--- sourceDocument: Zurich Conversational Interfaces sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/conversational-interfaces Release : - zurich ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Zurich Conversational Interfaces ft:clusterId : - convint bundleId : - convint workflow : - Platform --- # Agent Whisper # Agent Whisper {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Zurich Updated July 31, 2025 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read Summarize ![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) Summarized using AI This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete. ## Summary of Agent Whisper Agent Whisper enables private communication between agents and chat managers during live chat sessions without the requester being aware. This feature allows agents to request help, collaborate discreetly during customer interactions, and escalate conversations to managers for support or de-escalation. Activation is done through Agent Chat settings, making it a valuable tool for training, assistance, and managing complex or sensitive interactions efficiently. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Private Messaging:** Agents and chat managers can exchange messages visible only to each other via a dedicated Private Chat tab, which is visually distinct with a yellow background and excludes typing indicators to the requester. * **Help Quick Action:** Agents can request manager assistance by using the /help command or Quick Action menu, optionally sending a brief private note describing their needs before a manager joins. * **Manager Views for Help Requests:** Managers can monitor help requests through multiple interfaces: * Interactions list view with a "help requested" column * Manager dashboard (requires Workforce Optimization for Customer Service plugin) * Conversation Monitoring \> Help Requested list * **Joining Public Conversations:** Managers switching from private to public chat receive a confirmation prompt, ensuring they acknowledge that the requester will be notified upon the manager joining publicly. * **Attachment Sharing:** Files sent in Private Chat are shared only between the agent and manager, maintaining confidentiality. * **Transcript Management:** After a chat ends, two transcripts are generated: * An external transcript without private messages, available to requesters if enabled * An internal transcript including private messages, marked with "\[PRIVATE\]" prefixes, visible on the interaction record for internal review * **Reporting:** Administrators can create custom reports to track help requests, facilitating oversight of support interactions and agent needs. ## Benefits for ServiceNow Customers Using Agent Whisper allows your support teams to collaborate seamlessly and discreetly, improving training, reducing escalation friction, and enhancing customer experience by ensuring agents have timely back-end assistance. The separation of public and private communications preserves transparency with customers while enabling internal guidance. The transcript and reporting capabilities support audit, quality assurance, and continuous improvement efforts. Agent Whisper lets agents and chat managers have a conversation without the requester knowing. During a chat between a requester and an agent, the agent may want to privately ask a chat manager for assistance or a chat manager and an agent may want to converse without the requester knowing. Using Agent Whisper, the agent can request help and the chat manager and agent can send messages to each other without the requester knowing. For example, if an agent is newly hired, still in training, or unsure about how to proceed with a requester's request, the agent can ask a chat manager to join the conversation to help walk the agent through the steps of the procedure privately. Another scenario is if an agent needs to escalate a customer conversation to a chat manager. Agents can request help and chat managers can join the chat conversations publicly to communicate directly with the customer to help deescalate the situation. You activate Agent Whisper in Agent Chat settings. For details, see [Setting up Agent Chat](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/1C6~K57XLxHCIHxZNiYHaA "Configure Agent Chat to enable live agents to chat with customers and manage various conversation features for agents and end users. Through Agent Chat, agents interact with end users, create incident or case records, or transfer chats to another agent or queue."). ## Using the Help quick action {#ci-agent-whisper__section_mgb_hmf_ssb} Agents can ask chat managers to join chat conversations with requesters by raising the help flag. Agents can open the Quick Action menu or enter /help to request for help. When using the help quick action, agents can also type a brief private message explaining what they need help with. This way, when a chat manager enters the conversation, they already know what the agent needs. Chat managers can view the conversations with help requested from different views: interactions list view, manager dashboard, and lists. * Interactions list view: Agents can navigate to the interactions list view and add in the help requested column to see which conversations agents have requested help in. From here, managers can click directly into the interaction record and join the conversation with the agent and requester. * Manager dashboard: With the Workforce Optimization for Customer Service (com.snc.wfo.csm) plugin installed, managers can see that the Help requested tile on the manager dashboard homepage. * Lists: From Conversation Monitoring \> Help Requested, managers can view a list of chat interactions in which agents have requested help. {#ci-agent-whisper__ul_ep5_l13_kpb}To learn more about Workforce Optimization for CSM, see . ## Sending and receiving messages in Private Chat {#ci-agent-whisper__section_a3k_1nf_ssb} The agent and chat manager can converse without the requester knowing that they are having a conversation. Messages that only seen by the agent and chat manager are private messages. The requester does not see private messages. The agent and chat manager can toggle between the public and private messages using the Public Chat and Private Chat tabs. The Private Chat tab has a yellow background with "Message only visible internally" and private messages appear on the yellow background. When someone types in the Private Chat tab, the typing event indicator does not display. For example, when the chat manager types in the Private Chat tab, the agent's and requester's screen do not display the typing event indicator. The tab that the agent types on and sends the message from determines whether a message is posted privately or publicly. If an agent starts typing a message on the Public Chat tab and then switches to the Private Chat tab, the Private Chat tab does not display the message. If the agent then goes back to the Public Chat tab, the message is still there. However, agents can see private messages regardless of whether they are on the Private Chat tab or the Public Chat tab. {#ci-agent-whisper__table_vnt_kb3_kpb__entry__2} | Example of Public Chat | Example of Private Chat | |-|-| | | | [Table 1. Public versus Private chat] {#ci-agent-whisper__table_vnt_kb3_kpb} Figure 1. Example of public and private messages ## Joining a chat conversation in Private Chat {#ci-agent-whisper__section_yx4_knf_ssb} The first time a chat manager switches from a private conversation (on the Private Chat tab) to a public conversation (on the Public Chat tab), a dialog box displays. The dialog box informs the chat manager that they are about to join the public conversation and the requester will be notified that the chat manager is joining the conversation. The chat manager can select Yes, I'm sure to join the public conversation or select Cancel to remain in the private conversation. ## Sharing attachments in Private Chat {#ci-agent-whisper__section_fyt_prf_ssb} If agents send an attachment while on the Private Chat tab, the attachment is sent only to the agent and chat manager. Message Sent confirmation messages do not display for private message conversations. ## Private messages stored in internal chat transcripts {#ci-agent-whisper__section_t3g_vrf_ssb} Once the conversation ends, one external transcript and one internal chat transcript are generated. The public chat transcript does not include private messages and is accessible for the requester to download if the Download Transcript capability has been enabled. The private chat transcript is shown on the interaction record by default and does include private messages exchanged between agents and managers. Private messages are prefixed with the word \[PRIVATE\] to clearly indicate when a message came through the Private Chat. To learn more about downloading the chat transcript, see [Chat transcript downloads for requesters](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/jwVnGiy9qDg4xxYyP6Yybg "Once a conversation between a requester and a live agent ends, the requester can download a transcript of the conversation."). ## Custom report {#ci-agent-whisper__section_ikc_2sf_ssb} Admins can build a custom report to track the number of help requests, see [Build a report to track the number of help requests](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/O9FDPwgbZ6SImQ7SFO5P8w#ac-report-help-requests "Create a report that tracks the number of help requests.") for instructions.