Chat Feature (IT Departments)

This article provides instructions for the Atera for IT Departments platform.

Atera’s proprietary chat and messaging system has been designed to increase user satisfaction and helpdesk efficiency. Use the chat feature for the fastest and most effective way to reach your users and offer them help, all while creating a personal connection; and enable your users to get quick access to the tech support they urgently need.

Chat lets you help more users in less time. You can simultaneously troubleshoot support issues with multiple users in real-time—so wait times are reduced and users have a better experience. Additionally, you can easily turn your chat sessions into support tickets for issues that can't be solved on the spot—ensuring all relevant information is captured.

Features

• A chat conversation can be initiated between a technician and a user, and vice versa.
• Unlimited chat sessions per technician.
• File and video transfer.
• A ticket can be generated from a chat. Note that after two minutes of conversation, a ticket is automatically created. By default, the ticket name appears as follows: “New Ticket Opened From Chat”. At the end of the chat session, you will be able to edit the name of the ticket.

Getting Started

Initiating a Chat with a User

Opening a Chat Through an Existing Ticket

Initiating a Chat with a Technician

Sending Files and Videos

Getting Started

• The chat feature is offered as part of the Atera Growth Plan (and higher), and will be available to all users to try free, for 30 days.
• You can use the chat feature with one of the compatible browsers listed below:

• Explorer Edge and above (IE not supported)
• FireFox
• Google Chrome

• The chat feature is disabled by default.

• Chat is not yet available on Mac Devices.

To enable the chat feature: Go to Admin (on the side menu) > Settings > Chat with agent > Check the 'Enable Chat' checkbox and click Save

*Enabling chat applies only to users that already have the Helpdesk agent activated.

• The chat feature is Agent-based. Make sure the Atera Agent is installed before you begin. Click here for Atera Agent installation instructions.
• It is mandatory to activate the Helpdesk Agent. Click here for Helpdesk Agent activation instructions. 

Initiating a Chat with a User

The chat feature enables technicians to initiate a chat with a user.

To initiate a chat with a user:

1. In Admin (on the side menu) > Go to System Settings > Chat with Agent > Enable Chat.
2. From Devices (on the side menu) > Click on Manage > Start Chat

• A windows dialog appears on the technician side that says “Connecting…”. It appears until the user accepts the connection.
• A pop-up message appears on the user’s side, awaiting their approval.

Once the user has approved the chat, a message appears, displaying the name of the technician.

Note:

• The technician can initiate a chat even if the Helpdesk Agent is not activated.

• If the user did not approve or did not react to the request for chat, a message is sent to the technician. The technician will need to close the chat dialog, and can request chat again.
• If neither the technician nor the user accepts the chat request within 2 minutes, the chat session will time out.
• If there is inactivity during the chat session for over 5 minutes, the session will time out.

Opening a Chat Through an Existing Ticket

A chat can be opened through an existing ticket. If a technician already had a chat history with a user in a ticket, Atera will display, and refer directly to the existing chat.

To open a chat through an existing ticket:

1. From the side menu, select Tickets. The Tickets page appears.
2. Click the ticket you wish to open.
3. From within the ticket, click the Actions dropdown menu, and select Start Chat.

Note:

• The ‘Show History’ will display ONLY the chat history and not the entire ticket conversation.
• The technician can initiate a chat even if the helpdesk agent is not activated.

Initiating a Chat with a Technician

The chat feature enables users to initiate a chat with a technician.

Before you begin:

• The Helpdesk Agent must be activated. For Agent activation instructions, Click here.
• At least one technician must have their Chat Availability set to 'Available'. Chat Availability status can be changed from the profile dropdown menu at the top, right corner of the screen.

• If this is the user’s first time initiating a chat, and if the user has not been assigned to a device/agent, there is a one-time, short identity confirmation process for purposes of identity confirmation. This can be avoided by assigning the user to a device/agent in advance (to do so, go to Sites > Users tab > click on the user > Select Agent > Select the agent from the list and click Apply).

To initiate the one-time identity confirmation process (instructions for your users):  

1. Right-click on the Helpdesk Agent, and select Start Chat. The Personal Info Settings screen appears.0

2. Fill in your full name and email address, and click Save.

You can now chat with a technician.

Note:

• Chat notifications appear in the Atera app on the upper, right-hand corner of the screen. The technician decides whether to accept or decline a user’s chat request.
• If the technician declines, a Chat Busy message is displayed to the user. The user can either open the Helpdesk agent again and click on Start Chat to try again, or click on Create New Ticket to leave a message.

Sending Files and Videos

You can send files and videos over Chat.

To send files and videos:

Click on the + button.

Supported File Types: PDF, MP3, MP4, Word docs, Excel, MSI

Note: File size is limited to 20 MB per file.