Close, end, and wrap up conversations
Completing a customer conversation requires more than closing its workspace session. For example, a representative who expects a customer to reply later makes a different choice from one whose customer confirms the issue is resolved. In this unit, you examine conversation states, choose between End and the close (X) control, and complete required wrap-up work.
| Conversation state | What the state means |
|---|---|
| Open | The conversation is in a queue and isn't assigned to a representative. |
| Active | The conversation is assigned to or picked by a representative. This state consumes representative capacity. |
| Waiting | An asynchronous or persistent chat pauses until more activity occurs. This state doesn't consume representative capacity. |
| Wrap-up | The customer interaction has ended, and the representative completes post-conversation work. Capacity blocking depends on the workstream behavior. |
| Closed | The conversation is complete. A representative can't reactivate or reopen it. |
Follow the conversation through its states
Each state describes both the conversation's progress and how the system treats the work item. A new channel conversation commonly begins in Open, where it waits in a queue without a representative assignment. When routing assigns the conversation or a representative picks it, the state changes to Active and consumes that representative's capacity.
From Active, the next state depends on the action and the channel. Selecting End in the communication panel moves a channel conversation to Wrap-up. By contrast, selecting the close (X) control without first selecting End closes the session but doesn't necessarily complete the conversation.
For live chat and voice, closing without ending can return the conversation to Open for reassignment. For asynchronous channels and persistent chat, the same action moves the conversation to Waiting and releases capacity. Waiting fits a conversation that remains unresolved while the representative expects a later customer response. It doesn't apply to live chat or voice.
The Closed state is final. After wrap-up activities are complete, closing the session moves the conversation from Wrap-up to Closed. Because a closed conversation can't be reactivated, confirm that the interaction is complete before taking the final action.
Choose end or close based on the channel
The close (X) control ends the workspace session, while End ends the customer interaction. This distinction prevents an unfinished conversation from being recorded as complete. It also prevents a completed interaction from returning to a queue or remaining available for a later reply.
| Customer situation | Channel behavior | Appropriate choice | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| The customer confirms that the issue is resolved. | Any channel | Select End. | The conversation moves to Wrap-up for completion work. |
| The customer needs to reply later. | Persistent chat or another asynchronous channel | Select the close (X) control without selecting End. | The conversation moves to Waiting, and capacity is released. The interaction can resume when the customer responds. |
| The representative closes an unfinished interaction. | Live chat or voice | Avoid closing without ending unless the work needs reassignment. | The conversation can return to Open and be reassigned to an available representative. |
| Wrap-up work is complete. | Any channel | Close the session after ending the conversation. | The conversation moves to Closed and can't be reactivated. |
Consider a persistent chat in which a customer needs time to locate an invoice. The representative asks the customer to reply with the invoice number and closes the session without selecting End. The conversation moves to Waiting, releases capacity, and remains available for the customer's later response. If the customer instead confirms that no further help is needed, the representative selects End and proceeds to wrap-up.
Complete wrap-up before closing
Wrap-up provides time for post-conversation work after the customer interaction ends. During this state, you can add notes, update customer information, and finish the records associated with the interaction. These actions preserve context for reporting and any later service work.
Capacity during wrap-up varies by the behavior configured for the workstream. An organization can keep capacity blocked throughout wrap-up, release it when the conversation enters wrap-up, or block it for a configured period. Therefore, don't assume that selecting End immediately makes capacity available.
Disposition codes can also form part of conversation completion. A disposition code categorizes the outcome, such as the reason for contact or the result of the interaction. When your organization requires a disposition code, the primary representative must select one before ending the conversation. Consulted representatives and supervisors who monitor the conversation don't make this required selection.
Before closing the session, verify that notes and customer updates are complete and any required disposition code is selected. Closing after these tasks moves the conversation to its final Closed state. With the conversation lifecycle complete, you can apply the same channel-aware judgment as you handle other customer interactions.