Using the Conversations Feature
Overview of the Conversations Feature
The Conversations feature provides a central hub for managing all your customer interactions across multiple communication channels. This article explains how to navigate this unified inbox and use its tools to efficiently engage with contacts.
Conversations Tab Overview
The main Conversations screen displays all messages from the locations assigned to you. You can filter your view to show All messages, only Unread, or only Read conversations. Additional filters allow you to sort by priority level, location, or contacts that have been specifically sent to the platform for handling.
You can also sort the list of conversations in different ways: showing High Priority items first, Low Priority first, the Latest messages first, or the Oldest messages first. A button is available to close all replied conversations with a single click. The interface displays the total number of conversations in the inbox and the number that still require a response.
Contact Information Panel
When you select a conversation, a panel on the right side provides essential information for nurturing the lead.
Contact Tab
This tab shows the contact's associated location, address, and the current time in their time zone. It also displays their contact details, a Do Not Disturb (DND) toggle, and sections for managing tags, adding the contact to campaigns, and creating or updating opportunities.
General Info Tab
This section displays all the standard contact information from the CRM's General Info tab.
Additional Info Tab
Here you will find any custom fields associated with the contact. You can click "Hide Empty Field" to declutter the view by hiding fields that do not contain data.
FAQs Tab
This tab lists all the Frequently Asked Questions configured for the contact's location. Agents can search this list for quick answers. To use an answer, click the icon next to it to copy the text directly into the conversation's reply box.
Appointments Tab
This tab lists all appointments booked for the contact. You can reschedule, cancel, or delete a meeting from here.
Notes Tab
This section shows any existing notes added to the contact. You can also add new notes directly from this tab.
Tasks Tab
This tab lists tasks associated with the contact. You can also create new tasks for users on the CRM account.
Scheduling Appointments
To schedule an appointment, you can select a calendar, date, and available time slot directly from the conversation interface. The dropdown menu shows slots available on the scheduled dates. To view all available slots, check the "Show all available slots" box. This allows you to see and book appointments that may not be visible to leads through public booking links.
You can set the appointment status to "Confirmed" for automatic confirmation, or to "New" if confirmation is not desired. If a team calendar is selected, you can book the appointment using a round-robin system or for a specific team member.
Searching for Appointments
If a contact provides a broad range of availability, you can use the search function on the scheduling screen to find open slots. Clicking "View more" will display additional available times to send back to the lead.
Ending a Chat
When you end a chat, the system will prompt you to select a disposition. You can choose "Close without disposition" if a classification is not needed. For dispositions that are configured to require a comment, you will be forced to enter text. If a tag is linked to a specific disposition, it will be automatically assigned to the contact upon selection.
Supported Channels
The platform consolidates conversations from the following channels into a single inbox:
- Text (SMS)
- Google My Business (GMB)
- Facebook Messenger
- Reviews
- Calls
Outbound Calling
If a phone number is available for a contact, you can initiate a call by clicking the phone icon next to the contact's name at the top of the conversation. During an active call, options for Blind Transfer and Warm Transfer become available.
Sending Contacts to the Platform
Contacts are typically sent to the platform when they send an inbound message. However, you can also proactively send a contact into the platform immediately upon their creation or update in the CRM by using the "Send to Eliza" action within a workflow. This action pushes the contact to the platform right away, unlike applying a "Send to Eliza" tag, which only triggers the transfer upon an inbound message.
To set this up, navigate to the workflow section for your location in the CRM. Create a trigger (e.g., based on call status or contact update) and add the "Add Send to Eliza Agent Platform" action. When this workflow runs, the contact will be forwarded immediately.
Contacts sent to the platform via a workflow are marked with a specific icon. You can filter your conversation view to show only these "Send to Eliza" contacts to prioritize responding to them as soon as they arrive.