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Using the Operator Inbox

Learn how to claim, reply, and resolve customer escalations using the three-pane Operator Inbox. Includes Knowledge Assist, resource attachments, and customer profile access.

This guide is for team members who have been assigned as operators (or managers/admins) and need to handle customer escalations that the AI agent could not fully resolve.

Navigate the three-pane inboxUnderstand the queue, conversation, and assist panels.
Claim and reply to escalationsPick up a customer conversation and send a response.
Use AI-suggested responsesLet the AI draft a reply based on the conversation context.
Look up knowledge base answersAsk a question and get a grounded answer with cited sources you can insert into your reply.
Attach support resourcesUse the + button to find and attach knowledge base articles to your reply.
View customer profilesSwitch to the Customer tab to see profile details, billing, and add CS notes (platform admins only).
Resolve escalationsClose out a conversation with the appropriate resolution type.
1

Open the Operator Inbox

Navigate to the Operator Inbox from the Agents dropdown in the header. You will see three panels: the escalation queue on the left, the conversation in the center, and the assist panel on the right.

2

Select an Escalation

In the left panel, you will see two sections: My Active (escalations you have already claimed) and Unclaimed (new escalations waiting for an operator). Click on any escalation to load its conversation in the center panel.

3

Claim the Escalation

If the escalation is unclaimed, click Claim to assign it to yourself. Once claimed, the compose box appears at the bottom of the conversation panel so you can reply.

4

Use AI Suggest (Optional)

In the right panel under AI Assist, click Suggest response. The AI will analyze the conversation history and generate a draft reply. The draft is automatically inserted into the compose box for you to review and edit before sending.

5

Send Your Reply

Type or edit your reply in the compose box. Press Enter to send (Shift+Enter for a new line). Your message appears in the conversation thread with an Operator label.

6

Resolve the Escalation

When the customer's issue is resolved, click the Close button at the top of the conversation. Select a resolution type (e.g., "Answered Question", "Action Taken") and optionally add notes. Click Resolve to close the escalation.

Pro Tip: Use Knowledge Assist to quickly look up answers from your knowledge base before composing a reply. The grounded answer with citations saves time and ensures accuracy. For AI Suggest, the feature works best when the conversation has at least a few messages of context. Review the Context card in the right panel first to understand the escalation reason and priority.

After you resolve an escalation, it is removed from your active queue and marked as resolved in the Operations dashboard. The customer receives your response, and the conversation metrics (handle time, resolution type) are recorded for team analytics.

If you need to hand the escalation to another operator, you can use the assignment feature in the Operations dashboard.

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