December 18, 2024 #
What’s Shipped #
Features and updates released to Production
Updated Sidekick Conversations Statuses
We replaced existing Conversation statuses on the Sidekick Conversations page to enhance the clarity and meaning of each status.
Sidekick, Hero, and Sidekick & Hero statuses will be deprecated this week and replaced with:
- Sidekick did not respond – Sidekick transferred the Conversation without sending a Generative AI response to the Customer. For example, the Customer types “Agent” before Sidekick sends a Generative AI response, and Sidekick immediately transfers to an Agent.
- Sidekick resolve
d– Conversation has been closed, and Sidekick did not hand off to an Agent. - Sidekick handed off – Sidekick responded to the Customer and handed off to an Agent without resolving the Conversation.
What’s Coming #
Coming soon to Sandbox and product news
[Early Access] Sidekick Conversation Summary Upon Handoff to Agent
When a Customer is handed off to an Agent, a summary of the dialogue between Sidekick and the Customer is automatically generated and visible in the Conversation Timeline. This summary provides context about the automated interaction with Sidekick and suggests possible steps the Agent may consider taking next once they are routed to the Customer, avoiding the need for Customers to repeat themselves.
This feature is currently deactivated for Answer Threads customers but can activated upon request by contacting Gladly Support or your CSM. It will become generally available to all Answer Threads customers in early January.
[Action Required] Update IVR Holiday Schedule
It’s time to review and update your Gladly IVR to ensure smooth operations during the holiday season. Begin by checking the Schedule node, typically labeled “Holiday Check,” is set to display the correct year. This update is essential to ensure your IVR accurately handles calls during your specified holiday hours, routing callers appropriately and preventing them from entering the queue when your contact center is closed for specific holidays.
Watch the video to learn how to update the IVR.
As a quick tip, you can manually close your phone lines for a specific period if needed. This feature allows you to temporarily adjust contact center availability, providing flexibility for team meetings, training sessions, or unexpected closures.
Gladly Support Holiday Hours
Kindly review Gladly Support’s holiday schedule. For the Christmas and New Year holidays, we’ll have reduced staffing from Tuesday, 12/24, to Wednesday, 1/1/25.
- P1s and P2s for Premium Support will be responded to per their normal SLAs.
- P1s for Standard Support will be answered within a 2-hour calendar SLA.
- Other submissions will typically be handled within normal business hours SLAs outside Gladly Support holiday hours.
Resolved Issues #
Issues and bugs we squashed
[Action Required] Unable to Exit Chat (Mobile) After Clicking an Image
Fixed – Clicking on an image in a mobile chat session (Glad App iOS) prevented Customers from closing the image and returning to the chat. Action is required to avoid this issue. Gladly customers using Glad App for iOS must update the iOS SDK to version 1.3.4 to apply the fix.
Inaccurate Error Handling With Gladly Reports
Fixed – Generating OOTB reports or dashboards sometimes triggered an inaccurate error, like an unstable internet connection, due to occasional latency with our reporting partner, Looker. The timeout period has been increased to reduce latency-related errors.
Missing Status in Agents Liveboard
Fixed – The “Column On” status appeared blank for some Agents and did not display Contacts they are working on.
Don’t Miss Out #
Events, notices, and Gladly news
PRODUCT
Expose Glad App (Chat) in Shopify Checkout and Thank You Pages
Gladly customers using Shopify can now see the Glad App widget on their Shopify Checkout and Thank You pages through the Gladly App in the Shopify App Store. This feature enables support teams to engage with Customers during key moments in their purchasing journey, helping to reduce cart abandonment and increase conversion rates.
See Add Glad App to Shopify ‘Checkout’ and ‘Thank You’ Page for instructions on adding Glad App to Shopify Checkout and Thank you pages.
RESOURCE
Your Guide to Handling Unexpected Platform Issues
Our Action Plan in Case of an Unexpected Platform Issue document is designed to guide you through steps during any unforeseen issues. It outlines our recommended actions during an unexpected outage or platform issues that may affect how Customers communicate with you. Bookmark this page to quickly access information on what to do during an unexpected service interruption.
RESOURCE
Gladly Referral Promotion
Love using Gladly? Now’s your chance to share the experience with others in your professional network. Submit your B2C or e-commerce referral by January 31, 2025, to receive up to $2,000! Visit the Refer-A-Friend program to learn how.
REVIEWS
You’re In Good Company
We’d love to hear from you! Please share your insights on Gladly and leave us a review on G2 Crowd 
.
December 11, 2024 #
What’s Shipped #
Features and updates released to Production
Expose Glad App (Chat) in Shopify Checkout and Thank You Pages
Customers can now connect directly with your support team through Chat by adding the Glad App widget to your Shopify Checkout and Thank you pages through the Gladly App in the Shopify App Store. This feature enables your support team to engage with Customers during key moments in their purchasing journey, helping to reduce cart abandonment and increase conversion rates.
See Add Glad App to Shopify ‘Checkout’ and ‘Thank You’ Page for instructions on adding Glad App to Shopify Checkout and Thank you pages.
Introducing the Sidekick Conversation Time Dashboard
It’s a new way to quantify your team’s time savings with the help of Sidekick. The Sidekick Conversation Time dashboard calculates the hours saved by Sidekick by measuring the number of Customer responses it handles and comparing them to the time your Agents would have spent on those interactions. The dashboard translates Sidekick’s workload into estimated Agent hours, giving you a clear view of Sidekick’s productivity and time-saving impact.
WhatsApp Channel Integration: Now With Self-Serve Setup
Now, you can connect WhatsApp directly through the Gladly Settings page without engaging Gladly Professional Services. This means:
- You can add and manage WhatsApp accounts directly to Gladly without assistance.
- The intuitive, step-by-step setup process is on the Gladly Settings page.
- Quick activation of WhatsApp messaging capabilities.
With this update, your team can quickly expand your communication Channels, giving Customers the convenience of reaching you on their preferred messaging platform.
See Set Up and Configure WhatsApp for instructions on setting up WhatsApp.
Updated Sidekick to Agent Handoff Routing Message
Whenever Sidekick routes a Customer to an Agent, the Conversations page event now says “Sidekick handed off…” instead of “Sidekick transferred…” signifying that Sidekick handed the Conversation to an Agent.
What’s Coming #
Coming soon to Sandbox and product news
[Action Required] Update IVR Holiday Schedule
It’s time to review and update your Gladly IVR to ensure smooth operations during the holiday season. Begin by checking the Schedule node, typically labeled “Holiday Check,” is set to display the correct year. This update is essential to ensure your IVR accurately handles calls during your specified holiday hours, routing callers appropriately and preventing them from entering the queue when your contact center is closed for specific holidays.
Watch the video to learn how to update the IVR.
As a quick tip, you can manually close your phone lines for a specific period if needed. This feature allows you to temporarily adjust contact center availability, providing flexibility for team meetings, training sessions, or unexpected closures.
Gladly Support Holiday Hours
Kindly review Gladly Support’s holiday schedule. For the Christmas and New Year holidays, we’ll have reduced staffing from Tuesday, 12/24, to Wednesday, 1/1/25.
- P1s and P2s for Premium Support will be responded to per their normal SLAs.
- P1s for Standard Support will be answered within a 2-hour calendar SLA.
- Other submissions will typically be handled within normal business hours SLAs outside Gladly Support holiday hours.
Resolved Issues #
Issues and bugs we squashed
Incorrect Composer Appearing After Automation Handoff
Fixed – When automation handed off a Customer to an Agent, instead of opening the appropriate Composer for the Channel where the Conversation occurred, like Chat, it instead opened the Notes Composer.
Changing Topic Name Case Triggered an Error
Fixed – Changing the case of an existing Topic name, e.g., Cancel reservation -> Cancel Reservation, would fail because it was seen as a non-unique Topic.
Don’t Miss Out #
Events, notices, and Gladly news
RESOURCE
Rothy’s Creates Blueprint for Scalable Customer Service
After experiencing explosive growth following its 2016 launch, Rothy’s lean customer service team faced a familiar challenge: scaling efficiently without compromising on personalized support.
By integrating AI into their digital support operations, Rothy’s successfully scaled their support volume while preserving their signature personal touch.
The proven results:
- Chat volume grew from 2% to 41% of interactions
- 93% customer satisfaction with AI-powered interactions
- 34% reduction in handle time
RESOURCE
Your Guide to Handling Unexpected Platform Issues
Our Action Plan in Case of an Unexpected Platform Issue document is designed to guide you through steps during any unforeseen issues. It outlines our recommended actions during an unexpected outage or platform issues that may affect how Customers communicate with you. Bookmark this page to quickly access information on what to do during an unexpected service interruption.
RESOURCE
Gladly Referral Promotion
Love using Gladly? Now’s your chance to share the experience with others in your professional network. Submit your B2C or e-commerce referral by January 31, 2025, to receive up to $2,000! Visit the Refer-A-Friend program to learn how.
REVIEWS
You’re In Good Company
We’d love to hear from you! Please share your insights on Gladly and leave us a review on G2 Crowd .
December 4, 2024 #
What’s Shipped #
Features and updates released to Production
Updated Interface When Creating a New Glad App
The Glad App modal shown when creating a new Glad App has been updated for clarity and consistency. Clicking the `Create` button will no longer be possible without adding an address for a new Glad App.
Filter by Inbox Where Conversation last Closed in Sidekick Dashboard
Fixed – The field used for the Inbox filter within the Sidekick Dashboard has been modified from the Inbox where the Conversation was created to the Inbox where the Conversation existed when it was last closed. Now, filtering by Inbox will yield a visible effect on Assisted Conversations and Resolutions, as results are filtered to show the subset of Conversations routed to the selected Inbox at the time that those Conversations were last closed.
What’s Coming #
Coming soon to Sandbox and product news
[Action Required] Update IVR Holiday Schedule
It’s time to review and update your Gladly IVR to ensure smooth operations during the holiday season. Begin by checking the Schedule node, typically labeled “Holiday Check,” is set to display the correct year. This update is essential to ensure your IVR accurately handles calls during your specified holiday hours, routing callers appropriately and preventing them from entering the queue when your contact center is closed for specific holidays.
Watch the video to learn how to update the IVR.
As a quick tip, you can manually close your phone lines for a specific period if needed. This feature allows you to temporarily adjust contact center availability, providing flexibility for team meetings, training sessions, or unexpected closures.
Gladly Support Holiday Hours
Kindly review Gladly Support’s holiday schedule. For the Christmas and New Year holidays, we’ll have reduced staffing from Tuesday, 12/24, to Wednesday, 1/1/25.
- P1s and P2s for Premium Support will be responded to per their normal SLAs.
- P1s for Standard Support will be answered within a 2-hour calendar SLA.
- Other submissions will typically be handled within normal business hours SLAs outside Gladly Support holiday hours.
Resolved Issues #
Issues and bugs we squashed
Topics Displayed in Incorrect Hierarchy Order
Fixed – Deeper levels within a Topic hierarchy were displayed under an incorrect parent Topic if the parent Topic name was fully contained in the name of the child Topic. Children of the shorter named Topic erroneously appeared under the longer named Topic instead. For example, a child Topic of ‘Cancel Booking > Non-Refundable‘ would appear under ‘Cancel Booking > Non-Refundable (Hotel)‘ instead. Note that this bug only impacted the way that child topics were displayed in certain reports, it did not impact the underlying data.
Don’t Miss Out #
Events, notices, and Gladly news
RESOURCE
Rothy’s Creates Blueprint for Scalable Customer Service
After experiencing explosive growth following its 2016 launch, Rothy’s lean customer service team faced a familiar challenge: scaling efficiently without compromising on personalized support.
By integrating AI into their digital support operations, Rothy’s successfully scaled their support volume while preserving their signature personal touch.
The proven results:
- Chat volume grew from 2% to 41% of interactions
- 93% customer satisfaction with AI-powered interactions
- 34% reduction in handle time
PRODUCT
Master Answer Threads Management in 10 Minutes
This video helps Answer Threads customers confidently adopt Answer Threads by explaining its components, guiding ongoing management, and highlighting its similarities to training human Agents. It covers using the dashboard and Contacts page for QA, fine-tuning Public Answers, adjusting Advice, and evaluating Transfer Reasons, positioning Answer Threads as a contact center essential.
RESOURCE
Your Guide to Handling Unexpected Platform Issues
Our Action Plan in Case of an Unexpected Platform Issue document is designed to guide you through steps during any unforeseen issues. It outlines our recommended actions during an unexpected outage or platform issues that may affect how Customers communicate with you. Bookmark this page to quickly access information on what to do during an unexpected service interruption.
RESOURCE
Gladly Referral Promotion
Love using Gladly? Now’s your chance to share the experience with others in your professional network who are in the B2C or e-commerce business and earn up to $2,000! Visit the Refer-A-Friend program to learn how.
REVIEWS
You’re In Good Company
We’d love to hear from you! Please share your insights on Gladly and leave us a review on G2 Crowd .
