Configure Live Chat

Live Chat enables end-users to reach out to technicians in real-time, communicate their requests and issues, and get instant solutions. Requests can be created from chat transcripts. 

In addition, technicians can use Live Chat to collaborate and resolve requests quickly. To begin a chat conversation with a technician, a requester must click the Live Chat button  on the lower-right corner of their home page. If you have enabled Zia, click the Zia icon to initiate live chat.

The SDAdmin can configure chat settings for requesters and technicians separately.

 

To learn specific topics, visit the following links:

 

 

Configuring Chat Settings 

Go to Admin > Apps and add-ons (Incident Management in old UI) >> Chat Settings.

 

Requester Chat Settings

Under Requester Settings, enable the Chat option. 

Using the following options, customize the requester chat to suit your business workflows and click Save:

 

 

To learn how the chat window looks and works for requesters, click here.

Technician Chat Settings 

Under Technician Settings, enable the Chat option.

 

 

To learn how the chat window looks and works for technicians, click here.

Live Chat for Requesters

When a requester initiates a chat, the predefined Welcome Message will be displayed in the chat window. Based on the chat settings configured by the SDAdmin, the requester can initiate a new request creation process or track current requests. The group selection is essential for quick resolution of requests.

 

The requester can use  to attach multimedia files like images, audio, videos, PDFs, and text documents. If a chat is left unpicked beyond the specified time, the Missed Chat Message will be displayed for the requester.

 

 

The requester can also close a chat before a technician picks it up by clicking the Close button. The chat will be listed under Missed Chats, which the SDAdmin can view in the Chat Room.

Live Chat for Technicians 

Using Live Chat, technicians can provide technical support to requesters in real time. Live Chat also enables technicians to collaborate and resolve requests quickly.

 

Requester-Technician Chat 

When a technician receives a chat request, the technician must pick up the chat within the specified chat response time. The following screenshot shows the technician's chat window when a new chat arrives:

 

 

When the technician accepts the chat request, the Actions button on the top right corner of the chat window becomes available. Using this button, the technician can add a title to the conversation, add notes, attach files, transfer the chat to another technician, or end the session.

 

 

By clicking End Session, the technician can either close the chat or create a request from the chat. To raise a request, the technician must choose between incident and service request, select a template, and click Close & create request

 

The request form will open where the technician can fill out the required information and add the request.

A technician can have only 3 active chat windows at any given point in time.

Technician - Requester Chat

From the request details page, technicians can initiate a chat with the requester to discuss the request.

Technicians can initiate a chat only if the requester has valid login credentials.

To initiate a chat,

  1. From the requests list view, select a request on which you want to have a conversation with the requester. This opens the request details page.

  2. Click the chat icon beside the requester name. A chat window opens as shown in the screenshot below:

If your help desk is integrated with ManageEngine Desktop Central, a drop-down lists options to initiate ServiceDesk Plus chat and Desktop Central chat. Choose ServiceDesk Plus chat.

 

You can open the request details page from the chat window anytime by clicking the request ID in the chat window.

Close the chat window to end a request chat. When a request chat is closed, the chat content will be appended to the request conversation as a system notification for future reference.

Only one technician can initiate a chat with the requester at a time. The ongoing chat must be closed so that a different technician can initiate a chat with the requester.

 Actions 

Technicians can perform the following actions from the chat window:

 

Technician -Technician Chat

Private Chat 

A technician can have a private chat with another technician. 

To initiate a private chat with another technician, click the Technician chat from the footer. Select the required technician from the list of technicians available and start the conversation.

 

 

From the private chat window, you can view other group chats and collaborator chats with the same technician.

Click Actions >> Chats in Common from the chat window. The chats in common will be listed as shown in the screenshot below:

 

 

To open one of the group chats listed, click the chat and click Continue chat.

 

Group Chat 

You can add a third technician to a private chat and convert it into a group chat.

 

 

To leave an ongoing group chat, click Actions >> Leave Group.

 

 

Support Group Chat 

Technicians associated with a support group will  form a separate group chat by default. When a new technician is added to the support group, the technician will be automatically added to the corresponding group chat. Similarly, when the technician is removed from the group, the technician will also be removed from the group chat.

 

Collaborators Chat 

Technicians who are viewing a request simultaneously can collaborate through chat. 

To start a collaborators chat,

 

 

 

 

To open the request details page, simply click the request ID in the chat window.

When a technician opens the same request, the members of the ongoing collaborators' chat will receive a pop-up message as shown in the screenshot below:

 

 

You can include the new technician in the collaborators' chat by clicking Add.

To add a technician to an ongoing collaborators' chat, type + in the chat box and select the technician from the displayed list.

Technicians can also join an ongoing collaborators' chat by clicking   >> Join in the request details page.

 

 

To leave an ongoing collaborator chat, click Actions >> Leave Group in the chat window.

 

Chat Room 

With the SDAdmin role, you can access the chat room to get an overview of the ongoing, missed, and unpicked chats in the application. You can also edit chat configurationsview chat history, and integrate Live Chat with other services.

To access the chat room, go to any chat, click the <> icon, and choose Chat Room.

<can add more info on chat room>

 

Chat History  

The History option in the left pane displays the details of all chats. To locate a specific chat, you can either use the Search button or manually scroll through the chats. 

Refine the search results based on time, requester, technician, group, and keywords.

 

 

ServiceDesk Plus Chat as an External Widget  

ServiceDesk Plus Chat as an External Widget     

You can embed ServiceDesk Plus chat in external websites. You must add the target website as a security response header in ServiceDesk Plus for security reasons.

 

To enable ServiceDesk Plus as an external widget,

  1. Go to Admin > General Settings > Security Settings.

  2. Under the Advanced tab, enable the Add security response headers checkbox.

  3. Select Access-Control-Allow-Origin from the drop-down list. Enter the target website address or the trusted word in the given text field. The trusted word enables you to access the application in any domain.

  4. Click Save.

 

 

  1. Go to Admin > Incident Management > Chat Settings > Integrate Live Chat.

  2. Enable the Add Live Chat toggle button.

  3. Click Save.

  4. Copy the displayed code to the target website's HTML source code.

ServiceDesk Plus Live Chat will be added as a widget in the target website.

 

If single sign-on (SSO) is not enabled, you must provide login credentials of ServiceDesk Plus in the external website to use Live Chat.