On: Eight conversations at a time – handling live chats the smart way

[bcx]

How many Chats do people actually handle at the same time?

[mdbennett → bcx]

Depending on the nature of the chats, around a half dozen is my limit. If you've got 1-2 that are only responding to you every 10 minutes or so, or 1-2 have easy general questions, that number could probably push higher. But around 5 conversations that require legitimate investigation and troubleshooting is where I've found you can start to lose engagement.

[bcx → mdbennett]

I've found it's more about number of messages per minute, than number of chats at a time.

Where number of messages per minute is my real limit. (unless I am trying to trouble shoot a bunch of issues at the same time)

[jinx_xnij → bcx]

I find I can handle multiple chats at once easily using programs like TextExpander(Mac) or Breevy(Win).

That way, if someone needs a specific walkthrough, I can type something like oguide and it automatically pastes this link: https://www.olark.com/help/guide

Then if you model your support system around making the walkthroughs and guides for the most common user issues, it makes juggling chats much easier.

[WadeF → bcx]

I've handle roughly six or seven at a time. Don't think I've hit eight. It can definitely get challenging with that many chats running.