Web encounter - reply to patient-where do you enter the message?

When replying to a patient who has created a web encounter through the portal, do you write in the action taken box, the reply to patient box?
If I reply in action taken box then click reply to patient, then patient receives empty message.
If I reply in “reply to patient” box, the patient receives the message but it does not show in the action taken box so it looks like I never wrote the patient back.
This is only on the chrome browser version.
ECW says this is normal.
Wondering if this is true?