I have seen many businesses using several applications and software to personalise customer experiences. Utilisation of multiple systems to conclude a task poses a set of problems out of which information remaining siloed in various locations is the most persistent one. Maintenance, updates, support and licensing are some of the other tricky aspects as well. Investing in a system that offers comprehensive access to all the mandatory features required for enhancing customer experience and enabling agents to remain always on service is a smart move.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service is a complete package that is designed to offer the latest features and functionalities to enable businesses to respond to their customers efficiently and quickly. The solution collects data from various sources and hence allows you to take the first step towards digitally transforming your processes. Apart from weaving speed, accuracy and efficiency in your responses to the customers, the Customer Service solution allows the agents to offer a uniform and omnichannel experience. I have written this blog with an aim of explaining every detail of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service for you to have every bit of information handy when you make an investment decision.

What is Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service enables the agents to remain always on service and respond to customer’s queries or concerns quickly. The solution is designed to offer a complete view of all the customer journeys at a single glance and assign customer’s needs to the best suitable agent. The customer service solution gives visibility of clients’ or prospects ‘previous interactions, enables them to do the sentiment analysis of the customers and steer the conversation in the right and positive direction.

Voice Channel – Key to Unlock Personalised Customer Experiences

Voice channel, a recently introduced feature in Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service, equips the agents with features that allow them to deliver consistent and personalised experiences. With voice channel, an agent can get a 360-degree view of any customer. The agents are assisted by virtual chatbots that allow them to deliver amicable and uniform customer experiences over multiple channels. The backdrop of Microsoft Teams enables agents to connect with each other and resolve customer queries at the earliest.

Broadening Engagement Channels – Reach Customers on their Preferred Channels

Customers have become tech savvy and they use multiple channels to research products or services of their choice. Therefore, businesses need to be present on these channels in order to be seen by their target audiences. Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service with its innate capabilities, empower organisations to communicate with the customers or prospects irrespective of the channels and build long-lasting relations.

How Microsoft Customer Service acts as a single solution for agents to support, transform and deliver pleasant customer experiences?

Microsoft Customer Service is equipped with a line of features that enables agents to offer a consistent experience on multiple channels. The portal gives agents the access to a rich knowledgebase using which they can resolve customer’s queries quickly. The AI-powered virtual agents that are a part of the Customer Service solution can be used to solve regular and recurring issues giving ample time to customer service executives to focus on the complex problems. The agents can utilise the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to get notified of the errors in customers’ machines or devices and correct them before customers come to know about them.

How Dynamics 365 for Customer Service transforms support, field service and contact center facilities for companies?

The contact center agents find it difficult to deliver continuous and personalised experiences across different channels. Also, siloed data makes it hard for them to have a complete view of the entire customer journey. Customer Service offers information about every aspect of a customer journey. The solution is equipped with an IVR (Interactive Voice Response), that can be used for sending automatic replies over live chat, text messages and social messaging channels. The tight integration with Microsoft Teams enables agents to elevate the collaboration quotient amongst themselves. The AI (artificial intelligence)-based routing facility ensures that the calls are intentionally routed to the skilled agents. All these facilities enable the contact centers to deliver a connected, personalised and delightful customer experience.

What are the advantages a company can leverage from going through Microsoft Dynamics ERP brochures and datasheets?

Adding a new Microsoft Dynamics ERP solution can be intimidating for businesses as they need to ensure that their employees are trained properly for the software. They need to make sure that the ERP solution is finely integrated with other applications and can fit properly in the existing environment. With Exigo Tech as your technology enabler, you can keep these concerns at bay. Our technology experts are well versed in Microsoft products and have access to the latest brochures and datasheets for all the Microsoft solutions. We study your business needs before drafting an implementation roadmap to ensure that you are investing in the right product, service, or license.

Why do businesses need to refer to Customer Service capabilities datasheet?

Every business is unique and so are its needs. Therefore, it becomes mandatory for businesses to go through the capabilities datasheet. Studying the document enables you to know more about the solution and the range of customisations that can be achieved. Contact expert consultants at Exigo Tech to understand how we can help you harness the exact capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service solution and customise the same if necessary.

What do businesses need to know from the factsheet on the total economic impact of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service, before making a decision?

As the inclusion of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service in an environment is a big investment, businesses need to look and evaluate the quantified and unquantified benefits. In a survey by Forrester, it was concluded that with the correct use of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service, businesses were able to improve their contact center agent’s efficiencies from 5% to 15%. As the agents were able to take better care of the clients and offer them amicable experiences, the businesses were able to earn a profit of almost $5.8 million over the span of 3 years. The intuitive interface of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service and its smooth integration with legacy applications, increases user adoption and as a result of this, companies saved up to $274,000. The unquantified benefits include the flexibility of choice between cloud and on-premises platforms. The ease of integration with other Dynamics 365, Microsoft and third-party solutions empowers organisations to streamline several other processes.

What are the benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

One of the major benefits of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service is its availability in the cloud. The flexibility allows the agents to operate from anywhere and not delay the customer service, even by a minute. The solution can be easily deployed by Microsoft Solutions Partners like us and can be set up in a hybrid environment. The sales executives can use the customer service solution to look at the various aspects of customers and use the same data to unearth cross-selling or upselling opportunities. The integration of Power BI (Business Intelligence) with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service solution enables you to gather insights about customers. The data can be used to build strategies and strong sales pipeline. The solution can be scaled up and down easily and hence is apt to support the evolving business needs.

What is the meaning of omnichannel engagement, case management and knowledge management?

The meaning of omnichannel engagement, case management and knowledge management is explained as follows:

• Omnichannel Engagement – A set of features or capabilities that allows agents to offer personalised and uniform experiences on several digital channels.
• Case Management – A case is an incident that is reported by any customer with a company. The case can be any question, issue, or request. The Customer Service solution is equipped with several components that ensure that cases are assigned to the most skilled resource and the related activities are also completed in time.
• Knowledge Management – The main purpose of this feature is to let organisations maintain and manage a knowledge hub that can be used by customers and agents.

How do businesses realise the true power of the cloud with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

As Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service is based in the cloud, the businesses can leverage a host of benefits such as scalability, accessibility, affordability and improved productivity.

What steps should be taken to get the most out of Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service?

As a Microsoft Solutions Partner<> we have prepared a checklist to ensure that implementation of Customer Service is flawless and businesses yield the best outcomes from the same.

• Have a clear and concise understanding of the business objectives you want to achieve with the D365 Customer Service solution.
• Liaise with a consultation partner or industry expert who are well-versed with the Microsoft solutions and can draft an implementation and upgrade roadmap.
• Choose the D365 Customer Service licenses and customisations according to your business needs.
• Ensure that your employees have understood the interface, functions and capabilities of the system.
• Is Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service fully configurable?

Yes. The consultants at Exigo Tech are trained and certified to customise and configure your Customer Service solution.

What is meant by self-service support in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service solution?

As per a report prepared by Gartner, 85% of customer service interactions will start with self-service. Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service is equipped with virtual agents that are backed with AI (artificial intelligence) and can guide customers to the resolution quickly. Also, the customers are given access to the organisation’s knowledge base enabling them to solve their queries by themselves.

What are the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service is a solution that gives agents a comprehensive view of their customers through intuitive dashboards and reports. It streamlines several business aspects such as case management and knowledge management and enables agents to deliver personalised experiences over multiple channels. Let’s dive deep into the features of the solution.

• Case Management – The automatic case creation feature creates a case for every customer request and is also assigned automatically to the best skilled agent. The flexibility of mixing similar cases, enables the agent to keep a track of the pending cases.
• Knowledge Management – The agents can create and manage a knowledge base that can be used for quick customer query resolution.
• Service Level Agreements and Entitlements – The companies can define timelines during which the agents are required to give solutions to customer’s problems.
• Customer Interaction Management – Companies can use pre–defined email templates to save their agent’s time whilst responding to customers. The omnichannel functionality enables the organisations to uplift the customer engagement quotient.
• Self-service for Customers – The customers have access to knowledge base portals using which they can resolve their issues and queries independently. With chatbots functionality, the concerns are catered to by the virtual agents which saves time and efforts of the human agents.
• Analytics and Reporting – With dashboards and reports, the agents can easily track the progress of assigned issues and plan their work accordingly. The solution can analyse and update the customer’s feedback in almost real-time for agents to plan their further interactions accordingly.

What are the pricing and licensing nuances of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

Before investing in a solution, it is essential to obtain full-fledged knowledge about its licensing and pricing intricacies. As far as the Customer Service is concerned, there are two licenses – Professional and Enterprise. The Professional license is designed for businesses that are looking for the most basic customer service features. The Enterprise license is equipped with advanced customer service capabilities.

What are the features included in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Professional license?

The Professional license is for those businesses who want to streamline their processes and enhance core customer support services. Organisations who have simplified customer service requirements should pick ‘Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Professional’. Cases, Contracts, Entitlements, Service Level Agreements, Contacts, Accounts and Facilities/Equipment are some of the entities that can be created using the Professional license.

What features are included in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service Team Member app?

The application is relatively new and designed to let employees with a Microsoft Dynamics 365 Team member license access the customer service functionalities. The application enables employees to create cases, read or update the cases created by them and search and view the knowledge base articles for quick error or query resolution.

How can Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service be used to tailor customer engagements?

Microsoft D365 Customer Service is equipped with several features that allow agents to view all the details of customer journeys from a single dashboard or report and take decisions or steps accordingly. The application gives an agent access to previous interactions of the customers and hence enables organisations to improve their customer engagement quotient.

How does Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service offer 360-degree view of the customers?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service is designed with an intuitive dashboard and a report that explains every nuance of the interaction that a particular customer has had with the company.

How can Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service be used to engage with customers on their terms?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service is equipped with an omnichannel functionality that allows the agents to connect with customers through voice, chat and text. The solution enables agents to engage with customers over WhatsApp, Facebook, WeChat, Twitter and other mediums from a unified interface.

Which advantages can a company leverage when Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service automatically assigns a case to the best-suited agent?

There is no shadow of doubt in the fact that personalised customer experiences help companies etch an enviable reputation for them in the market and improve their sales pipeline. Personalised and intelligent customer experience allows companies to build long-lasting relationships with customers and leverage from upselling and cross-selling opportunities. Also, businesses become more knowledgeable about the requirements of the customers and are able to deliver quality services at the earliest.

How Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service helps businesses to improve agent effectiveness?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service is engineered to give suggestions based on the cases received. The real-time context cues are sent using AI (artificial intelligence) principles. The feature also offers agents access to knowledge base or relevant articles enabling businesses to elevate agents’ effectiveness.

How Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service empowers companies to improve agent efficiency?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service offers real-time access to customer feedback and allows agents to work on multiple tasks with ease and precision. The tight integration with Microsoft Teams strengthens the collaboration backbone. The agents also have easy access to knowledge base articles which enables them to respond to customers quickly and hence improve their efficiency.

How Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service strengthens cross-team collaboration?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service embeds Microsoft Teams in every agent’s desktop to simplify the flow of communication and play an instrumental role in bridging gaps between the customer service executives.

How Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service help companies analyse comprehensive support insights?

Customer Service solution and Omnichannel for Customer Service solution offers AI and analytics capabilities using which the customer service managers or agents can dramatically elevate customer satisfaction. The availability of insights enables the teams to resolve the issues swiftly and effectively.

How does Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service empower agents to initiate meaningful customer conversations by adapting quickly to real-time customer sentiment?

With the Omnichannel solution, the agents are able to check the customers’ sentiments and lead the conversations accordingly. If the agent is engaged in a conversation with the customer, then the sentiment analysis is visible on the communication panel. Otherwise, the analysis is available on the session panel. The agents can set thresholds for different sentiments such as slightly negative, negative and very negative. So, when any customer’s sentiments surpass the threshold value, the agents get a notification and they can do the needful accordingly.

How Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service uses IoT in the field of customer service to empower companies build a loyal customer base?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 using its IoT (internet of Things) capabilities sends remote messages to the customer service agents before the customer comes to know about it. The alerts are embedded in the agents’ dashboard to enable them to be proactive.

Why is it said that there are two sides to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

Microsoft understands that businesses of all sizes are looking for solutions that enables them to offer top-notch customer services. The organisations want the mobility component to be associated with the solution to suit the varying needs of their workforce. To cater to these needs, Microsoft has offered two versions of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service solution. One is Customer Service Hub which can be used on desktop and mobile devices for management of cases and knowledge base articles. The second version in Customer Service App which is best used on desktops for case management.

Building a Knowledgebase for Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Customer Service

What is Microsoft Dynamics 365 used for?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a flagship product by the tech giant and it combines the capabilities of CRM and ERP. Dynamics 365 is equipped with features that enables businesses to streamline their sales, marketing, finance, customer service, human resources (HR), supply chain management, project management and operations.

What is customer service workspace?

The customer service workspace app is designed to enable agents to improve their productivity by working on multiple sessions from a single interface.

What type of CRM is Microsoft Dynamics 365?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a cloud-based application that offers the capabilities of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning). To be precise, Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM is server-client application that supports extensive user interfaces. The users can access Dynamics 365 application over browser or through a plugin from Outlook.

What is CRM D365?

CRM D365 is an acronym for Microsoft Dynamics 365 comprising of solutions that empower businesses to standardise and simplify their marketing, sales, customer service and field service processes.

What is the difference between CRM and Dynamics 365?

CRM is a subset of Dynamics 365 as Dynamics 365 offers combined capabilities of CRM and ERP.

What is Dynamics good for?

Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables businesses to grow and develop as it presents them with a treasure trove of information which is essential for forming long-lasting customer relationships and strong sales pipeline. More prominently, Microsoft Dynamics 365 contains several solutions ranging from field service, customer service, sales, supply chain management, marketing and human resources to commerce and project management.

What is Customer Service Hub in Dynamics 365?

Customer Service Hub is available on desktop and mobile devices to let agents manage cases and knowledge base.

Is Microsoft Dynamics being discontinued?

No

What is the purpose of Dynamics CRM?

The main purpose of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is to enable companies to build long-lasting customer relationships. The CRM application comprises Sales, Marketing, Customer Service and Field Service. With correct and thoughtful use of the solutions, the sales professionals can engage with the customers in a better manner. The marketing solution gives a tight grip over the campaigns and allows the marketers to plan and reach out to the target audience in an effective way. The customer service solution offers complete insights and enables the agents to reduce the service response time.

Is Microsoft Dynamics still supported?

Yes.

Is Microsoft Dynamics going away?

No. On the contrary, Microsoft is introducing changes in the existing solutions with an aim to enabling businesses improve their processes and achieve more.

How to create a portal in Microsoft Dynamics 365?

A user can create a portal while using Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Sales, Customer Service, Marketing, Field Service and Project Service Automation. To create a portal in an environment with Customer Service, the user needs to log in to the Power Apps portal. After logging in the portal, the user needs to select the Create option from the left pane. After that, they need to scroll down to reach the Start from template, section. Now, the user needs to type Portal in the search box and choose a template. Once the required details are listed, the portal is created.

Why to partner with Exigo Tech?

Exigo Tech, being a Microsoft Solutions Partner, has access to the updated information and details about the solutions’ nuances, features and licenses. We follow a strategic route to implementing technology solutions in a business environment starting with the evaluation of the business needs to offering after-sales support and upgrades. We have been an industry leader with experience of working with several industries and business sizes and hence possess the knowledge of making plans and executing strategies that would transform business processes.

Which version of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service is available?

Microsoft D 365 Customer Service solution is available in two versions – Professional and Enterprise. The difference between them is briefly explained in a previous answer.

Want to know more about Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service?

We understand that including a technology component in your business can raise many concerns. Request a call back from Exigo Tech by sending an email to sales@exigotech.com.au. You can also call us at 1300 EXIGOTECH (394 468) and make the first step towards building a streamlined and automated business model.