# Manual Assignment

When using manual assignment in a bot, messages are not automatically assigned to specific team members. Instead, they remain unassigned initially and can be manually picked up by team members to address customer queries. 

#### Manual Assignment Process:

Here’s how manual assignment typically works:

1. **Unassigned Messages:**
   * Messages coming into the system are categorized as "Unassigned" or "Pending".
2. **Manual Assignment by Team Members:**
   * Team members review the list of unassigned messages.
   * They manually select messages that they will handle based on their availability, expertise, or workload capacity.
3. **Fulfilling Customer Queries:**
   * Once a team member picks up an unassigned message, they work on resolving the customer query or responding to the message.
4. **Handling Availability:**
   * If a team member becomes unavailable or unable to respond, another team member can manually take over the message by selecting it from the unassigned pool.

#### Benefits of Manual Assignment:

* **Flexibility:** Allows team members to manage their workload and pick up messages based on their availability and expertise.
* **Customization:** Enables teams to prioritize and allocate resources effectively based on the nature and urgency of incoming messages.
* **Personalization:** Provides an opportunity for personalized customer service as team members can choose messages they feel best suited to handle.

Manual assignment in Ownchat empowers teams to deliver tailored customer service, optimize resource utilization, and maintain high standards of support. If you're setting up or optimizing manual assignment in Ownchat, consider these aspects to enhance operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.


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