Handle WhatsApp Messages in CXone Agent

You can handle WhatsApp messages in CXone Agent if your administrator has enabled them for you. Any WhatsApp messages assigned to you appear in the interactions menu, marked by the WhatsApp icon: a phone inside a speech bubble..

Send Outbound WhatsApp Messages

If you have a skillClosed Used to automate delivery of interactions based on agent skills, abilities, and knowledge for outbound WhatsApp, you can send outbound WhatsApp messages. However, WhatsApp requires you to select a pre-approved message template to send as your first message to the contact. If the contactClosed The person interacting with an agent, IVR, or bot in your contact center. responds within 24 hours, you can reply with your own messages. Whenever 24 hours pass between responses from the contact, you must start over with a pre-approved message template.

  1. Launch CXone Agent and sign in.

  2. In the interactions menu, click New Outbound icon of a bottom bracket with an arrow pointing up..
  3. In the Directory, enter the name of the contact you want to send a WhatsApp message to. You can use the drop-down below the search bar to switch between directories.
  4. Click the contact's name in the search results. Click Channels, then click WhatsApp the WhatsApp icon: a phone inside a speech bubble..
  5. In the App Space, click Quick Responses icon: a lightning bolt. > Message Templates.
    The Quick Responses icon in the App Space is clicked. Under the Message Templates tab, WhatsApp template options appear.
  6. Select a pre-approved message template.

  7. In the message template form, fill in any custom fields, then click Send.

    A template appears in the App Space. A value is entered into a blank field, and the cursor hovers over the Send button.

Answer Inbound WhatsApp Messages

When the contact initiates the WhatsApp interaction, you don't need to use pre-approved message templates.

  1. In CXone Agent, select the WhatsApp message from in the left interactions menu.
  2. If Reject and Accept appear, click Accept.
    An inbound WhatsApp message in CXone Agent, with the contact's name, the WhatsApp icon, and Reject and Accept buttons.
  3. Read the contact's WhatsApp message in the interaction space.
  4. Draft your response in the response field at the bottom. You can Attach files icon of a paper clip. or insert an Emoji icon of a smiley face.. You can copy and paste images to include them as attachments.
    A WhatsApp message draft, with the contact's messages, a text box, and a Send Message button.

  5. Click Send Message or press Enter on your keyboard.

    1. Click the arrow next to Send Message icon of a white arrow pointing down on a blue background. and select an approval queue. Someone assigned to that queue will review your message.

      A message draft appears in the text box. The cursor hovers over the Demo Chat queue. The Request Approval button appears below.

    2. Click Request Approval.

    The message is removed from your inbox and delivered to a reviewer. If the reviewer approves your message, it will be sent to the contact. If they reject it, it will be sent back to you.

Transfer WhatsApp Messages

You can transfer WhatsApp messages to other agents. If you don't know who to transfer the message to, you can transfer it to a skillClosed Used to automate delivery of interactions based on agent skills, abilities, and knowledge or team. The message is then assigned to an agent with that skill or team.

  1. Select the WhatsApp message you want to transfer from the interactions menu.
  2. Click Consult / Transfer icon of a person with a plus sign..
    An active WhatsApp message in CXone Agent. The cursor hovers over the Transfer icon, a person with a plus sign.
  3. In the Directory, search for the agent, skill, or team you want to transfer the message to. You can use the drop-down below the search bar to switch between directories.
  4. Hover over the agent, skill, or team in the search results and click Transfer icon with two arrows, one pointing right and one pointing left..

Send WhatsApp Message Transcripts to Contacts

You can send the full transcript of a WhatsApp message interaction to the contact's email address. Transcripts can only be sent to one email address at a time. Only text and inline images will be included in the transcript. Attachments, hyperlinks, notes, and tags will not be included.

  1. Click Options icon of three dots stacked vertically. at the top right of the open email.

  2. Select Send Transcript.

  3. In the pop-up that appears, enter the contact's email address.

  4. Click Send.

Use Quick Responses

Quick responses are pre-written replies you can select and send to contacts. Some quick responses have custom fields where you can enter values, such as the contact's name.

  1. Open an interaction in CXone Agent.
  2. In the app space on the right, click Quick Responses icon, a lightning bolt..
  3. Select the quick response you want to use:
    • From the list of quick responses that appears under the View All tab.
    • By searching for a specific quick response using the Search bar.
    • From the Favorites tab.
  4. You can click Favorite icon, a star. to the right of the quick response name to have it appear on the Favorites tab.
  5. In the quick response form, fill in any custom fields, and click Insert.
    Quick Responses in the App Space. Shows a quick reply and an Insert button.
    The quick response appears in the response field in the interaction space. 
  6. Edit the quick response if necessary, then click Send Message.

Add Notes and Tags

You can add notes and tags to individual WhatsApp messages. Contacts cannot see notes and tags, but other people in your organization can.

Add a Note

You can add a note to a message to:

  • Record information about the contact. If the interaction is transferred to another agent, your note can help them handle the interaction.

  • Give your supervisor, manager, or coach context about a response you sent.

  1. Click Add Notes Icon of a clipboard. under the response field in the interaction space.

  2. In the yellow Note box that appears, enter your note.

    A yellow box labeled Note has a text box and buttons for Save and Cancel. The name of the agent who wrote the note appears above it.

  3. Click Save.

Add a Tag

You can add a tag to a message to:

  • Help you find that message later.

  • Categorize the message.

  1. Click Add Tags Icon of a thick arrow with a plus sign inside. next to the contact's name in the message.

  2. Click + Add New.

    A window appears that says Click add to add first tag. It displays a button that says + Add New.

  3. Select a tag from the drop-down list, or create a new tag by entering a name.

View Response Timers

If your CXone Agent administrator has enabled them, response timers for WhatsApp messages display in the interactions menu. There are two types of response timers:

  • Agent Timer: Indicates how long the contact has been waiting on you to respond. When fifty percent of your allotted time is left, the alert icon of an exclamation point inside a yellow triangle. appears in yellow. When the timer reaches 0:00, the alert icon of an exclamation point inside a red triangle. appears in red.

    Below the contact's name and the skill, the box says Agent Timer, with the timer next to it.

  • Customer Timer: Indicates how long you've been waiting for the contact to respond.

    Below the contact's name and the skill, the box says Customer Timer, with the timer next to it.

    When fifty percent of the contact's allotted time is left, the alert icon of an exclamation point inside a yellow triangle. appears in yellow. You can give the contact more time to respond by clicking +Time, if your administrator has enabled this for you. When the timer runs out, the interaction is removed from your inbox. If the contact responds after this, the interaction is re-assigned to an agent.

    The yellow alert icon appears, and the text Customer Timer turns yellow.

Use the Customer Card

Customer Card, with the contact's name at the top, then drop-down tabs labeled Details, Contact History, Notes, and Channels.

If your administrator has enabled it for you, the customer card provides information to help you handle contacts. When you have an interaction open, the customer card for the contact appears in the app space on the right. Expand each section to access information about the contact:

There may be more than one customer card for a contact. You can merge customer cards by clicking Merge icon: two lines merging into one arrow..

Translate WhatsApp Messages

If the contact speaks a different language, CXone Agent can translate their messages into your language in real time. It displays both the contact's original message and the translation. It can also translate your messages into the contact's language. The contact does not see your original message, but is informed that your message is translated.

Your administrator must enable this for you.

  1. Click Options icon of three dots stacked vertically. at the top right of the open interaction.

  2. Select Translate Messages.

  3. In the Customer Language drop-down, select the contact's language. Select your language in the My Language drop-down.

  4. To translate the contact's messages into your language, select Translate Customer Messages.

  5. To translate your messages into the contact's language, select Translate My Replies.

    The Translation Options pop-up, with fields for Customer Language, My Language, Translate Customer Messages, and Translate My Replies.

  6. Click Apply. A notification appears above the response field, letting you know messages are being translated.

Assign Statuses to WhatsApp Messages

You can assign a statusClosed Result assigned by the agent or system at the end of a voice (disposition) or digital (status) interaction. to an interaction in the Outcomes window. Statuses indicate the result of the interaction. For example, if you answered a contact's question, you could select Resolved. You may need to assign a status to an interaction before you can close it.

The Outcomes window shows the contact's name, a drop-down for Status, and a Save button. It may also show fields for Disposition, Tags, and Notes.

  1. Open an interaction. Click Outcomes at the bottom of your screen to expand the Outcomes window.

    An expandable bar that says Outcomes.

  2. Select a Status from the drop-down.
  3. If the Disposition field appears, select a disposition. These options depend on the skillClosed Used to automate delivery of interactions based on agent skills, abilities, and knowledge for the interaction.
  4. You can enter Notes about the interaction. You can also add Tags to help you find the interaction later.
  5. Click Save.

A green check mark will appear next to interactions marked with a status of Resolved.

Close WhatsApp Messages

If an interaction is marked as Resolved or Closed, it will close after a certain amount of time. Your CXone Agent administrator configures this amount of time. You can also manually close an interaction by following these steps:

  1. Assign the interaction a status of Resolved or Closed.

  2. Click Options icon of three dots stacked vertically. at the top right of the open interaction.

    The More icon, three vertical dots, is clicked. It shows options for: Unassign and Dismiss, and Consult/Transfer, and Outcome.
  3. Select Unassign & Dismiss. The interaction is then closed and removed from your interactions menu.