Adding phone calls in Dynamics Customer Service makes life easier for your team and better for your customers
If your team is still juggling phones and CRM separately, it’s time to fix that. Dynamics 365 Omnichannel brings voice into Dynamics, giving you a single platform for customer conversations.
Dynamics 365 Omnichannel, simplifies voice channel deployment and reduces complexity. Built on Microsoft Azure Communication Services, it offers scalability and reliability.
The best features in the Dynamics 365 Customer Service voice channel:
Monitoring Call Metrics
Insightful Analytics: Dynamics 365 Omnichannel provides comprehensive analytics on call performance. You can understand call volume, duration, response times, and customer satisfaction metrics. These insights help you make data-driven decisions to improve service quality.
Performance Dashboards: Real-time dashboards give you an at-a-glance view of your call centre’s performance. Supervisors and agents can track metrics, ensuring that targets are met and adjustments are made as needed.
Intelligent Voice Bots
Efficient Handling: Voice bots powered by artificial intelligence (AI) handle routine customer queries. They provide instant responses, freeing up agents to focus on more complex issues. This efficiency results in shorter wait times and improved customer satisfaction.
Personalisation: These bots can access customer data to provide personalised responses. Customers feel valued when they receive tailored information and solutions.
Supervisor Monitoring
Real-time Oversight: Supervisors have the ability to monitor phone calls in real-time. They can provide instant assistance to agents, ensuring that interactions align with service standards. This real-time coaching improves agent performance and customer satisfaction.
Quality Assurance: Supervisors can evaluate and score calls for quality assurance purposes. This helps maintain consistent service quality across the team.
SMS
Dynamics 365 Omnichannel extends beyond voice calls to include SMS communication. Agents can send SMS messages directly from the platform, providing customers with another convenient channel for support.
Real-Time Transcription
During voice calls, real-time transcription captures spoken words and converts them into text. This transcription can be invaluable for documentation, ensuring that important details are never lost.
Post-Call Analysis: Transcriptions also aid in post-call analysis. Agents and supervisors can review transcribed calls to gather insights, identify areas for improvement, and maintain accurate records.
Call Distribution
Efficient Routing: Dynamics 365 Omnichannel includes intelligent call routing. Calls are distributed based on agent availability, skills, and other criteria. This ensures that each customer is connected to the most suitable agent, reducing wait times and improving satisfaction.
Balanced Workloads: The system intelligently balances workloads among agents, preventing overloads and ensuring fair distribution of tasks.
Customer Experience
The system offers a post call survey to customers to get crucial feedback whilst it’s fresh in their minds. The system also calculates wait times and announces queue position.
What do I need to make phone calls in Dynamics?
Licensing
You need a Dynamics 365 Customer Service Enterprise licence for each user
Each voice user will need a subscription to
- Dynamics 365 Customer Service Voice Channel Add-in or
- Dynamics 365 Customer Service Digital Messaging and Voice Add-in.
Voice Hardware
Invest in decent headsets or devices. Clear audio means better conversations.
Telephony Requirements
Dynamics 365 Omnichannel integrates with telephony services, such as Voice over IP (VoIP) or Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). Make sure that your organisation has a robust telephony infrastructure in place or can establish a connection to facilitate voice calls seamlessly.
The system requirements for making voice calls are listed on Microsoft’s Omnichannel webpage
How to set up voice calling
Set up Dynamics
Once you have the necessary licences, you’ll need to set up Omnichannel for Customer Service.
The initial set up takes place in Power Platform Admin and is detailed in this Microsoft Learn article
After you’ve set up Omnichannel you can choose which services you need, in the Power Platform admin area.
- Log in to Power Platform Admin and choose your production environment
- Click Resources > Dynamics 365 apps
- Select more > Omnichannel > Manage
- Choose the voice channel and save changes
The setup for the voice channel can be quite complex as it involves assigning numbers, routing, user licences and voicemail. The steps are detailed in this Microsoft Learn article
Training and Familiarisation
Before rollout, train your team. Make sure they know how to handle calls, use the interface, and access features like transcription.
You’ll find this Microsoft article is a good starting point for agent familiarisation
Testing
Conduct thorough testing to confirm that voice calls are functioning as expected. This includes checking call quality, routing, and agent responsiveness.
Making voice calls in Dynamics
Once Dynamics 365 Omnichannel for voice calls is activated, your team can seamlessly initiate and manage voice calls within the customer service environment.
Navigate to the Omnichannel interface within Dynamics 365 to manage all customer interactions, including voice calls.
- Pick a contact and start a call from the Omnichannel interface
- Use call scripts and customer history for context
- Take notes, view transcripts, and use translation tools
- Get help from bots for common queries
- Receive live support from supervisors
- Log call details and schedule follow-ups
How to get more out of voice calling in Dynamics 365 Omnichannel for Customer Service
As you delve deeper into integrating voice calls within Dynamics 365 Customer Service, there are more aspects to consider:
Customisation for Your Business
Tailor scripts, workflows, and dashboards to suit your business. Work with your IT team or a consultant.
Data Security and Compliance
Dynamics supports GDPR compliance. Make sure your setup protects customer data.
Agent Training and Skill Development
Keep training ongoing. New features roll out regularly, your team should stay sharp.
Integration with Existing Systems
If your organisation uses other CRM or communication systems, consider how Dynamics 365 Omnichannel integrates with these platforms. A seamless integration ensures that customer data is consistent across all systems.
Customer Feedback and Improvement
Encourage customer feedback regarding their voice call experiences. Their insights can reveal areas for improvement and help refine your service.
Scalability and Future Growth
Think about your organisation’s growth trajectory. Dynamics 365 Omnichannel is designed to scale with your business. Ensure that your infrastructure and licensing can accommodate future expansion.
Maintenance and Support
Establish a plan for ongoing technical support. This ensures that any issues or questions from agents can be addressed promptly, minimising downtime and disruptions.
Best Practices in Customer Interaction
Customer-Centric Approach: Always keep your customers at the centre of your strategy. Emphasise the importance of empathy, active listening, and effective communication in every customer interaction.