How to create departments and assign operators?

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Introduction

To streamline your support operations and ensure the right agent responds to the right customer, Zoho SalesIQ allows you to create and manage departments. Each department can have a unique set of operators and even its own chat widget, enhancing both internal organization and customer engagement.

Step-by-Step Instructions

What Are Departments in SalesIQ?

Departments in Zoho SalesIQ allow you to:

Group related operators (e.g., Support, Sales, Billing).
Route chats to the right team based on visitor input or rules.
Customize chat widgets for different teams or web pages.

When you first create your portal, a default department is automatically created with the same name as your portal.

How to Create a New Department

Go to Settings > Company Settings > Departments
Click the Add button (top-right corner).

3. Enter the Department Name and a Description.

Choose the Department Type:

- Public – Visible to visitors. You can create embeds for these departments.
- Private – Hidden from visitors. Typically used for internal handoffs or back-office operations.
Under Associate operators to the department, click Add an Operator to select team members for this department.
Click Create Department to save.

Adding or Removing Operators in a Department

You can add or remove operators from a department at any time:

Go to Settings > Company Settings > Departments
Click an existing department (or create a new one).
Under Associate operators to your department, click the + icon to open the operator selection pop-up.
Select the operators you want to add and click Add.

5. To remove an operator, click the – icon beside their name in the Added operators list.

Email Configuration for Departments

Each department can have its own set of email notifications and forwarding rules.

In the department creation/edit page, click on Advanced Settings or scroll to the Email Configurations section.
Configure the following fields:
- From Mail Address – Email used when replying to visitors.
- Chat Transcript – Send full transcripts to specific emails after every chat.
- Operator IP Block Notification – Alert when an IP is blocked.
- Visitor Feedback – Forward feedback to a designated email.
- Missed Visitor Notifications – Notify when a chat request is missed.
- Email Copier – Auto CC a defined email when responding to visitors.

3. You can enter multiple email addresses by separating them with commas.

4. To disable a specific configuration, click the check mark beside the field

Modifying Existing Departments

To edit an existing department:

Go to Settings > Company Settings > Departments
Click on the department you want to edit.

3. You can:

- Change the name, description, or visibility (public/private)
- Add or remove operators
- Modify email configuration settings

Changes are saved automatically as you edit.

Disabling or Deleting a Department

To Disable a Department:

Go to Settings > Company Settings > Departments
Select the department.
Toggle off the Enabled switch.

To Delete a Department:

Go to the same page.
Click the Delete icon (next to the enable/disable toggle).

Deleting a department is permanent and cannot be undone.

Summary

Departments in Zoho SalesIQ help you organize your teams, improve chat routing, and manage communication more effectively. By assigning operators and configuring department-specific email settings, you can build a responsive, well-structured live chat support system.