customer that the conversation has been idle for a certain time.

In the Reminder Message section, perform the following steps:
  1. Send a reminder if the customer is idle for a specified amount of time by selecting the Enable to send reminder message to customer checkbox.
  2. In the Idle time and the Idle time out fields, enter a numeric value, and then select the unit of time after which the system sends a reminder to the customer.
  3. In the Reminder message field, enter a relevant message that the system sends to customer after the idle timeout.
    Note: The default value for the Reminder message field is set to 5 minutes.

CSR disconnection settings

In the CSR disconnection settings section, perform the following steps:

  1. In the Disconnection time field, enter a numeric value in seconds that is the amount of time that a CSR has to reconnect after disconnecting.
    Note: After a conversation times out, a new message from the customer triggers a new chatbot interaction.
  2. In the Behavior at network disconnection list, select one of the following actions to perform after the allowed time lapses:
    • requeue interaction
    • requeue interaction with priority
    • end conversation
    Note: The default value for Web Messaging is end conversation.

CSR leaving settings

CSR leaving settings are for configuring the behavior when a CSR closes the conversation tab in the interaction portal or logs out of the system.

  1. In the CSR leaving settings section, in the Behavior at interaction close list, select one of the following options that describes the behavior of the system when a CSR closes the conversation tab in Interaction Portal or logs out of the system:
    • Requeue interaction
    • Requeue interaction w/ priority
    • end conversation
    • switch to long-running
    Note:
    • The default value for Web Messaging and all private Digital Messaging channels except Facebook Messenger is end conversation.
    • In Facebook Messenger, when the CSR closes an interaction tab or logs out, the default value for Behavior at interaction close is switch to long-running.

Time before ending an unassigned or idle interaction

A new message from the customer will trigger a new bot interaction after the conversation is idle for the specified amount of time.

In the Time before ending an unassigned or idle interaction section, perform the following steps:
  1. In the Idle time field, enter a numeric value for time.
  2. In the Idle timeout unit list, select any of the following units of time:
      • Hours
      • Days
    The default idle time is 24 hours.
    Note: Pega Customer Service runs a job scheduler called cyUpdateQueuedConversations every hour for removing the unassigned/idle interactions after timeout.

When CSRs are unavailable

These settings are for configuring the behavior when CSRs are unavailable. CSRs who mark themselves as unavailable will no longer remain a part of a queue.

In the When CSRs are unavailable section, perform the following steps:
  1. In the Behavior when the customer escalates to a CSR, but none are available list, select any one of the following choices:
    Queue for when CSRs are available
    Sends the customer request to a queue to ensure that CSRs can respond to a fcustomer when they are available. When you select this option, the system displays the Send message to customer checkbox. When you select this checkbox, the system displays two text fields: one for authenticated customers and another for unauthenticated customers.
    • For authenticated customers, the system sends the specified message in the Message to authenticated customer field and queues the conversation for when CSRs are available.
    • For unauthenticated customers, the system sends the specified message in the Message to unauthenticated customer field, and deescalates the conversation back to the bot.
    • Note: Other digital messaging channels have no classification, such as authenticated or unauthenticated customers. The system sends the message in the Message to customer field to the customer.
    De-escalate to bot and do not queue
    De-escalates the customer request to a bot and does not queue the request to the CSR. When you select this option, the system displays the Send message to customer check box. When you select this check box, the system displays a Message to customer text field for you to enter a message to the customer. When you clear the checkbox, the system no longer displays the Message to customer field.
    Give email option, de-escalate to bot, and do not queue
    1. In the Behavior when a customer escalates to a CSR, but none are available list, select Give email option, de-escalate to bot, and do not queue .
    2. In the Email channel name list, select an email channel.
      Note: The system displays the default value of Pega Customer Service for the Create in application field.
    3. In the Offline email access group name list, select an email access group name.

Configuring timeout settings of public messaging channels

Configure the timeout and close behavior settings of public messaging channels, such as Facebook public.

  1. In App Studio, click SettingsChat and messagingTimeout and close behavior.
    Result: The system displays the Time and close behavior section.
  2. Click the Web Messaging tab.
  3. In the CSR disconnection settings section, perform the following steps:
    1. In the Disconnection time field, enter a numeric value, in seconds, that is the allowed time to reconnect after a CSR disconnects.
      Note: After the conversation times out, a new message from the customer triggers a new chatbot interaction.
    2. In the Behavior at network disconnection list, select one of the following options to perform after the allowed time lapses:
      • requeue interaction
      • requeue interaction with priority
      • end conversation
      Note: The default value is end conversation.
  4. In the CSR leaving settings section, in the Behavior at interaction close list, select one of the following options that describes the behavior of the system when a CSR closes the conversation tab in Interaction Portal or logs out of the system:
    • Requeue interaction
    • Requeue interaction w/ priority
    • end conversation
    Note:
    • All other digital messaging channels have a fourth option: switch to long-running. The default value is end conversation.
  5. In the Time before ending an unassigned or idle public interaction section, perform the following steps:
    1. In the Idle time field, enter a numeric value for time.
    2. In the Idle timeout unit list, select one of the following units of time:
        • Hours
        • Days
      Note: The default idle time value is 48 hours.

Timeout and close behavior of Legacy Webchat

Enable the Timeout and close behavior settings of Legacy Webchat by performing the following steps:
  1. In the navigation pane of App Studio, click SettingsChat and messaging.
  2. In the list of chat and messaging settings, click Timeout and close behavior.
    Result: The Timeout and close behavior page has tabs for different Digital Messaging channels and Legacy Webchat.
  3. Click the Legacy Webchat tab.
  4. To ensure that inactive chat conversations are ended within a specified time, select the Chat follow-up check box, and then configure the following settings:
    1. To define the period of time that the application should wait before sending a reminder message, in the Send follow up message after (seconds) field, enter a number of seconds.
      For example: If you enter 240 seconds, the application keeps track of any activity in the chat for this period of time. If no activity happens during this period, the application considers the chat inactive and sends a reminder message to the CSR and the customer.
    2. In the Customer reminder message and CSR reminder message fields, enter the reminder messages that you want to send.
    3. To define the period of time that the application should wait before automatically ending an inactive chat session and sending a message to the customer and the CSR, in the Send wrap up message after (seconds) field, enter a number of seconds.
      For example: If you enter 300 seconds, the application waits for 5 minutes before it automatically ends the conversation, and then sends a message to the customer and the CSR informing them that the chat session has ended.
    4. In the Customer wrap up message and CSR wrap up message fields, enter the wrap-up message that you want to send.
  5. In the Time before ending an unassigned or idle interaction section, perform the following steps:
    1. In the Idle time field, enter a numeric value for time.
    2. In the Idle timeout unit list, select any of the following units of time:
        • Hours
        • Days
  6. In the When CSRs are unavailable section, perform the following steps:
    1. Select the Allow end-customers to submit an email when chat is unavailable check box, to send an email to the customers when the chat is unavailable.
      Result: The system displays the Email channel name list.
    2. In the Create in application field, the system displays the application name based on the selected email channel.
    3. In the Office email access group name list, select the access group of your choice.
  7. Click Save.

Tags

Pega Customer Service 8.7 Pega Customer Service for Communications 8.7 Pega Customer Service for Financial Services 8.7 Pega Customer Service for Healthcare 8.7 Pega Customer Service for Insurance 8.7

Have a question? Get answers now.

Visit the Support Center to ask questions, engage in discussions, share ideas, and help others.

Visit the Support Center

Did you find this content helpful?

Yes
No

Want to help us improve this content?
Suggest an edit

We'd prefer it if you saw us at our best.

Pega.com is not optimized for Internet Explorer. For the optimal experience, please use:

Close Deprecation Notice
Contact us