Integrating phone calls in Dynamics Customer Service has many benefits for your organisation
Many organisations struggle with manual integration of telephony and CRM systems, meaning fragmented experiences for agents and customers.
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
Make sure your customer service team has the right tools. High-quality headsets or compatible devices are essential for clear and effective communication during voice calls. Invest in hardware that enhances the customer-agent interaction.
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 rolling out voice calls to your customer service team, you should provide training and familiarisation with the system. Ensure that agents understand the interface, call handling procedures, and the use of any additional features.
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. Here’s a straightforward guide:
Navigate to the Omnichannel interface within Dynamics 365 to manage all customer interactions, including voice calls.
Call Initiation: Agents select the customer or contact they wish to call from the Omnichannel interface, using predefined call scripts or accessing customer information for personalised interactions.
Call Management: During the call, agents have access to various features, such as note-taking, viewing customer history, and using real-time transcription and translation for informed assistance.
Intelligent Voice Bots: Agents can use intelligent voice bots to automate responses to common queries, improving efficiency and maintaining a consistent customer experience.
Real-time Monitoring: Supervisors can monitor calls in real-time to offer support, guidance, and coaching to agents, ensuring service quality standards are met.
Post-Call Actions: After the call, agents log call details, schedule follow-ups, and update customer records for comprehensive interaction records.
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
Dynamics 365 Omnichannel is highly customisable. Work with your IT team or consultants to tailor the platform to meet the specific needs of your business. Customised call scripts, workflows, and dashboards can enhance efficiency and align with your unique customer service approach.
Data Security and Compliance
Ensure that you have robust data security measures in place to protect sensitive customer information during voice calls. Dynamics 365 Omnichannel offers compliance features to help you meet regulatory requirements, such as GDPR.
Agent Training and Skill Development
Ongoing training is essential. Equip your agents with the skills and knowledge they need to maximise the benefits of Dynamics 365 Omnichannel. Regular training sessions and resources will keep them up-to-date with new features and best practices.
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.
