How Chat Ownership Works  

When a new customer conversation (referred to as a Chat) is initiated via WhatsApp, it is essential that a team member assumes responsibility for managing it. This individual is referred to as the Assignee.

This section outlines how assignment occurs, the permissions granted to the Assignee, and how reassignment can be performed when necessary.

How a Chat Gets Assigned Automatically  

When a Chat is created or re-opened (such as when a customer sends a new message), the system automatically attempts to assign it to a team member based on predefined assignment rules.

These rules are configured by Admins in the backend and are tailored to align with specific business requirements. For example, Chats may be distributed evenly among available agents or routed to designated teams based on factors such as language, department, or geographic location.

For this,the admin has to navigate through Settings → Chat Assignment

What the Assignee Can Do  

Once a Chat is assigned, only the designated Assignee has the following permissions:

• Read messages within the Chat

• Respond to the customer

• Change the Chat’s status (Open or Closed)

• Reassign the Chat to another team member, if required

If another team member accesses the Chat, they will receive a notification indicating that they cannot respond, as they are not the assigned agent.

What Admins Can Do

Admins possess elevated permissions for managing Chats. While they cannot respond to a Chat unless assigned, they are able to:

• Reassign the Chat to another agent

• View all Chats, regardless of their status (Open or Closed)

• Assign the Chat to themselves when necessary

These are particularly useful in situations such as team member absence or when a Chat requires escalation.

 How to Transfer  a Chat to Another Team Member  

In certain situations, the current Assignee may need to transfer a Chat—such as when another team member is better equipped to address the customer's needs.

Chats can be reassigned in two ways:

• By the Current Assignee: If you are the assigned agent, you can manually reassign the Chat to a colleague.

• By an Admin: Admins have the authority to reassign any Chat at any time.

This process ensures that each Chat is handled by the most appropriate team member, maintaining responsiveness and service quality.

Who Has Access and What They Can Do ( Permissions Table )  

To maintain security and ensure operational clarity, role-based permissions are applied to chat management.