9. Chat

About Channels & DMs

Chat is a powerful tool in any venue. Available for both Mobile and Web — SwitchBase Chat simplifies venue-wide communication by:

  • Splitting Group Channels and Direct Messages into distinct categories
  • Adding Pins to keep your workspace clean
  • Using AI to generate Records directly from your messages

Chat + AI Record Generation

  • To generate an actionable Record from a Chat:

    • Hover over any message and click the orange + Create Record icon

    • Select your target Form, click Auto-fill from message, and let SwitchBase populate your Record instantly
    • Click Create to send the completed Record to your Dashboards for prompt action

  • Visit AI Chat Records to learn all of the details and the tips and tricks!

Open Chats & Channels

Access your Chats from the Navigation panel or your Home Page:

  • A. Unread Chats → open Channels with recent activity
  • B. Group Channels → dedicated Chats for specific Groups and Departments
  • C. Direct Messages (DMs) → private Chats
  • D. Pins → push important Chats at the very top for instant access

Create as many custom Channels and DMs as your venue requires — such as:

  • Dedicated Channels for your departments → ex. Guest Services & Magic Moments

  • Direct Messages (DMs) between team members → ex. Alpha, Omega & Delta, Sierra

Mobile Chat Article

  • Learn all about Mobile Chat in our Mobile App Quickstart article

Use Chat

To Chat, simply:

  1. Scan the Navigation list for your active Chats

  2. Open a Channel or DM → ex. Guest Services Chat

  3. Read

  4. Respond

  5. Send

Set Chat Notifications

SwitchBase can ping your phone with notifications when a Chat (DM, Group, or Announcement) is sent.

Pop Out Chats

SwitchBase allows you to "pop out" your Chat into a floating window. This feature is perfect for multitasking, as it lets you keep your Channels and DMs visible while you navigate Dashboards or fill out Forms.

To Pop Out a Channel:

  1. Open any Channel or DM

  2. Select the Pop-out Icon

  1. Drag floating window to your preferred spot

  1. Minimize the floating window when not in use

Pin Chats

Pin Chats to the top for quicker access. Reorder your list by dragging the Waffle icons to your preferred spot.

To pin and unpin:

  1. Hover over any Chat to reveal its Pin → ex. Magic Moments

  2. Click the Pin!

    • Pin as many Chats as you wish

  3. To reposition → click and drag the waffle icon up or down

  4. To remove a Pin → just click it!

Show more / Show less

  1. Choose Show more → to display unpinned Chats

  2. Select Show less → to minimize the list

seven tips

  1. Pinned Chats always appear in the order you set
  2. Unpinned Chats appear when a new message is sent to you
  3. The number of new messages appears in a bubble
  4. New, unpinned Chats float directly below pinned Channels
  5. Unpinned Chats are alphabetized when idle
  6. Click Show More to view all of your Chats
  7. Click Show Less to view only pinned and active Channels

Edit Messages

To Edit a message you've sent:

  1. Hover over your message → and click the ellipsis (...)

  2. Select Edit from the drop-down

  3. Make your corrections → and click Save Changes

  4. To locate altered messages → look for Edited at end of the message

Insert Emojis

To insert an Emoji into a message:

  1. Click the insert Emoji icon

  2. Select your Emoji

  3. Click Send when ready

Insert Images

To Add an Image to a message:

  1. Hover over your message → and click the Upload Image icon

  2. Select your Image → and click Open

  3. Click Send when ready

    • Click x to Delete the image

Insert GIFs

To insert a GIF into a message:

  1. Click the GIF icon

  2. Use Search to find your GIF

  3. Select your GIF

  4. Click Send when ready

Delete Messages

To Delete a message you've sent:

  1. Hover over your message → and click the ellipsis (...)

  2. Select Delete → from the drop-down

  3. Click Delete → in the Delete Message pop-up

Owners Can Delete Anyone's Messages

  • If you are an Owner, you may delete any of the Chats of any members of the Group

    • Simply select Delete from the Ellipsis as explained above

    • The message will be removed with the notation → Message deleted

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Create, Share, Rename & Delete Chats

Do you have permission to create DMs or even Group chats?

Look for the Chat + icon. If you see it, then hover over and watch the Create Chat tooltip appear, click and go!

However, to act as an Owner or Access Manager for a Chat Group you will also need to see elements A, B, C in your header. These tools signal that you have the Permission to do some, or all, of the following:

Let's explore these additional permissions:

  • A. Edit Name pencil → name and rename a DM or Group Chat

  • B. Sharing button → share DMs and Group Chats

  • C. Editing (...) menu → including:

    • Edit Settings → name and rename a Group Chat or DM
    • Share → share a Group Chat or DM
    • Delete → zap a Group Chat or DM

Sharing Group Chats and DMs

  • You'll need to Share all of your DMs and Group Chats
    • Unless, of course, you want to Chat to yourself → ex. to make notes or log ideas
  • A quick look at the Sharing button indicates its status:

    • Private → the Chat is not shared → only you can see it!

    • Shared → displays the number of Roles or Individuals with whom you've shared → ex. 6

Create a new Chat

To create a new Group or DM for all of your chit-chats:

  1. Click the Create Chat + icon

  2. Name your Chat → ex. Magic Moments

  3. Invite Groups and/or individual Users

  4. Set Permission levels for each Group and User

    • Member is typically the proper setting for most participants
    • Access Managers can share the Chat Channel with others
    • Owners are the only ones who can Delete a Chat Channel

  5. Click Create

  6. Pin your new Chat if it's important to you

Use Search

  • Use Search to find your Group → ex. Magic Moments

  • Find individual Users with Search as well → ex. Sierra

Rename a Chat

To Rename a DM or Group Channel:

  1. Click the Edit Name pencil

  2. Click inside the name box → and Rename the Chat

  3. Click ✓ Save Changes → or click Discard Changes if you change your mind

Renaming alternative

  • Open the Editing menu and choose Edit Settings

  • Select the old name → and Rename your Chat

  • Press Save Changes

Delete a DM or Group Chat

To Delete a DM or a Group Chat for which you are the Owner:

  1. Open your DM or Group Chat → ex. Concessions Chat

  2. Select the Chat's ellipsis → ( . . . ) menu

  3. Pick Delete

  4. Click Delete again → poof ~ gone

Send Announcement Chats

Announcement Channels are one-way communications — often to multiple teams and individuals at a venue on a need-to-know basis. No responses are expected or needed for Announcements.

To share an Announcement Chat with multiple Groups or Teams:

  1. Open your target Chat from the Chat list → ex. Announcement

  2. Click the Share Chat button → or click Ellipsis (. . .) and pick Manage Access

  3. One-by-one, select all the Groups (and/or Individuals) → that should see your Announcements

    • Guest Services Team
    • Team Member-Command Center
    • Team Member-Custodial

  4. Drastically limit each Group or individual by selecting Viewer

  5. Click Save Changes

With Announcements, there is no way to reply

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Share DMs and Group Chats

Flexible SwitchBase sharing ensures that your teams stay focused on the specific communications they need to see and act on. There are four parts:

  1. Start Sharing
  2. Set the Permission Level
  3. Stop Sharing

To allow Group Members to initiate and send DMs to each other, see:

  1. Permit Private DMs

1. Start Sharing

There are two options for sharing; click the Share Button → or pick Share Channel from the Edit menu.

Share Chats with Groups and Users — as you'd share Dashboards and Forms:

  • A. Groups → Chat with Groups → ex. Magic Moments, Guest Services Team, Training, etc.
  • B. Users → DM individual Users → ex. Alpha, Austin, Beta, etc.

2. Set the Permission Level

There are five permission levels to select from:

  • Owner → has full access to view, message, edit, share, and delete the Chat
  • Access Manager → can view, message, and share the Chat with others
  • Team Member → can view, and message
  • Viewer → can only view the Channel
  • Custom → refine access with hand-selected permissions

every Chat needs an Owner

  • When you create a new Channel (Group or DM), you'll automatically be its Owner → ex. 'Karl'

  • You can reassign Ownership → and Multiple Owners are allowed

    • Warning: If you try and Delete the last Owner, you'll be stopped cold when you try to Save!
      • Assign a new Owner to continue

3. Stop Sharing

many reasons to block Chat access

  • Teams don't wish to be inundated → ex. Guest Services may not need to see the Group Chats from Patrol or Maintenance
  • You may need to keep some Chats confidential → ex. limiting the Security or Risk Team Group Chats to a need-to-know basis

To stop sharing a Chat with either a User or a Group:

  1. Click the Share button → or pick Share Channel from the Ellipsis (. . .) menu

  2. Click X to remove an Individual or a Group altogether

    • Notice that every Chat Needs an Owner

  3. Click Save Changes

USE CASE →

4. Permit Private DMs

In this use case we'll create a limited Role that will enable DMs between team members. Keep in mind:

  • Roles → grant Users the privilege to create and share Resources → ex. Channels, DMs Forms, Dashboards, etc.

4a. Create a "Staff Basics" only Role for DMs

To define a very limited "Staff Basics" Role that will (only) allow selected Users to create and share private DMs:

  1. Click Roles → Create Role

  2. Create the Role by:

    • A. Naming the Role → ex. Staff Basics
    • B. Switching on Direct Messages only
    • C. Saving this very limited Role!

4b. Add the Role to New Group Members

As you Invite or update Users, assign the new limited Role → ex. Staff Basics

4c. Update Existing Group Members

To add your new Staff Basics Role to existing team members like Alpha:

  1. Click open their User Resource Profile from the Users page → ex. Alpha

  2. Add the limited Role → ex. pick Staff Basics

  3. Click Save Changes

Notice that the new "Staff Basics" Role appears in the User Records of both Alpha and Sierra!

5. Send a DM

To send a private DM, Alpha can:

  1. Click the + Create DM Icon

  2. Pick a User from the list → ex. Sierra

  3. Send a private DM → ex. to Sierra!

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Custom Permissions

The standard SwitchBase permission levels (Viewer, Member, Access Manager, and Owner) cover almost every scenario. Custom permissions are rarely needed because they usually replicate these presets.

For example, granting a user both View and Message permissions effectively makes them a Member by definition. (Clicking the Share box will make someone an Access Manager!)

About the Update Permission

The primary reason to use Custom access is to trigger the Update permission. This is an Ownership-level power that allows a user to Edit a Chat's Settings to Rename a Group Chat or DM.

Assigning "Update" without giving the power to "Delete" is ideal for SwitchBase Admins who need to delegate the ability to manage a Chat's identity without the risk that a Chat Group or DM will be deleted accidentally. Remember, Deleting a Chat removes all of its messages and any record of it ever existing. Ouch.

Refer to this table for further insight:

Custom OptionEquivalent RoleDescription
ViewViewerRead-only access to the assigned Chat
MessageMemberIncludes View access, plus the ability to send messages
ShareAccess ManagerAll the above, plus the power to Share/Unshare the Chat with other Roles or Users
UPDATEPartial OwnerAll the above, plus the ability to open "Edit Settings" and Rename the Chat
DeleteOwnerFull control, including the permission to permanently Delete the Group Chat or DM

To set Custom settings:

  1. Select Custom next to any User → ex. Sierra

  2. Check (or uncheck) the permissions you wish to set (or remove) → ex. View, Message, Share, Update, & Delete

  3. Click Save Changes

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AI Chat Records

To AI generate Records directly from any Chat message:

  1. Hover over your target message
  2. As the orange + Create Record icon appears → click it!

  1. Open your target Form → ex. Issue
  2. Pick Create Blank → or pick an available Shortcut

  • Click the AI Auto-fill from message button

  • Click Create to send the completed Record to your Dashboards

Master AI-Chat Records

Tips and Tricks

  • Use these strategies to maximize the efficiency of your AI-Chat generated records:

    • Detail is your Friend → be as complete as possible in your message. The more context you provide, the more fields that Chat AI can auto-populate
      • Department Matching → for example, mentioning "Custodial Team" will automatically select that department from your list
      • Task Assignment → detailing a specific person will automatically assign the record to them
    • Person Reporting → because you are the one sending the message, the system automatically credits you as the originator
    • Don't Stress the Details → if you leave out a specific piece of information, don't worry — you can add it to the Record at your leisure, even after it hits the Dashboard
    • Try your own Chat messages → and generate new Records from the Messages you are posting
    • Full-Service Records → once generated, they function exactly like any other record
      • Use Related Records → link your Records to other incidents or related records with Related Records for complete post-event analysis

About Choosing your Form

  • When the + Create Record window opens, you have two ways to go:
    • Create Blank → pick the full Form with the Create Blank option so you can see exactly how much information the AI successfully parsed from your Chat request
    • Shortcut → if you choose a Shortcut, the record may be more complete than it looks at first glance. You can always verify the full AI generated details by opening the full Record from your Dashboard

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9. Chat