Zendesk Chat Advanced Details
The following code demonstrates how a "transfer to agent" flow might look in Zendesk Chat. There are a number of features particular to Zendesk Chat, which are explained below.
states:
name:
component: meya.input_string
properties:
text: "Name?"
output: name
scope: flow
email:
component: meya.input_string
properties:
text: "Email?"
output: email
scope: flow
phone:
component: meya.input_string
properties:
text: "Phone?"
output: phone
scope: flow
transfer:
component: human.transfer
properties:
text: Transferring you to an agent
department: success
note: This is a transfer note.
timeout: 60
timeout_flow: agent_timeout
timeout_data:
x: "X"
y: "Y"
chat_established:
flow: chat_established_flow
data:
established: "yes"
chat_ended:
flow: chat_ended_flow
data:
ended: "yes"
chat_transferred:
flow: chat_transferred_flow
data:
transferred: "yes"
queue_update:
flow: queue_update_flow
data:
queue_update: "yes"
connection_update:
flow: connection_update_flow
data:
queue_update: "yes"
tags:
- "spanish"
visitor_details:
name: "{{ flow.name }}"
email: "{{ flow.email }}"
phone: "{{ flow.phone }}"
If you've used another customer service integration, some of the human.transfer fields will look familiar.
| Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
text | Text to display to the user. | Optional |
department | Assign the chat to an agent in this department. | Optional |
note | Text to display only to the agent. | Optional |
timeout | If an agent doesn't accept the conversation within this number of seconds, the flow specified by timeout_flow will be executed. If no timeout_flow is indicated, no flow will be executed. | Optional |
timeout_flow | The flow to execute if the agent doesn't respond to the conversation within the number of seconds specified by timeout. | Optional |
timeout_action | The action to invoke when starting the timeout_flow. | Optional Default: null |
timeout_data | Data to send to the timeout_flow. | Optional |
visitor_details | A list of Zendesk Chat fields that will be updated. | Optional |
Assigning to a department
If no department is specified, the visitor will be sent to the Incoming Chats queue.
If a department is specified, but is busy, the visitor will enter the department queue.
If a department is specified, but is offline, the visitor will be sent to the Incoming Chats queue.
Callback flows
In addition to the above fields, a number of "callback" flows can be triggered based on certain events occurring in Zendesk Chat.
If you don't explicitly handle these events, nothing will happen. It's a good idea to handle them so your user knows what's going on.
| Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
chat_established | This flow will be triggered when an agent accepts the chat request. | Optional |
chat_transferred | This flow will be triggered every time the conversation is transferred to another agent. | Optional |
chat_ended | This flow will be triggered when the user or agent ends the conversation. | Optional |
queue_update | This flow will be triggered every time the user's position in the queue changes. | Optional |
connection_update | This flow will be triggered if the status of the conversation changes. For example, if the conversation ends unexpectedly, this flow could offer to start a new conversation with an agent. | Optional |
Each of these event handlers above has the following two fields.
| Field | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|
flow | The flow to execute when the event occurs. | Required for any callback event you want to handle. |
data | Data to pass to the flow. | Optional |
Bot pause/un-pause
In order to handle these callback flows, your bot will be automatically un-paused. At the end of each callback flow, remember to use the
meya.pausecomponent to pause the bot again, otherwise your use might see unexpected behaviour.The exception to this is the
chat_endedflow, which should not usemeya.pausesince the agent has handed the conversation back to the bot.
The five tabs in the code block below demonstrates what the five callback flows could look like.
states:
first:
component: meya.text
properties:
text: "You are now talking to {{ flow.agent_name }}."
return_state:
component: meya.pause
states:
first_state:
component: meya.text
properties:
text: "Transferring you to agent {{ flow.agent_name }}."
return_state:
component: meya.pause
states:
text_state:
component: meya.text
properties:
text: "The agent chat has ended."
states:
check_position_state:
component: meya.conditional_equal
properties:
value1: '{{ flow.queue_position }}'
value2: 0
transitions:
equal: agent_queue_state
notequal: main_queue_state
main_queue_state:
component: meya.text_buttons
properties:
text: "You are now in queue position {{ flow.queue_position }}"
buttons:
- text: "Continue Waiting"
action: continue
- text: "Return to Bot"
action: return_to_bot
transitions:
continue: continue_waiting_state
return_to_bot: return_to_bot_state
agent_queue_state:
component: meya.text_buttons
properties:
text: |
You have been assigned to an agent but the agent still needs
accept your chat.
buttons:
- text: "Continue Waiting"
action: continue
- text: "Return to Bot"
action: return_to_bot
transitions:
continue: continue_waiting_state
return_to_bot: return_to_bot_state
continue_waiting_state:
component: meya.pass
return_from_continue_waiting_state:
# Pause the bot again while we wait for an agent.
component: meya.pause
return: true
return_to_bot_state:
# Close the human.transfer session and let the bot takeover
component: human.close
return: true
states:
check_position_state:
component: meya.conditional_equal
properties:
value1: '{{ flow.status }}'
value2: "closed"
transitions:
equal: connection_closed
notequal: do_nothing
connection_closed:
component: meya.text_buttons
properties:
text: "Something went wrong connecting to our agents. Would you like to retry?"
buttons:
- text: "Retry"
flow: agent_flow
- text: "No thanks"
action: continue
transitions:
continue: continue
continue:
component: meya.text
properties:
text: "OK. How can I help you then?"
return: true
do_nothing:
component: meya.pause
return: true
human.note
Using human.note, you can add a private message only agents can see.
states:
leave_note:
component: human.note
properties:
text: "They are a great customer! Treat them right."
human.close
You can end the conversation with the agent from within a flow by using the human.close component.
states:
text_state:
component: meya.text
properties:
text: "The ticket has been closed."
close_state:
component: human.close
meya.pause
If you're using any callback flows, the bot will be automatically un-paused so that it can execute the flow. At the end of each callback flow you must remember to use the meya.pause component to pause the bot again, otherwise the user may see unexpected behaviour.
Be careful with meya.pause!
meya.pauseshould only be used at the end of Zendesk Chat callback flows. Once the conversation ends, the bot will automatically un-pause. The only other way to un-pause the bot aftermeya.pausehas been used is via API call.Using
meya.pauseoutside of a Zendesk Chat callback flow will result in the bot being permanently paused for that user, until you explicitly make an API call to un-pause it for that user.
Inactivity timeout
If no messages have been sent by the user for ten minutes, the chat will be automatically closed.
Updated over 5 years ago