Shared inbox

Definition

A shared inbox is a single mailbox in which every WhatsApp conversation received on the brokerage's number is visible to, and workable by, several people, each signed in with their own user account. Conversations can be assigned to a handler, marked as waiting or resolved, annotated with internal notes and linked to the client record. It requires a number connected to the WhatsApp Business API, since the WhatsApp Business app only allows limited sharing across a few devices, with no assignment or central history. It is not an internal WhatsApp group, which holds no client messages, and not the personal chat of each handler, which the firm cannot see.

What you need to know

A shared inbox addresses three recurring problems in brokerages. Continuity: when a handler is away or leaves, their conversations remain available and a colleague picks up without asking the client to start again. Workload: inbound requests are distributed, 24-hour windows about to close are visible, and nobody discovers a claim query three days late. Evidence: every exchange is timestamped, attributed and retained, which is what the FCA expects under Consumer Duty and SYSC record-keeping, what FAIS section 18 requires in South Africa, and what a complaints handler or ombudsman will ask for.

It also requires some team discipline: someone triages and assigns each morning, a labelling convention (waiting on client, waiting on insurer, resolved) is agreed, and internal notes capture context so it does not live in one person's head.

In ORIS the inbox is tied to Customers & Segments and to the Opportunities & Risks view: a conversation in which a client mentions a house move or a new baby is flagged as an opportunity, a tense one as a risk, and a suggested draft is offered to the handler. The shared inbox guide for UK brokers covers team workflow and record-keeping in depth, and the running the brokerage hub gathers related practices.

Concrete example

At a Bristol brokerage, a commercial client messages on Saturday about a burst pipe at his shop. On Monday morning the inbox lead sees the unassigned thread, assigns it to the claims handler, who continues with the full policy history in view, asks for photos and sends the claim form. The usual account executive, on leave, reads the exchange on her return without a handover email.