If you’re running customer support for a company with more than one product, language, or region, you know how quickly things can get messy. Maybe you’ve got sales, billing, and tech support all under one roof. Or maybe your team is growing, and suddenly everyone’s jumping into every chat. Either way, it doesn’t take long for customers to get confused, tickets to get lost, and agents to get burned out.
This guide is for anyone using LiveChat who needs to manage multiple departments—without drowning in chaos or over-complicating things. I’ll walk you through practical steps, call out the pain points, and share the tips that actually work.
Why Bother With Departments?
If you’re still running everything through one big inbox, you’re probably wasting time. Departments let you:
- Route chats to the right people (no more “let me transfer you”).
- Report on team performance more accurately.
- Give agents a fighting chance at staying sane.
But just slapping department labels on your team isn’t a magic fix. Get it wrong, and you’ll end up with frustrated customers and confused agents—just with fancier labels.
Step 1: Decide If You Really Need Departments
Before you start, ask yourself:
- Do my customers have clearly different needs? (Sales vs. Support, for example.)
- Are my teams specialized, or does everyone do everything?
- Do I want different hours or chat widgets for different groups?
If your team is small and everyone answers every question, departments might just add clutter. But once you’ve got dedicated roles or regional teams, it’s time.
Pro tip: Start simple. You can always add more departments later, but cleaning up a messy setup is a pain.
Step 2: Map Out Your Departments (On Paper First)
Don’t jump into settings yet. Grab a notepad or whiteboard and sketch out:
- The main buckets of support you offer (e.g., Sales, Technical Support, Billing).
- Any specialized teams (e.g., VIP customers, Spanish-speaking support).
- Which agents should be in which groups.
Think about how customers will see these departments—if you make it confusing, they’ll pick the wrong one.
Common Department Setups
- By function: Sales, Support, Billing, Returns
- By product line: App Support, Hardware Support, Enterprise Sales
- By language or region: English, Spanish, EMEA, US
Don’t overthink this. Aim for the fewest departments that cover your needs.
Step 3: Set Up Departments in LiveChat
LiveChat’s department feature lets you group agents and route chats, but it’s not as flexible as some folks expect. Here’s what actually matters:
How To Create Departments
- Go to LiveChat’s Admin Panel.
- Navigate to Agents & Groups (sometimes called “Teams” or “Departments,” depending on your plan).
- Click Create Department (or Group).
- Name it clearly—avoid jargon or internal codes. “Billing Questions” beats “Group B.”
- Add agents to each department. Double-check: agents can be in more than one department.
- Save.
Heads up: You might be limited on the number of departments, depending on your LiveChat plan. Check before you plan out 20 of them.
Department Settings That Matter
- Availability: Set hours for each department if you need different coverage.
- Pre-chat survey: Let customers pick a department if it makes sense. Otherwise, route automatically based on rules or URLs.
Step 4: Route Chats to the Right Department
Routing is where most teams trip up. If customers land in the wrong place, everyone wastes time.
Your Options
- Let customers choose: Add a dropdown on the pre-chat form (“What do you need help with?”). Simple, but customers often guess wrong.
- Auto-route by page: If someone’s on the pricing page, send them to Sales. On the help center? Send to Support.
- Use triggers and rules: Route based on language, location, or even time of day.
Mix and match, but don’t make it complicated for customers. Two or three clear options are plenty.
What to avoid: Making customers guess. If they don’t know what “Tier 2” means, they’ll pick at random.
Step 5: Train Agents—And Set Expectations
Departments help, but only if agents know how they work.
- Tell agents which chats they’ll get. (“You’re in Billing and Support. Expect both.”)
- Set up notifications: Agents should only get pinged for their department’s chats.
- Teach agents to transfer chats: Make sure everyone knows how to quickly hand off a chat to another department, and what info to pass along.
Pro tip: Avoid “hot potato” transfers. If a chat gets bounced twice, customers lose trust.
Step 6: Keep an Eye on Metrics
Departments make reporting better—if you use it.
- Measure response and resolution times by department.
- Spot bottlenecks: Is Billing always backed up? Is Tech Support swamped at 3pm?
- Adjust staffing: If one department’s overloaded, shift agents or tweak routing.
Don’t obsess: Don’t chase vanity metrics. Focus on what actually helps customers.
Step 7: Tweak, Don’t Overhaul
Every company’s needs change. Revisit your setup every month or two:
- Are customers landing in the right place?
- Are any departments underused or overloaded?
- Are agents clear on what’s expected?
If something’s not working, change it. Don’t be precious about your original setup.
What Works (And What Doesn’t)
What Works
- Clear, customer-friendly department names.
- Simple routing (auto when possible).
- Agents in multiple departments (when it makes sense).
- Regular reviews and tweaks.
What Doesn’t
- Too many departments. (Customers get confused, agents get siloed.)
- Relying on customers to pick right every time.
- Ignoring reporting.
What to Ignore
- Fancy “AI-powered” routing unless you’ve got real scale—most small teams don’t need it.
- Overcomplicating with sub-departments or dozens of triggers.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Departments are a powerful way to bring order to your LiveChat setup, but only if you keep things straightforward. Start small, review often, and focus on what actually helps your team and your customers. If something feels clunky, it probably is—don’t be afraid to change it up.
Remember: the goal isn’t to have a perfect setup on day one. It’s to make things less chaotic over time. You’ll get there—one department at a time.