Custom Agent Roles

In LiveAgent, there are three default agent groups your agents can have:

• User - Standard agent role with basic permissions for handling customer interactions
• Admin - Administrative role with elevated permissions for managing agents and configurations
• Owner - Owner role with full system access and control

These basic roles determine the level of access an agent has, permissions, admin settings, and other main aspects of the organization in the contact center. On top of that, agent roles usually have an impact on the agency interface and its reviewing rights.

Why Create Custom Agent Roles?

However, some customer service teams deal with more specific customer issues, so it is necessary for them to have an individual, custom role along with basic roles. You can add 3 more custom roles to the default ones. After you assign custom roles to your agents, you can further edit and even remove them, so your system configuration always suits your needs.

Examples of Custom Agent Roles

Different organizations may benefit from different custom roles based on their specific needs:

• Technical Support Specialist - For agents handling complex technical issues with elevated permissions to access system logs and advanced troubleshooting tools
• Billing Specialist - For agents handling payment and billing inquiries with access to financial data and refund capabilities
• Sales Support Agent - For agents assisting with sales-related questions and product demonstrations
• VIP Customer Support - For agents handling premium or high-value customer accounts with special permissions and priority access
• Social Media Manager - For agents managing social media customer interactions with specific channel access

Benefits of Having Custom Agent Roles

Increased Productivity

When you clearly define roles for all your agents, it eliminates confusion and increases productivity in your organization. Agents understand their responsibilities and can focus on their specific areas of expertise without being distracted by tasks outside their scope.

Decreased Resolution Time

You can use routing options to assign tickets to agents with specialized roles. These agents can then quickly and efficiently resolve customer issues as it is their area of expertise. By matching the right agent to the right ticket, you significantly reduce the time needed to resolve customer problems.

Increased Agent Satisfaction

Defining roles for your specialized teams of agents ensures that they stay efficient and utilize their unique skills. This allows them to perform better in their jobs and, therefore, increases their employee satisfaction. Agents who work within their area of expertise tend to be more engaged and motivated.

Enhanced Customer Experience

Having groups or individual agents that specialize in particular areas allows them to provide better customer service. They can resolve tickets more efficiently with a high level of expertise. Customers benefit from interacting with knowledgeable specialists who can provide accurate, detailed solutions to their specific problems.

Better Resource Allocation

Custom roles enable you to allocate your team resources more effectively. You can identify which agents excel in specific areas and assign them accordingly, ensuring optimal use of your team’s capabilities.

Improved Quality Control

Specialized roles make it easier to implement quality control measures specific to each role. You can set different standards, monitoring criteria, and training requirements for different types of support.

Best Practices for Custom Agent Roles

Define Clear Role Descriptions

Create detailed descriptions for each custom role that outline:

• Primary responsibilities
• Types of tickets they handle
• Required skills and knowledge
• Performance expectations

Align Roles with Business Needs

Ensure your custom roles directly support your business objectives. Don’t create roles just for the sake of having them—each role should serve a specific purpose.

Provide Adequate Training

When you introduce new custom roles, ensure that agents assigned to those roles receive proper training on:

• Their specific responsibilities
• The permissions they have
• How to use the tools available to them
• Best practices for their role

Regular Review and Updates

Periodically review your custom roles to ensure they still align with your business needs. As your organization grows and changes, your role structure may need to evolve as well.

Document Your Role Structure

Maintain clear documentation of:

• All custom roles in your system
• The permissions associated with each role
• Which agents are assigned to which roles
• The rationale behind each role

Use Routing Rules Effectively

Combine custom roles with LiveAgent’s routing capabilities to automatically direct tickets to the most appropriate agent based on their role and expertise.

Limitations and Considerations

Maximum Number of Custom Roles

LiveAgent allows you to create up to 3 custom roles in addition to the default roles. Plan your role structure carefully to make the most of this limitation.

Permission Complexity

As you add more custom roles, managing permissions can become more complex. Document your permission structure clearly to avoid confusion.

Training Requirements

Each new custom role requires training for the agents assigned to it. Factor in training time when implementing new roles.

Comparing Custom Roles with Default Roles

Integration with Other LiveAgent Features

Custom agent roles work seamlessly with other LiveAgent features:

• Ticket Routing - Automatically route tickets to agents with specific roles
• Automation Rules - Create rules based on agent roles
• Reporting - Generate reports filtered by agent role
• Knowledge Base - Assign knowledge base access based on roles
• Call Center Features - Route calls based on agent specialization

Conclusion

Custom agent roles are a powerful feature in LiveAgent that allows you to optimize your customer support operations. By creating specialized roles tailored to your team’s needs, you can increase productivity, reduce resolution times, improve agent satisfaction, and ultimately deliver a better customer experience.

Whether you’re managing a small support team or a large contact center, custom agent roles help you organize your team effectively and ensure that each agent is working in their area of expertise. Start by identifying the key specializations in your organization, then create custom roles that support those specializations.

Ready to improve your customer service with custom agent roles? Try LiveAgent for free today and discover how you can optimize your team’s performance!