Wait

Adds a pause to the script.

Wait is useful in situations where the system needs a little bit of extra time to process requests, such as when: 

  • Writing files to a server or sending them by FTP.
  • Processing content.
  • Integrating with a CRM to retrieve and queue work items.

In these and similar situations, adding a short pause allows the processing to complete. It helps keep the servers from being overloaded with concurrent requests. The pause can be very short, as little as 0.1 seconds.

Wait has other uses, such as: 

  • To add a delay before the Hangup action. This gives the contact a chance to hangup first instead of hearing the call disconnect.
  • To add a delay before the Exit action in a chat script. If you terminate the script too quickly after a message has been sent, sometimes the last message doesn't appear in the chat.
  • To create a repeating loop with the Music action. Make sure you have connectors going both ways between Wait and Music.
  • To prompt the contact for another response when using the Askcaller action to prompt the contact for another response.

Dependencies

When using Wait to create a loop, such as with the Music action, you must have connectors going both ways between Wait and the other action, as shown in this example image.

Supported Script Types

The icon for a Generic script type - a rectangle with < and > symbols inside it.

The icon for the Email script type - a large @ symbol in a diamond.

The icon for the Chat script type - a chat bubble with an ellipsis inside (...), in a diamond shape.

The icon for the Phone script type - an old-style phone handset with curved lines indicating sound coming out of it.

The icon for the Voicemail script type - a symbol that looks like a cassette tape - two circles sitting on a horizontal line.

The icon for the Work Item script type-a piece of paper with one corner folded down and a bullet list on it.

The icon for the SMS script type - a smart phone with a chat bubble coming out of it.

The icon for the Digital script type - a computer monitor with a smartphone next to it.

Generic

 Email Chat Phone Voicemail Work Item SMS Digital

Input Properties

These properties define data that the action uses when executing.

Property

Description
Caption

Enter a short phrase that uniquely identifies this action in the script. The caption appears on the script canvas under the action icon. The default is the action name.

Seconds

Enter the length of the pause in seconds. You can enter an amount that's less than one second, such as 0.5,

Result Branch Conditions

Result branch conditions allow you to create branches in your script to handle different outcomes when an action executes.

Condition

Description

Default

Path taken unless the script meets a condition that requires it to take one of the other branches. It is also taken if the action's other branches are not defined.

Tips & Tricks

  • Wait can be particularly useful in scripts with files being written to a server or FTP'd.
  • Wait can be helpful in scripts that process content or integrate with a CRM to retrieve and queue work items. Adding a short pause with this action allows the processing to complete and helps keep the servers from being overloaded with concurrent requests. A short wait such as 0.1 seconds, can prevent problems.
  • Include several seconds of wait time before a Hangup action. This gives the contact a chance to hang up before hearing the call disconnect.
  • Add a Wait before an Exit action in a chat script. If you terminate the script too quickly after a message has been sent, sometimes the message doesn't appear in a chat.
  • Loop a Wait action with an Askcaller action to prompt the contact for another response.
  • If you test the script and it seems to have trouble with a fractional number of seconds amount, try using a comma instead of a period. For example, instead of 0.5, try 0,5.

Script Example

This example is not a complete script. Additional scripting work is required to use this action.

This example shows a message that plays when the script is triggered and then requests and agent. If the caller has to wait for the agent to answer, music will play for 20 seconds and then suspended for 0.5, play for another 20, and so on until the call is answered.

Download this script.