Core concepts
The parts of SI Desk: business, teammates, conversations, contacts, channels and the assistant.
Business
A business is one company's support desk. It has its own inbox, team, brand and settings. Nothing is shared between businesses. If you belong to more than one, switch between them from the business name at the top of the screen.
Teammates
Teammates are the people who answer customers. Each teammate has a role in the business:
| Role | What they can do |
|---|---|
| Owner | Everything, including business settings and members. |
| Admin | Business settings and members. |
| Member | Work in the inbox. Members cannot change business settings. |
Conversations
A conversation is one thread of messages with a customer. Each conversation has a status:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Open | The customer is waiting for your team. |
| Waiting | Your team replied and is waiting for the customer. |
| Closed | The conversation is finished. |
A new message from the customer reopens the conversation. A conversation can be assigned to one teammate. The first teammate to reply is assigned automatically if nobody else is. Teammates can also add notes, which the customer never sees.
Contacts
A contact is a customer. SI Desk keeps each contact's name, email, past conversations and recent activity on your website, so you can see who you are talking to.
Channels
A channel is where a conversation happens:
- Chat: the widget on your website.
- Email: messages to your support address.
Slack posts and push notifications only alert your team. Customers cannot write through them.
The assistant
The assistant is an optional AI that answers new conversations from your documentation. When it cannot help, it hands the conversation to your team. See How the assistant works.