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Releasing Siebel Chat Sessions

When agents or customers release a chat session, they are ending the chat session. Agents use the communications toolbar of Siebel Call Center to release a chat and, if configured, wrap-up the chat session. Customers click the Terminate (or similar) button in their browser window to release a chat.

When an agent or customer releases a chat session, a follow-up email can be sent to the customer with a transcript of the chat session attached, provided the system preference Chat: Auto Email Mode is set, and that outbound email communications and an email profile are set up in Siebel Call Center. This practice, however, is separate from wrapping up a chat session. You can decide not to configure wrap-up for Siebel Chat but to always send an email when a chat session is released. In the case where a chat is transferred several times, the follow-up email is sent only upon final release of the chat session.

• For information about email profile setup in Siebel Call Center, see Siebel Email Administration Guide.
• For information about outbound email communications setup in Siebel Call Center, see Setting Up Outbound Email Communications in Siebel Call Center.
• For information about chat session wrap-up, see Wrapping Up Siebel Chat Sessions.

Releasing a Chat

To release a chat where wrap-up is not configured for Siebel Chat, complete the steps in the following procedure.

To release a chat where wrap-up is not configured

1. Select the chat session that you want to release.
2. Click the Release Work Item button on the communications toolbar to release the chat session.

   Doing this removes the chat tab from the chat pane, and makes the agent immediately available for the next chat request. Depending on configuration, a follow-up email is sent to the customer as follows:

   • If the system preference Chat: Auto Email Mode is set to POPUP, agents are automatically prompted to send a follow-up email to customers with the chat transcript attached.
   • If system preference Chat: Auto Email Mode is set to SEND, then an email is automatically sent to customers, without prompting the agent, with the chat transcript attached.
   • If Chat: Auto Email Mode is set to NONE, then no follow-up email is sent to the customer.

     For more information about setting system preferences for chat, see Setting Up System Preferences in Siebel Call Center for Siebel Chat.

Releasing a Chat Where Wrap-Up Is Configured

Wrap-up must be configured for Siebel Chat for agents to release and wrap-up chat sessions. To release a chat where wrap-up is configured, complete the steps in the following procedure.

To release a chat where wrap-up is configured

1. Select the chat session that you want to release.
2. Click the Release Work Item button on the communications toolbar to release the chat session.

   Doing this starts the wrap-up clock. Where wrap-up is configured and a customer ends a chat, then this also starts the wrap-up clock. For information about how to configure the amount of time that agents have to wrap up a chat session, see Configuring Wrap-Up for Siebel Chat.

3. Wrap-up the chat session, see Wrapping Up a Chat.
4. End wrap-up by clicking the End Wrapup button on the communications toolbar.

   NOTE:  This is the Release Work Item button in Step 1, but with a different label.

   Doing this stops the wrap-up clock, removes the chat tab from the chat pane, and makes the agent available for the next chat request. Depending on configuration, a follow-up email is sent to the customer as follows:

   • If the system preference Chat: Auto Email Mode is set to POPUP, agents are automatically prompted to send a follow-up email to customers with the chat transcript attached.
   • If system preference Chat: Auto Email Mode is set to SEND, then an email is automatically sent to customers, without prompting the agent, with the chat transcript attached.
   • If Chat: Auto Email Mode is set to NONE, then no follow-up email is sent to the customer.

     NOTE:  If the wrap-up clock runs out before an agent has finished wrapping up a chat session, then this also ends wrap-up, removes the chat tab from the chat pane, makes the agent available for the next chat request, and sends a follow-up email to the customer if so configured.