When a visitor requests a chat a popup message will be sent to all users who are monitoring the selected site and have their status set to 'On-Line':

 

 

The visitor will then appear in the 'Chatting Visitors' list in the Client.

 

You can start chatting by either clicking the popup itself when it appears or by right-clicking the visitor in the Chatting Visitors list and selecting Start Chatting from the popup menu. The first operator that responds to the visitor will assume control of the chat session.

 

Note: You can chat to multiple visitors at once, so if another chat request comes in whilst you are chatting to another visitor you can repeat the process. Each chat will be separate in its own window.

 

Once in a chat session simply type and press Enter to send messages to the visitor. Visitor’s messages will appear as they send them.

 

The visitors visit detail will be displayed automatically. This shows the visitors location, browser and referrer information along with each page they have viewed. You can refresh this list at any time by clicking the Refresh button.

 

The Pre-Chat Survey window will show a list of pre-chat survey fields that the visitor has completed prior to starting the chat.

 

If the visitor has chatted to you before the Previous Chats button will be visible. Use this to view previous chats with this visitor.

 

Click the Canned Responses button to display a menu of pre-defined chat responses. You can add to the list of canned responses as you chat by selecting Add Current Text from the Canned Responses popup menus. You can also pre-define canned responses in the Client Options.

 

Click the Exit Chat button to leave this chat session. Another user can then start chatting to the visitor. If the visitor leaves the chat session a message will be displayed: 'Visitor has left the conversation'.

 

Click the Exit Chat & Close button to leave the chat session and close the chat session for the visitor also.

 

Click the Save button to save the chat to text or HTML (the WhosOn Server also keeps a copy). Click the Email button to send the chat transcript directly to Microsoft Outlook as a new mail message.

 

The Block button allows you to forcibly close the chat session at the visitors end. It also stops the visitor from chatting to you again for the rest of the day.

 

Sending Web Pages To The Visitor

You can send a link to a new page to the visitor. Enter the link in the box and click the Send Link button. The page will open in the visitors current browser window. If the visitor has closed their browser a new browser window will be opened. You can also just type a URL as part of your chat message. The Client will ask you if you want to send the URL as a link.

 

If you don't type the full address the link will be relative to your domain. For example, if your send order.htm the link will be http://{your domain}/order.htm.

 

You can send any content that can be viewed in a browser. For example, send http://www.mysite.com/offer.gif - will just send a specific image.

 

Sending Files To The Visitor

You can also send files (PDF files, documents, spreadsheets etc) to the visitor. Before sending a file you must upload it to the WhosOn Server. Once uploaded the file can be sent multiple times by any operator that is monitoring the site.

 

Click the Insert tab then click the Upload button. Select the file you want to upload from your system. There will be a limit on the file size (by default this is 1Mb). Once the file is uploaded it will be sent as a link to the visitor. To send previously uploaded files, select the file from the Send File menu.

 

Transferring To Another Operator

To transfer a visitor chat to another operator simply click the Transfer button or leave the chat session (by closing the Chat window or clicking the Leave button). Now send a message to the other operator (by opening a chat session with them via the Other Operators list) and ask them to pick up the visitor. The visitor will not be aware of this process.

 

Field Name Replacements

If you have setup a pre-chat survey you can use any pre-chat survey field in chat text as a 'field replacement'. Field replacements take the form %fieldname%. So, for example, if you have a pre-chat survey field called Product which the visitor enters or select's the product they want to chat about, the operator can respond with 'Hello. How can I help with your question about %product%'.   - the line will appear to the visitor with the %product% text replaced with the value of the pre-chat survey field 'Product'.