Assigning chats and statuses
Every chat has an owner (the team member it's assigned to, or nobody) and a status that says where it stands. Together they make sure every customer gets an answer and nobody answers the same person twice.
How do I assign a chat to someone?
- Open the chat.
- At the top right, use the menu that says Unassigned (or the current person's name).
- Pick a team member.
To unassign it, choose Unassigned. Anyone on the team can assign chats, including to themselves.
The person's name then shows in the chat list as → Name, and the chat appears under their Mine filter.
Why isn't someone in the assign list?
The list shows people on this business's team in KiliChat. If someone is missing, they haven't been added to this business yet. Ask the KiliChat team to add them. See Team members and roles.
What do the statuses mean?
| Status | Means | What happens next |
|---|---|---|
| Open | The customer is waiting for your team to reply. | New chats start here. |
| Waiting on customer | You've replied and are waiting for the customer. | Moves back to Open when the customer writes. |
| On hold | Parked for later, for example while you check stock. | Stays on hold even if the customer writes. It's never counted as overdue. |
| Resolved | Done. | A new message from the customer reopens it as Open. |
How do I change a chat's status?
Open the chat and use the status menu at the top right, next to the assign menu. You can also drag the chat to another column on the team board.
Resolve chats when you're done
Resolved chats drop out of Open conversations on the dashboard and stop counting towards reply deadlines. If the customer writes again, the chat opens again by itself, so there's nothing to lose.
How do I find chats that nobody has taken?
Click Unassigned at the top of the chat list. On the team board, the Unassigned chip shows how many unassigned chats aren't resolved yet.
Can new chats be shared out automatically?
Yes, with round-robin assignment. Each new chat goes to the next person in turn. An admin turns it on:
- Go to Settings → Automation.
- Turn on Round-robin assignment.
- Under Who takes turns?, click the names of the people who should get chats. Leave everyone unticked to include the whole team.
- Click Save changes.
Round-robin only assigns chats that aren't assigned yet. It skips people whose login is turned off. KiliChat team members (agency admins) aren't part of the rotation unless they've been added to your business's team.
Can a chat change to "Waiting on customer" by itself when we reply?
Yes. An admin can turn on Mark chats "Waiting on customer" when we reply in Settings → Automation. Then, when a team member sends a reply to an Open chat, it moves to Waiting on customer. As soon as the customer answers, it goes back to Open.
Messages from bots and broadcasts don't change the status.
Can old chats close by themselves?
Yes, with Automatic status changes. For example: "When a chat is Waiting on customer for 3 days, make it Resolved."
- Go to Settings → Automation.
- Under Automatic status changes, click Add a rule.
- Choose the starting status, the number of days (1 to 30) and the new status.
- Add more rules if you like (up to 10), then click Save changes.
KiliChat checks the rules every 10 minutes. The days count from when the chat last changed status.
Ideas for status rules
- Waiting on customer for 3 days → Resolved: closes chats where the customer went quiet.
- On hold for 7 days → Open: brings parked chats back so they aren't forgotten.
- Open for 2 days → On hold: only if you'd rather review old open chats separately.
What is the reply deadline, and what does "Overdue" mean?
The reply deadline is how long a customer should wait for an answer. An admin sets it in Settings → Automation → Reply deadline (minutes). For example, 30 means the team should reply within 30 minutes. 0 turns it off.
When a customer writes, the clock starts. When a team member replies, it stops. If nobody replies in time:
- the chat shows Reply overdue in red in the chat list, and Overdue on the team board;
- the Reply due time in the contact panel turns red;
- the red number next to Inbox in the sidebar goes up;
- the number's tile on the dashboard shows "· N late".
Click Overdue at the top of the chat list to see only these chats. Chats that are On hold or Resolved are never overdue.
Bot replies don't stop the clock
Only a reply from a team member clears the deadline. If a chatbot answered, a person should still check the chat, or you can mark it Resolved.
Are reply deadlines only during working hours?
No. The clock runs all the time, including nights and weekends. If you're closed at night, set a sensible deadline and use an away message so customers know when to expect a reply.
Who can change these settings?
Everyone can assign chats and change statuses. Only admins can change Settings → Automation. Agents can view the settings but not change them.
Can I see who assigned or closed a chat?
Admins can. Every assignment and status change is recorded in the activity log.