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Changing channel capabilities

Company administrators can change the task capability that is applied to all agents by default and the queue item capability that is applied to the queued items for different channels. These values allow multiple tasks to be allocated to an agent, whilst providing a method to limit what is assigned per channel.

Company administrators must have the System Configuration: Modify privilege to change channel capabilities.

Change channel capabilities:

  1. Click System > Channel Configuration on the menu bar.
  2. Click the Capabilities tab.
  3. To change the Default Agent Capability that determines how many queue item tasks (calls, emails, webchats, etc.) each agent can handle simultaneously, select a number using the up and down arrows.
    • Note: This setting applies to all agents by default. It can be overridden on an individual basis by setting a capability rating for a specific user account on the Users page (Capabilities tab).
  4. To change the Queue Item Capability, which rates how “valuable” the queued items for a particular channel are deemed to be, for the appropriate channel, select a value using the up and down arrows.
    • Note: A capability is a valuation rating that is applied. It is not an actual amount (number) of items. The higher the capability of a channel item, the more “valuable” it is deemed to be. So, for example, you might want to rate calls as the most valuable (highest capability value), followed by chats (a lower capability value than calls), and then emails (lower capability values than chats).
  5. To change the Default Queue Weighting for a channel, select a number using the up and down arrows.
  6. (Chat and email only.) To specify the Maximum number of items allocated to an agent, select a number using the up and down arrows.
    • Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead.
    • For webchats, this value is used only if the Maximum Number Of Webchats Per Agent parameter for the webchat queue is set to 0 (Webchat > Webchat Queues > Advanced).
    • For calls, the number is fixed at 1.
  7. (Webchat only.) To specify that items from other channels are not allocated to agents if they already have items, tick the Don’t allocate items from other channels when the agent has items checkbox.
    • Note: By default, other channel items are allocated when agents already have items (checkbox is unticked).
  8. Specify automatic allocation settings:
    • To specify that items for a particular channel are automatically allocated to agents, tick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox.
    • To disable automatic allocation (so that items must be manually taken from the queues by agents), untick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox.
      • Note: By default, calls, work items and webchats are automatically allocated to the next available agent. Emails are not.
    • If automatic allocation is enabled for webchats, an alerting icon (a ringing bell) is displayed when a webchat arrives in an agent’s inbox.
    • If automatic allocation is enabled for emails, when an email is automatically allocated to an agent:
      • If the agent is available and has an empty inbox, the new email becomes their active item
      • If the agent is available but is currently handling an item, the email is added to their inbox but does not become their active item. Once the agent marks the currently active item as complete, the next item in their inbox becomes their active item.
  9. To save a change to the blending formula, click Save Changes.
  10. To restore the settings to their default values, click Restore Default Values.
  11. To disable automatic allocation (so that items must be manually taken from the queues by agents), untick the Automatically allocate items for this channel checkbox.

Definitions

  • Default Agent Capability: A value that determines how many queue item tasks (calls, emails, webchats, etc.) each agent can handle simultaneously. These agents may be interrupted by a call if they do not have too many emails and/or webchats going on at the same time.
    • Note: This setting applies to all agents by default. It can be overridden on an individual basis by setting a capability rating for a specific user account on the Users page (Capabilities tab).
  • Queue Item Capability: A value that rates how “valuable” the queued items for a particular channel are deemed to be.
    • Note: A capability is a valuation rating that is applied. It is not an actual amount (number) of items. The higher the capability of a channel item, the more “valuable” it is deemed to be. So, for example, calls might be rated as the most valuable (highest capability value), followed by chats (a lower capability value than calls), and then emails and work items (lower capability values than chats).
  • Default Queue Weighting: The default importance weighting of the queue(s) for this channel.
  • Maximum number of items allocated to an agent: (Chat and email only.) A value that determines how many chats can be allocated to each agent simultaneously.
    • Note: This is the default setting for the system. If a different default value is set for an individual queue, that will be used instead.
    • For chats, this value is used only if the Maximum Number Of Chats Per Agent parameter for the chat queue is set to 0 (Chat > Chat Queues > Advanced).
    • Note: For calls, the number is fixed at 1.
  • Don’t allocate items from other channels when the agent has items(Webchat only.): Whether or not items from other channels are allocated to agents if they already have items.
  • Automatically allocate items for this channel: Whether or not items for a particular channel are automatically allocated to agents.
    • Note: By default, calls, and chats are automatically allocated to the next available agent. Emails are not.
    • If automatic allocation is enabled for webchats, an alerting icon (a ringing bell) is displayed when a chat arrives in an agent’s inbox.
    • If automatic allocation is enabled for emails, when an email is automatically allocated to an agent:
      • If the agent is available and has an empty inbox, the new email becomes their active item
      • If the agent is available but is currently handling an item, the email is added to their inbox but does not become their active item. Once the agent marks the currently active item as complete, the next item in their inbox becomes their active item.

Related concepts
Channel blending

Related tasks
Viewing agent capability