In the realm of customer service, one enduring pain point affects both customers and service providers: the uncertainty of agent availability. When customers engage in live chat for assistance, the last thing they want is to be left hanging in a seemingly endless queue, uncertain about when they’ll connect with a support agent.
The challenge of agent availability and end customer impact
Contoso, a leading e-commerce company, offers 24/7 support to its customers. Contoso has a global customer base, and its service delivery organization operates in different time zones. On a typical business day, Contoso’s live chat is inundated with customer inquiries, spanning from order issues to product recommendations. However, the company’s live chat support often experiences peaks in incoming chats, creating a stressful and disorganized environment for customers.
Ana bought an Airpot Duo product from Contoso, but she encountered a billing issue with it. She wanted to connect to an agent who could assist her, so she visited Contoso’s website. She noticed a chat option and clicked on it, expecting a fast solution. However, after five minutes of waiting, she still saw the message “Connecting to an agent”. She felt annoyed and disappointed by Contoso and decided to close the chat window.
Use getAgentAvailability to optimize customer service
Contoso’s development team leveraged the getAgentAvailability API to determine agent availability and offer the live chat option only if agents are available. This time around, when Ana reaches out to Contoso’s support over live chat, she’s immediately connected with an agent. This way Contoso reassures its customers of support’s availability and guarantees service even during inquiry surges.
If no agents are available when Ana reaches out, Contoso can offer Ana alternative service options on its website. These options may include self-service, a callback, or an email depending on Ana’s channel preferences. Contoso can also display the operating hours of different queues on its website. This helps minimize the risk of customers contacting the support center during off-hours.
For customers like Ana, it can help them save time, avoid unnecessary waiting, and get faster and better service. By using the getAgentAvailability API, Contoso can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by reducing wait times. The getAgentAvailability API is a simple yet powerful tool that enhances communication and interaction between businesses and their customers.
The getAgentAvailability method surfaces agent availability, operating hours and other information for a queue. This information is determined by the routing and assignment rules established during unified routing setup. Customers and partners can use it for both authenticated and unauthenticated chats. For companies like Contoso, it’s the missing piece of the puzzle that can transform their live chat customer service and lead to happier, more loyal customers.
Learn more
For more details on how to use the getAgentAvailability API and the full list of properties, read the documentation: getAgentAvailability
