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121 CRM

121 CRM playbook · Web-chat handling

Move a website chat from first question to a clear, safe next step with realistic response expectations.

A fictional dental practice answers a non-clinical availability question and offers a reception call. This playbook turns that kind of situation into an owned sequence with explicit stop points, exceptions and measures. Use only channels, data and capabilities approved for your setup.

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Fictional workflow demonstration

Follow web-chat handling from start to next action.

The coded interface shows an example sequence using fictional data and does not expose a live CRM account.

121

Northstar Joinery

Keep customer messages together

AR
OverviewContactsInboxPipelineAutomation

Keep customer messages together

See the message, customer context and responsible owner in the same working view.

Bramble Studio

Jamie Clarke · Email

Contact confirmed

Could Thursday morning work for a short discovery call?

09:54

Yes — 11:30 is available. I can send the appointment details once the scope is confirmed.

10:02

Thursday morning would work well. Thank you.

10:24

Write a reply…
Illustrative 121 interfaceAll people, organisations, dates and activity are fictional. Any figures are illustrative. Controls demonstrate interaction patterns, not enabled account features.

What supports the playbook

See what the CRM can coordinate — and where your team steps in.

The CRM can organise the sequence, but the business still sets the rules, checks consent and handles the moments that need human judgement.

Capability 01

Chat widget

Adds supported live-chat or connected-channel entry points to a website.

How it works
Publishes or collects information through a configured visitor-facing page, form or content experience.
Why use it
Lets a visitor ask a question without hunting for a separate contact route.
Plan for
Generated or templated content is not automatically accurate, accessible, compliant or ready to publish.
Your team owns
A person must review content, test the journey and explicitly publish or change live assets.
Capability 02

Live chat

Provides a website chat channel that can create or continue a contact conversation.

How it works
Handles an eligible customer interaction through a configured inbox, number or connected channel.
Why use it
Turns a visitor question into a visible enquiry that the team can own and follow up.
Plan for
Delivery, message types, geographic coverage, approval and charges vary by channel and provider.
Your team owns
A person must own sensitive conversations, failed delivery and any situation outside the approved script.
Capability 03

Conversations inbox

Brings supported connected message threads into a shared operational inbox.

How it works
Handles an eligible customer interaction through a configured inbox, number or connected channel.
Why use it
Helps a team see the customer history and coordinate replies from one working view.
Plan for
Delivery, message types, geographic coverage, approval and charges vary by channel and provider.
Your team owns
A person must own sensitive conversations, failed delivery and any situation outside the approved script.
Capability 04

Tasks

Creates assigned, dated and optionally recurring actions against contacts or opportunities.

How it works
Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules.
Why use it
Turns the next step into owned work instead of leaving it inside notes or inboxes.
Plan for
Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently.
Your team owns
A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status.

Entry criteria

Begin with a valid trigger, enough context and one owner

A visitor starts a conversation through the configured website chat. Before any automated action, confirm that the event, customer record and communication basis are suitable for this playbook.

Trigger

A visitor starts a conversation through the configured website chat.

Practical scenario

A fictional dental practice answers a non-clinical availability question and offers a reception call.

Human decision retained

Accountable owner

Name the person or queue that accepts the work, monitors exceptions and can stop the sequence.

The sequence

Run the web-chat handling playbook step by step

Each step should leave evidence a colleague can understand. Timing and channels should follow the customer context rather than a generic high-pressure cadence.

1. Set expectations

Show staffed hours, likely response and information the visitor should not share.

2. Identify the need

Ask the minimum questions required to answer or route the conversation.

3. Provide useful help

Answer within authority using approved information.

4. Capture continuation details

Ask for contact details only where needed and with an appropriate notice.

Close the loop

5. Hand over with context

Assign the thread or next task so the visitor does not repeat the story.

Owner, timing and exception

Make the operational state easy to review

The supporting view keeps the next action and human checkpoint visible around the automated steps.

121 CRM · Connected operations

Book discovery

October · illustrative availability

MTWTFSS1234567891011121314
11:3014:00

Appointment sequence

Booked

Calendar entry created

1 day before

Reminder scheduled

Exception

Owner reviews a reply

Journey summary

New

24

Illustrative

Owned

21

Illustrative

Due

4

Illustrative

Website
Referral
Direct
Illustrative exampleAll dates, counts and workflow states are fictional. Availability and behaviour depend on the agreed setup.

Exception paths

Stop the normal route when the facts change

Exceptions are part of the process, not failures to be hidden. Route them to a person with the authority and context to decide what happens next.

Human review

Clinical, legal or sensitive question

Do not attempt automated advice; route to an appropriate human channel.

Human review

Visitor leaves anonymously

Do not infer identity or create unsupported follow-up.

Human review

Unstaffed period

Use honest asynchronous wording and a realistic response window.

Operational review

Measure whether the work became safer and clearer

Use measures that reveal ownership, service quality and control. Counts of messages, tasks or workflow runs are supporting signals, not proof of customer value.

Chats receiving a useful first response

Separate automatic greeting from substantive help.

Handovers completed with context

Review repetition and dropped threads.

Sensitive-data incidents

Investigate and improve prompts immediately.

Questions about this page

Useful answers, without the sales fog.

1. When should the web-chat handling playbook start?

A visitor starts a conversation through the configured website chat. Confirm the record is eligible and that a named owner or monitored queue is available before allowing customer-facing action.

2. Which channels should the web-chat handling playbook use?

Use only configured channels that suit the purpose, customer preference and consent position. Give each channel a distinct role and check provider availability and usage charges before launch.

3. When should web-chat handling automation stop?

Stop when the purpose is complete, the customer responds or opts out, the data conflicts, or an exception needs judgement. In this playbook, pay particular attention to clinical, legal or sensitive question, visitor leaves anonymously, unstaffed period.

4. How should we judge whether web-chat handling works?

Review chats receiving a useful first response, handovers completed with context, sensitive-data incidents. Combine the numbers with sampled records and customer context; do not treat activity volume as a business outcome.

Read all CRM questions

Continue the journey

Web chatTeam inboxSecurity and dataSocial direct-message handling

Delegate the work. Keep the human.

Ready to organise the customer journey?

Subscribe through the approved secure checkout, or review pricing and responsibilities before you decide.

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121 CRM

Your customers. Your conversations. Your business. Organised around clear ownership and human decisions.