> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.zynfo.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Live chat: when a customer asks for a person

> How ZynfoAI hands a chat to your team: turning live chat on, working hours, who gets new chats, taking a chat over, and what customers see when nobody is available.

# Live chat

The AI answers first. When a customer needs a person, the conversation goes to your team in the
**Inbox** with the full chat history.

<Frame caption="Illustration of a handed-off chat waiting for your team, with the handoff details in Customer 360.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zynfoai/TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL/images/ui/human-handoff-hero.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL&q=85&s=6387fc7f6041aee7b57890e8bf7e3dcd" alt="ZynfoAI Inbox showing a conversation waiting for a person, with the handoff details and previous conversations in Customer 360" width="2380" height="1082" data-path="images/ui/human-handoff-hero.png" />
</Frame>

Everything about live chat is on the **AI Agent** page, **Live chat** tab. Click **Save changes** to
apply what you change there.

## Live chat settings

* **Live chat:** when it's on, a customer who asks for a person goes to your team in the Inbox. Turn it
  off and the AI keeps answering on its own.
* **Working hours:** when it's on, a person is offered only during your hours. Outside them, the AI
  keeps helping. Set the **Time zone** and the **Weekly Schedule**.
* **Reply when a person isn't available:** what the AI says when a customer asks for a person outside
  your working hours, or when nobody on your team is online. Leave it empty to use the text shown.

### Routing

Routing applies to every AI agent in your workspace. Only owners and admins can change it; other
teammates see the settings but can't edit them.

* **Who gets new chats:**
  * **Everyone at once:** every online teammate sees the chat. The first to take it gets it.
  * **Take turns:** chats go to online teammates one after another. This is the default.
  * **Least busy teammate:** each chat goes to the online teammate with the fewest open chats.
* **If the assigned teammate doesn't accept within:** 30 seconds, 1, 2, 5 or 10 minutes (60 seconds by
  default). The chat then moves to the next online teammate. If nobody else is online, it waits in
  **Waiting** for anyone to take it. This isn't used with **Everyone at once**.
* **When nobody is online:**

  * **Create a ticket:** if ZynfoAI has the customer's email or phone, a ticket is opened and they get
    its number. Otherwise the customer is asked for one.
  * **Just log the request:** no ticket is created. The request stays in the chat history.

  Either way, the AI keeps helping in the chat.
* **Follow-up note** (optional): added to the chat when the request is logged, with the ticket number
  if one is created. Leave it empty to use the text shown.

### Team availability

Owners and admins see who is online right now. Only online teammates get new chats. Each person sets
their status (**Online**, **Away**, **Busy** or **Offline**) in the Inbox.

## What starts a handoff

* The customer asks for a person, for example "talk to a human" or "I need an agent".
* The customer keeps insisting after the AI has answered.
* The AI can't answer twice in a row.
* An automation step hands the chat over.

## Who gets the chat

<Steps>
  <Step title="A teammate is picked">
    ZynfoAI follows **Who gets new chats**. By default, it gives the chat to one online teammate at a
    time, taking turns.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Take over in time">
    The chat shows in **Waiting** and in the teammate's **Mine** folder. They click **Take over**. If
    they don't within the time you set, it passes to the next online teammate, and the customer is told
    you're still connecting them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Reply">
    The AI stops replying while you have the chat. You see the whole conversation, plus the handoff
    reason and priority in **Customer 360**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Illustration of a handoff that wasn't claimed in time and passed to the next teammate.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zynfoai/TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL/images/ui/conversation-routing-2.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL&q=85&s=953f82b5be1c0f70356e57a328700875" alt="Handoff timeline: handoff requested, assigned by round robin, not claimed in time, reassigned to another teammate, then claimed" width="1008" height="732" data-path="images/ui/conversation-routing-2.png" />
</Frame>

You don't have to wait for a handoff: you can **Take over** any chat the AI is handling. Owners and
admins can also take over a chat from a teammate.

## Actions in a chat you're handling

* **Convert to Ticket:** save the request as a ticket to follow up later. See [Tickets](/crm-and-support/tickets).
* **Transfer:** pass the chat to another teammate, with an optional internal note.
* **Hand back to AI:** the AI agent answers this customer again.
* **Mark resolved:** end the conversation and move it to **Resolved**.

<Frame caption="Illustration of Transfer: choose a teammate and add an internal note.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zynfoai/TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL/images/ui/conversation-routing-3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL&q=85&s=0a1ec9429b4dd1eb7271a5f87e1e4d92" alt="Transfer Conversation dialog with Select Team Member, Internal Note (Optional) and Transfer button" width="1008" height="714" data-path="images/ui/conversation-routing-3.png" />
</Frame>

## When a person isn't available

Outside your working hours, or when nobody on your team is online, the customer sees your **Reply when
a person isn't available**. What happens next follows **When nobody is online**: a ticket is created
if you chose **Create a ticket** and ZynfoAI has the customer's email or phone, and the customer gets
its number.

<Frame caption="Illustration of what a customer sees when nobody is available: your reply and a ticket number.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/zynfoai/TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL/images/ui/human-handoff-3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=TpFuLv_P_rJXw8fL&q=85&s=09bf4c6882c2cb4fc200d62e769adf5f" alt="Chat widget where a customer asks for a person and sees an offline message with a reference ticket number" width="1008" height="484" data-path="images/ui/human-handoff-3.png" />
</Frame>

## Related topics

* [The Inbox](/inbox/session-management)
* [Tickets](/crm-and-support/tickets)
* [Widget behaviour and settings](/agent-management/advanced-settings)


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.