Postponing conversations
Defer eligible work for a chosen interval without ending its conversation.
What it is
Postpone puts eligible work aside for a chosen interval while keeping the conversation available for later service. INSIDE records the postponement in an internal comment. Postponement, an assignment hold and a ticket's On Hold status are separate controls.
Who uses it and why
- Operators defer owned work until a later follow-up or until more information is available.
- Supervisors review postponed work and check that it returns to service.
Where to find it
Use the Postpone control in the conversation pane when it is available for your owned conversation. The broader Queue view can filter postponed work.
How it works
- Open a conversation assigned to you.
- Open Postpone Conversation, select a positive follow-up interval with the slider and choose Set.
- INSIDE records the future time and adds an internal comment identifying the postponement.
- Applicable non-web work can leave your floor. Voice callbacks and voicemail can release ownership.
- When the deferral clears, ordinary routing and capacity checks determine the next service opportunity. The previous postponing operator can receive preference.
A visitor message or a supported action that brings the work back to the floor can clear postponement before the chosen time. A due time makes work eligible again; it does not reserve an exact response time.
Configure it
With the Settings role, review Can Postpone Chats in Settings › Chat › General Settings for web chat and applicable inactive voice work. The desktop control also requires Assigned Chat Expiry (secs) to be zero or at least 180 seconds in those cases; ask Powerfront to change that setting. Ask Powerfront to review original-channel preservation if returning work is routed unexpectedly.
Settings
| Setting | Where | Applies to | Default | Who can change it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can Postpone Chats | Settings › Chat › General Settings | website | Off | Settings role | Enables the postpone control for applicable web chat and inactive voice work, subject to ownership and expiry settings. |
| Keep original channels when moving back to queue | Settings › General Settings › Admin | website | Off | Powerfront | Preserves routing for eligible work returning after postponement, subject to transfer and destination restrictions. |
Fields
| Field | Where | Required | What it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Postpone Conversation | Conversation pane › Postpone Conversation | Yes | Uses the duration slider to select how long the current conversation is deferred. |
Permissions
| Permission | Lets you |
|---|---|
| Chat | Postpone eligible owned conversations through the conversation controls. |
Limits and good to know
- The postponement interval must be positive. A closed conversation cannot be postponed.
- The standard non-web slider offers intervals from 30 minutes to five days. Web chat choices depend on its configured expiry limits.
- The visible control requires the conversation to belong to you and varies by platform and state.
- Active voice calls and voice wrap-up do not use the ordinary postpone control.
- Assignment holds and workflow ownership can continue to prevent assignment even when a postponement is no longer active.
- Postponement does not disable every platform's expiry rule.
Depends on and works with
View all connections as a list
This feature uses
- Admin settings and feature switches · managed by PowerfrontConfigured by
Admin settings control the expiry limits and original-channel policy that affect postponement.
- Starting, ending and expiring chatsRequires
Postponement applies to an existing conversation and differs from ending it.
- Chat queueEnhances
Assignment postponement excludes work from ordinary queue pickup until eligible again.
- DepartmentsConfigured by
Channel routing determines eligible recipients when postponed work returns for service.
- Email ticket handling and statusesRelated
A ticket's On Hold status is separate from postponing its next service time.
- Live visitor and operator floorEnhances
Bringing work back to the floor can clear its postponement before the selected time.
- Telephone callback requestsEnhances
Postponing a voice callback can release its current ownership.
- Voicemail messages and follow-upEnhances
Voicemail work has specialised postponement handling.
Used by
- Chat trayEnhances
Postponed chats show a postponed indicator in place of their ordinary timer.
- Starting, ending and expiring chatsEnhances
Postponement defers service without ending the conversation.
- Chat queueConfigured by
Assignment postponement prevents ordinary queue pickup until eligible again.
- Virtual Assistant task actionsEnhances
A newly created outbound conversation can be postponed.
- Telephone callback requestsEnhances
Operators can postpone accepted callback work for later follow-up.
- Voicemail messages and follow-upEnhances
Operators can postpone voicemail work for later follow-up.
FAQ and troubleshooting
Why is Postpone missing?
Check ownership, platform and state. For web chat, have an operator with the Settings role check Can Postpone Chats and ask Powerfront to check the assigned chat expiry interval.
Why did postponed work return early?
A visitor reply or bringing the conversation back to the floor can clear the deferral.
Will it always return to me?
The previous postponing operator can be preferred, but eligibility, routing and capacity still apply.
Is postponing a ticket the same as On Hold?
No. On Hold is a ticket status. Postponement sets a separate future service time.