What is Velaro?
Velaro is a synchronous live chat platform that facilitates real-time communication with visitors to a website or other online environment.
Chat Roles
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Agent | Velaro console users that conduct chats for a brand are referred to as "agents". Agents are on the front line of maintaining customer satisfaction. |
| Visitor | Customers that start chats from a brand website or other online locations are referred to as "visitors". |
Logging in and getting started
To access Velaro you will need to navigate to https://app.velaro.com in any browser window and enter your username and password. The first time you log in your availability will be set to Available, this means that you can accept incoming chat requests and should be prepared to do so. Your availability is marked in the top right with your headshot (the headshot may be a silhouette if you haven’t yet provided one). You will see a green dot when you’re available and a red one when you are set to unavailable.
Forgotten Password
To reset your password open the Velaro application or go to http://app.velaro.com in any browser to click the reset password link below the user id and password fields as shown here:
You will be asked to enter your user email address. Shortly, you will receive an email from noreply@velaro.com with a link to reset your password. see: Forgotten Password
Maintaining availability
At least one agent must be set to “Available” in order for chat to be available on your website.
If you are not ready to receive chats you can easily change your availability to Unavailable by clicking your headshot and selecting Switch to Unavailable. You’ll see the icon change to red. You should also confirm your availability when you log into Velaro to ensure chats are being directed correctly.
When set to Available:
- You can receive chats
- Can access real-time visitor monitoring
Use this status most of the time
When set to Unavailable:
- You can’t receive chats automatically
- You can manually accept queued chats or join existing ones
- Previous chats can be continued
- Can access real time visitor monitoring
Use this status if you’re taking a break or need to get up from your desk for a few minutes. We recommend logging out if you’re leaving for the day
Maintaining the correct availability is very important, if all users logged into Velaro are Unavailable then an offline message will be displayed and the visitor will be able to leave a message. This can lead to a poor customer experience if they are expecting to find the service online during normal operating hours.
If you find that you are not receiving any chats, always check your availability first. In most cases you will find that your status is set to Unavailable.
Chatting
Where do I need to go?
As an Agent, you’ll participate in chats within the Engagement section of the Control Panel which you can find in the header navigation. Below you’ll find the components of the Engagement section explained:
Engagement Screen
As an Agent, you’ll participate in chats within the Engagement section of the Control Panel which you can find in the header navigation. Below you’ll find the components of the Engagement section explained:
[1] Message Input Box
This is where you will type messages to the visitor. When you start typing, they will see a notification in their window and will expect a response. When the visitor starts typing you’ll also see a notification below this input box. Use the # symbol to bring up a list of tags and associated canned responses(LINK TO CANNED RESPONSES DOC) you can use.
The options above the message box allow you to transfer the chat to another agent, Invite another agent to the chat to assist you, Email the transcript to yourself or anyone else, Upload a file to share with the visitor, Push a URL to the visitor, or Copy the transcript to your clipboard, to paste somewhere else. You can also select who your messages are visible to if other agents are in the chat
[2] Chat Content
All communication is displayed here in the order that it is received. You’ll see that each chat line contains who sent the response (you, the visitor, another Agent, or the system itself).
[3] Exit chat button
Once you’re done with each chat you’ll want to close it by clicking the Exit Chat button. This lets Velaro archive the transcript for later review. If you have hit your limit of concurrent chats, exiting the chat will then allow a new one to replace it. If another agent is still chatting with the customer you can exit the chat and the other agent will remain to chat.
[4] Visitor List
Visitors who initiate a chat will appear on the left, and you can filter the results to show only your own chats, visitors who are waiting in queue, or see all at once. New chats and queues will automatically appear here. You should see and hear accompanying alerts when a new chat/queue does come through, for more information on alerts read below.
[5] Visitor Info
Once you are in a chat you’ll see the visitor’s information will appear in detail on the right. This will allow you to view their survey answers, visitor monitoring info, and even CRM records if your account is set up with an integration.
[6] Integrations List
If your organization is using an integration with a CRM or another third-party tool, the integration(s) will be available in this dropdown menu. You can select the system you wish to interact with in order to search, view, add and edit records, and archive the current chat.
Tips, Tricks & Improving Customer Satisfaction
As an Agent, your goal should always be to provide the best experience to the visitors you’re connected with.
Stay engaged – Live chat can feel more relaxed than a direct phone call but that doesn’t mean your visitors will forgive slow response times. Always be mindful of your response times and keep them as quick as possible. If finding the answer to a question or resolving an issue is taking longer than a few minutes, simply reassure your visitor that you’re working on the issue. This will keep the conversation positive and keep the visitor updated.
Canned Messages – You may often find that you’re relaying the same message to visitors; whether it’s pricing info or a simple closing statement, the ability to easily re-use common statements/phrases is vital. Velaro offers canned messaging as a way to easily insert pre-made messages into your chat. You can create these by navigating the Admin > Canned Messaging section. Once saved you only need to type ‘#’ and the tag you associated with the message. This will let you quickly insert a canned message. If you have suggestions for messages for your team, ask your manager about setting up messages everyone on your team can use.
Visitor Information - Don’t forget about all of the useful visitor information like the visitor monitoring details Velaro provides. You may find the Visitor info shown to the right of your chat; this information includes their current page and location, which may help you assist the visitor quickly.
Don’t be a robot – No two chats are the same. You may find some visitors require more attention or positive reinforcement than others. This can be as simple as assuring them an issue is being investigated or that their inquiry is a high priority. Understanding your visitor’s point of view and answering their questions accurately is also very important. Canned messages can be modified before they are actually sent, so always be sure that it applies to the conversation before sending it. If your answers sound scripted and don’t accurately address the inquiry then your visitor’s experience will go downhill fast.