Nextiva NEXT - Shared Inbox

Accessing the Shared Inbox

The Shared Inbox view gives you access to either one inbox or many to conduct business with customers and internal employees out of. Think of it as your company’s ticketing system, where you can track all interactions Agents have had with customers in one place.

You may be assigned to more than one shared inbox, and may have certain settings enabled as an Agent that allow you to accept incoming calls, SMS, emails, live chats, or social media interactions from customers (or a variation of those).

Note: The Shared Inbox now shows messages from every channel in one list: Voice, SMS, Email, Chat, and Social Media. Each ticket displays a channel icon next to the customer name so you can see where it came from before opening it. You can reply to the customer through the same channel without leaving the Shared Inbox.

Shared inboxes are created by Administrators. Click here for more information about configuring a shared inbox.

1. Log in to NEXT via app.nextiva.io/.
   
   
   • Your login information was emailed to you from no-reply@nextiva.com. This email is triggered when a user is created in NEXT.
     
     
2. From the homepage, select a specific shared inbox on the left-hand side, or select All to view all shared inboxes.
   
   
   
   
   • Shared inboxes will have different emojis to represent them, and when you hover over the inbox, it will show a help tip to indicate the name of the inbox.
     
     
     
     
   • Expand the left side menu using the hamburger icon at the top of the left-hand navigation bar.
     
     
     
     
3. From the filter dropdown, select All Tickets to see any of the work that has funneled into the Shared Inbox, or select My Tickets from the dropdown to see active tickets that are assigned to you. If you have CX Mode enabled, you will not be able to see the filter options in the shared inboxes.
   
   
   • Any closed tickets you will need to view in All Tickets or in the Closed area.
     
     
   • Active tickets that have the status of In Progress or Open will be in the My Tickets area.
     
     
     
     
4. Select any ticket you are interested in to learn more.
   
   
   
   

5. You can now view past conversations, look at internal notes from the Agent assigned to the ticket, see the NextIQ or Collaboration history, ticket history, and other ticket information.

   • If the same customer contacts your company again, the conversations and tickets will be linked through their profile so you can see all interactions with that customer in one place.
     
     
     

Accepting an incoming customer query

To accept incoming queries from customers, you will need to enable Advanced CX Mode (if you have more than 21 phone lines on your account) or Simple CX Mode (if you have 1-20 phone lines on your account). Customers might call in, send an SMS, use live chat, send a message via social media, or send an email. Agents might have different channels (calls, SMS, live chats, social media messages, email) assigned to them, meaning they can only get some incoming customer queries. These channels are set by an Administrator in Administrator Settings. Click here to learn how to set this up.

• Simple CX Mode: 20 phone lines or less. Agents will be automatically set to Available when they sign in.
  
  
• Advanced CX Mode: This includes CX Mode and is for accounts with 21 lines or more. Agents will manually set themselves to Available when they sign in.
  
  
• Service Mode: This is when an Agent goes into a Shared Inbox and cherry picks tickets to work on, versus an automatic rotation for incoming customer queries. This is something an Agent could do if they have their status set to Do not disturb or Away, but still are helping with customer queries.
  
  For more information about how to use the different CX modes, click here.

1. In the upper right corner of NEXT, select the drop-down that says Available or another status.
   
   
   
   
   • If your Status drop-down only shows Status options, then you have Simple CX Mode. Select Available to begin accepting incoming customer queries. If you do not want to accept incoming queries, you will need to switch your status to Away or Do not Disturb.
     
     
     • For Simple CX Mode, you will be set to Available immediately upon login, meaning you will start receiving customer queries right away unless you change your status.
       
       
       
       
     • If you have Advanced CX Mode enabled on your account, you will see a header called Automatic distribution, with CX Mode listed. Select the blue Enable button to begin accepting incoming customer queries. If you do not want to accept incoming queries, you will need to switch your status to Away or Do not Disturb.
       
       
       
       
2. Select the relevant shared inbox that you will be working in, on the left-hand side of the screen, to see the incoming tickets or tickets assigned to you.
   
   
   
   
3. Wait for an incoming customer query. When it appears, you will see a dark box in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. Select Accept. You will only have a certain number of seconds to accept an incoming query.
   
   
   
   
   • An Administrator can adjust this setting for the entire Shared inbox to give Agents more or less time to accept an incoming query, as well as adjust what types of queries an Agent can receive (call, SMS, live chat, email, social media message).
     
     
     
     
   • You can also cherry-pick tickets from within the queue, even when you are not set to Available. To do this, go to the relevant Shared inbox and select the Open tickets option from the drop-down. Any tickets that are not already assigned to another Agent, you can assign to yourself to begin working on them.
     
     
4. You are now assigned the ticket and can begin working on it. See the section below for more details on what actions you can take.
   
   
   1. If you do not see the ticket appear right away on your screen, go back into the relevant Shared inbox, then select the ticket under the My Tickets drop-down.
      
      
   2. While working within a ticket, you can add notes to keep it up to date and to help explain what occurred during the interaction.
      
      
      

Ticket Actions 

These sections show the actions you can take within a ticket. You will need to accept a customer’s ticket first, either by cherry-picking a ticket or accepting an incoming live chat.

Cherry Picking a ticket from the Shared Inbox - Service Mode

If you want to work on Open tickets, but did not get a pop-up for an incoming ticket, you can cherry-pick them from the Shared inbox. Or if you are logging in and must first help clean up existing tickets before accepting new ones, you will want to cherry-pick a ticket.

1. Select the relevant shared inbox that you will be taking requests from on the left-hand side of the screen.
   
   
   
   
2. Change the filter drop-down at the top to Open to view open tickets. If you do not see any, choose All Tickets.
   
   
   
   
3. Scroll through the list of tickets, hovering over any ticket to see the status. If the Status is listed as Open and the Assignee is listed as Unassigned, you can select it and assign it to yourself. This is called cherry-picking a ticket from the queue.
   
   
   
   
4. Select the Assignee field on the right-hand side of the ticket window in NEXT.
   
   
   
   
5. Once you select it, you will be able to type your name to assign it to yourself.
   
   NOTE: If a ticket has the Closed status already, you will see the lock icon next to the Assignee field. You will no longer be able to change the Assignee once it is closed.
   
   
   
   
6. Done, the ticket is now reassigned to you. This change will appear in the ticket history. The ticket will now appear in the newly assigned Agent’s My Tickets area in the relevant shared inbox.
   
   

Updating the status of a ticket

Change what state a ticket is in with the steps below. Update the status to indicate what work has been done (or needs doing) on the related ticket.

1. Once you have assigned a ticket to yourself, while viewing the ticket, select the Status button on the right-hand side of NEXT.
   
   
   
   
2. A drop-down will appear, and you will have several statuses to choose from.
   
   NOTE: Once a ticket is marked as Closed, you will only be able to edit the status to Closed or Archived.
   
   
   
   
3. Select the status you want to use to wrap up the ticket or to come back to it later.
   
   

Ticket Status explanations

Transferring a Shared Inbox Ticket

To change an active ticket (not Closed) from one Agent to another, follow these steps. You might need to transfer a ticket to another Agent if you are unable to help the customer or if their request requires escalation to a Supervisor.

1. When you are in an active ticket, in the panel on the right-hand side, select the gray Reassign button.
   
   
   
   
2. A new window will appear. Select the Inbox you would like to transfer it to, if different than the one you are currently working in. Select the Assignee and select Transfer.
   
   

Alternative Way to Transfer a ticket

These steps produce the same result as above, just an alternative way to do it.

1. When you are in an active ticket, select the Assignee field on the right-hand side of the ticket window in NEXT.
   
   
   
   
2. Once you select it, you will be able to type in another Agent's or Supervisor’s name and assign it to them.
   
   
   • If a ticket has the Closed status already, you will see the lock icon next to the assignee field. You will no longer be able to change the assignee once it is closed.
     
     
     
     
3. Done, the ticket is now reassigned. This change will appear in the ticket history. The ticket will now appear in the newly assigned Agent’s My Tickets area in the relevant shared inbox.

What happens when a call is redirected to a Personal Inbox

When a call is initially received in a Shared Inbox and then redirected to a Personal Inbox, the call ticket includes additional details to show how the call was routed.

This information helps you understand where the call came from and who ultimately received it.

Adding an Internal Note on a Shared Inbox Ticket

There are two different ways to add an internal note to a ticket. Internal notes are used for Agents, Supervisors, and Administrators to get additional context on a situation. Perhaps the customer’s tone was positive or negative, or special accommodations were made outside of the ticket in a direct conversation with the Supervisor and the Agent, or more information about the interaction with the customer needs to be shared before transferring the ticket to another Agent. Internal notes help us with all of these scenarios and more!

Right-hand side of the screen, Add Note button

1. Once you have assigned a ticket to yourself, while viewing the ticket, select the Add Note button on the right-hand side of the screen.
   
   
   
   
2. A box to add a note will appear in the center of the screen. Start typing your note.
   
   
   
   
3. Select Save.
   
   
4. The note now appears on the right-hand side of the ticket window and in the communication activity feed.
   
   
   
   
   • When you change the status of a ticket, any words written in the Internal note field will appear as a note in the ticket. You can delete the pre-populated words from this section or customize it.
     
     

Within the Activity Panel, Internal Note dropdown

1. Once you have assigned a ticket to yourself, while viewing the ticket in the left-hand Activity panel, select the conversation as if you were going to reply. Select the drop-down where it says Live Chat. Change it to Internal Note. Within the Activity panel on the right-hand side, you will only see the option to add an Internal note if it is a phone call interaction. Whereas a live chat, SMS, or email will allow you to respond directly to the customer or add an Internal note.
   
   
   
   

2. Type in your note.
   
   
   
   
3. Select Save. The note now appears in the communication activity feed and on the right-hand side, under Internal Notes.
   
   
   
   

NextIQ is an AI bot designed to help you (the Agent or Supervisor), get answers quickly to customer questions. It pulls information directly from your company’s help articles or other online resources, depending on how it was set up by your company’s NEXT Administrators. These help resources are pre-populated by your company’s Administrator(s) via the Knowledge base area within Administrator Settings. 

NextIQ Answering Agent Questions

1. Type your question into the NextIQ window, which appears in the middle panel within a ticket when you are in the Shared Inbox.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the blue Send icon when done.
   
   
   
   
3. NextIQ will give you a suggested response to use with the customer based on the channel you are working in (SMS, call, email, live chat) as well as the relevant help steps and/or knowledge base articles. 
   
   
   • You can thumbs up/down the interaction, which helps the NextIQ AI learn what responses are helpful or not.
     
     
     
     
4. You can either select Send Reply, which will automatically populate that message into the conversation box:
   
   
   
   Or you can select the blue arrow next to Send Reply and ask NextIQ to change the way the response is written. Once it is changed, you can then select Send Reply on whichever one you like best, which will populate that message in the conversation box.
   
   
   
   
5. You can then use that response, or edit it further before selecting the Send icon to communicate with the customer.
   
   
   • You can still add emojis and attachments to your reply before hitting send, even if you use NextIQ.
     
     
6. Continue asking NextIQ questions as you work with the customer, as many times as you need.
   
   

NextIQ Ticket Summaries

In the left-hand panel within a ticket, called the Activity panel, you will see Ticket Handover Summary, which includes AI-generated details. This gives you an overview of what the query is, before you even begin messaging with the customer. These will appear for live chat interactions, but may appear for SMS, email, and call interactions as well. You can thumbs up or down the information to help train the NextIQ AI to learn which responses are helpful or not.

AI Summary requires voicemail transcription to be turned on when you are on the phone with a customer. If the phone conversation is 30 seconds or longer, it will begin to transcribe what is being said during the customer call.

Conversations via the phone will also show a live transcript, which will update as you talk with the customer and be included in your ticket notes. 

In the right-hand panel, where you will see the Ticket ID, Inbox, Assignee, and other key information about the query, you may see another NextIQ summary panel. You can thumbs up or down the information to help train the NextIQ AI learn which responses are helpful or not.

Once you are about to resolve the ticket, an internal note will be generated for you by NextIQ. You can keep or edit this note, or delete it and add your own before selecting Save.

Editing and Formatting NextIQ Responses

NextIQ now allows agents to edit and format AI-generated responses before sending them to customers. This enhancement gives you more control over the structure, tone, and delivery of each response.

How to Edit and Format a NextIQ Response

1. Ask NextIQ a question as usual in the Shared Inbox.
   
   
2. When NextIQ provides a suggested response, you’ll see the Edit Reply option in the top-right corner of the message box.
   
   
3. Selecting Edit Reply opens a formatting panel where you can customize the message.
   
   You can adjust:
   
   
   • Format: Choose how the message is presented (e.g., paragraph, bullet points, or shortened version).
     
     
   • Tone: Select the communication style (e.g., professional, friendly, concise).
     
     
   • Channel: Choose where the message will be sent (Email, Chat, SMS).
     
     
4. After selecting your preferred options, click Apply Changes.
   
   
5. NextIQ will automatically rephrase and format the response according to your selections.
   
   
6. Review the revised message. When ready, click Use Reply to paste the formatted response into the compose bar. The message is not sent automatically. You can review or edit it before selecting Send to deliver it to the customer.
   
   
7. You can still add emojis or attachments before selecting Send.
   
   

Example

Before editing:

Hi! ABC Dental Care offers comprehensive services: teeth fixing, whitening, and protection. Enhance your smile and confidence.

After editing (using bullet points + friendly tone):

ABC Dental Care offers:

• Fixing your teeth: from checkups to complex restorations.
• Teeth whitening: for a brighter, whiter smile.
• Tooth protection: tailored solutions for long-term care.
  
  

Using Collaboration while working on a Shared Inbox ticket

Collaboration allows you to chat with another Agent or a Supervisor in real time while you are working directly with a customer.

1. In the middle panel, select the Collaboration tab at the top.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the Start a conversation button.
   
   
3. You will see an internal conversation box appear in the center of the screen. Select who you would like to message with, type out the Topic (like the subject line of an email), and type in your message. Then select Start Conversation to send it.
   
   
   
   
4. Once sent, you will see your internal message in the Collaboration tab. You can toggle back to it at any time to message back or see responses.
   
   
   • In your communication activity feed, where you are chatting with the customer, you will see a light purple box. That is a way to select the Collaboration tab to see that conversation too.
     
     
     
     
5. You can talk back and forth with a teammate or Supervisor directly from this panel. If you only need to have one internal conversation, then you can keep typing in that Collaboration tab. Otherwise, follow the steps below to start a new Collaboration with a different Supervisor or teammate.
   
   

Starting a new Collaboration conversation on a ticket when a current one already exists

When you select the Collaboration tab, if a conversation appears and you want to chat with another coworker, follow these steps.

1. At the top, where the Topic is listed in bold, select the back arrow.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the pencil and paper icon to start a new conversation.
   
   
   
   
3. You can now start a new internal conversation and use the steps above for that, starting at step 3 in the section above.
   
   
4. To see all past conversations, select the back arrow at any time to see the list of internal conversations for that ticket.