Skip to main content

Auto Menu Setup

Auto Menu is an intelligent routing system that presents customers with a list of options when they start a chat. Based on their selection, the conversation is automatically routed to the appropriate support team or department. This ensures customers get help from the right people from the very beginning.

Key Benefits

  • Automatically qualify customer needs before agent assignment
  • Route conversations to specialized teams (Sales, Support, Billing, etc.)
  • Reduce wait times by connecting customers with the right experts
  • Support multiple menu templates for different channels
  • Re-engage returning customers after 24 hours of inactivity

How Auto Menu Works

When a customer starts a new conversation or returns after being inactive for 24+ hours, Auto Menu automatically sends a welcome message with numbered options.

1

Customer Starts Chat

When a customer sends their first message or returns after 24+ hours of inactivity, the Auto Menu is triggered.

2

Menu Options Displayed

The system sends a welcome message with numbered menu options for the customer to choose from.

3

Customer Selects Option

The customer replies with a number (e.g., "1") or the option text (e.g., "Technical Support"). Both formats are recognized.

4

Routed to Team

Based on the selection, the chat is automatically assigned to the corresponding team. Agents in that team receive the chat notification.

Selection Matching

Customers can select by typing the number (e.g., "1"), typing the exact option text (case-insensitive), or typing natural language — AI will determine the matching option (e.g., "I need help withdrawing money" → "Withdrawal Support").

AI-Powered Matching

When customers type messages that don't exactly match any option (e.g., "I need help with my account"), the system uses OpenAI GPT-4o-mini to understand their intent and determine the matching option.

  • String matching first — tries exact matching (number, label) first to save costs
  • AI matching — if no match, calls AI to analyze intent
  • Fallback Group — if AI also can't determine, routes to fallback group

Fallback Group (Required): When creating a menu, you must select a fallback group. When both string matching AND AI cannot determine the customer's selection, the chat will be routed to this group to ensure no customer is left unattended.

Use Cases

Customer Support — Department Routing

Route customers to specialized support teams based on their issue type.

1. Technical Support 2. Billing & Payments 3. Account Issues 4. General Inquiry

E-commerce — Pre & Post-sales

Separate product inquiries from order support for faster resolution.

1. Product Information 2. Order Status 3. Returns & Refunds 4. Shipping Questions

Healthcare — Appointment & Services

Direct patients to the right department or service.

1. Book Appointment 2. Lab Results 3. Prescription Refill 4. Speak to a Nurse

Multi-language — Language Selection

Let customers choose their preferred language for support.

1. English Support 2. Vietnamese Support 3. Japanese Support

Setup Guide

1

Access Auto Menu Settings

  • Go to Automations in the sidebar menu
  • Click on Auto Menu
  • You'll see the Auto Menu configuration page
2

Create a Menu Template

  • Click the Create template button
  • Enter a Name for your menu (e.g., "Main Support Menu")
  • Enter a Welcome Message that will be shown before the options
  • Optionally select a specific Channel (or leave blank for all channels)
3

Add Menu Items

  • Click Add responses or Edit on your menu
  • For each option, enter a Label (e.g., "Technical Support")
  • Optionally add a Description for internal reference
  • Items are automatically numbered (1, 2, 3...)
4

Configure Team Routing

  • For each menu item, select a Target Group
  • When a customer selects this option, the chat will be routed to agents in that group
  • If no group is selected, the chat remains unassigned (broadcast to all agents)
  • Make sure you have created Groups in Settings before configuring routing
5

Activate Your Menu

  • Use the Toggle Switch in the top-right corner of the menu card
  • Important: Only ONE menu can be active at a time
  • When you activate a new menu, any previously active menu is automatically deactivated
  • New customers will now see your Auto Menu when they start a chat

Auto-Assign Integration

Sequential Flow: Auto-Menu → Auto-Assign
When both Auto-Menu and Auto-Assign are enabled, they work together to ensure chats are assigned to the right agent within the selected group.

When Selection Made

  • autoMenuStatus = SELECTED
  • assignedGroupId = targetGroupId
  • Auto-Assign runs with group filter
  • Only agents in group considered

When Timeout (5 min)

  • autoMenuStatus = SKIPPED
  • assignedGroupId = null
  • Auto-Assign runs WITHOUT filter
  • All agents considered

24-Hour Re-engagement

When a customer returns to chat after being inactive for more than 24 hours, the system automatically:

  • Detects inactivity — Checks if the last message was more than 24 hours ago
  • Resets assignment — Clears the previous team assignment to allow fresh routing
  • Shows menu again — Presents the Auto Menu so the customer can select a new option
  • Routes to new team — Based on the new selection, routes to the appropriate team

Why 24 hours? Within 24 hours, customers likely have the same issue. After 24 hours, they may have a different need and should be re-qualified.

Best Practices

Do

  • Keep menu options to 3-5 choices maximum
  • Use clear, concise option labels
  • Write a friendly welcome message
  • Include an "Other" option as fallback
  • Map each option to a specific team
  • Test the menu flow before activating

Don't

  • Create too many menu options (confusing)
  • Use vague or overlapping option labels
  • Leave options without team assignment
  • Forget to activate the menu after setup
  • Have multiple active menus (only one works)
  • Use technical jargon customers won't understand

Troubleshooting

Menu not showing to customers?

  • Check if the menu is activated (toggle is ON)
  • Ensure only ONE menu is active at a time
  • Verify the menu has at least one menu item
  • Check if the menu is channel-specific and matches the customer's channel

Customer's selection not recognized?

  • Customer must reply with the exact number (1, 2, 3) or exact option text
  • Partial matches require AI matching — check if AI matching is enabled
  • Check for typos in the menu item labels

Chat not routing to the correct team?

  • Verify the menu item has a Target Group assigned
  • Check if the target group exists and has agents
  • Ensure agents in the group are online to receive chats

Returning customer doesn't see menu?

  • Menu only re-appears after 24+ hours of inactivity
  • Within 24 hours, the customer continues their existing conversation
  • If the customer already selected an option, the menu won't show again until the 24h reset

Can I have different menus for different channels?

  • Yes! When creating a menu, you can specify a Channel
  • Channel-specific menus take priority over general menus
  • Leave the channel blank for a menu that works on all channels
← Auto-GreetingMulti-Language Translation →
Auto Menu Setup — Fiko Docs