Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Understand the use cases for standard topics and actions.
- Review use cases for custom topics and actions by industry.
Trailcast
If you'd like to listen to an audio recording of this module, please use the player below. When you’re finished listening to this recording, remember to come back to each unit, check out the resources, and complete the associated assessments.
Standard Topics and Actions
A key success metric for service organizations has always been understanding what customers are asking for and, more importantly, knowing how to provide the best answers. That was the success metric of the past. Today, success is defined by a higher level of personalization and speed, using natural language that not only understands context but is also grounded in reliable, trusted data.
This is where Agentforce for Service truly excels. Topics and actions play a crucial role in personalizing responses and understanding customer intent. The benefit of using standard topics and actions is that agents have a framework for completing common public actions/tasks. An action can’t function without being linked to a topic, and a topic is ineffective without associated actions.
What does Agentforce for Service include, and how can these features be applied to different types of interactions? Here are a few examples. Keep in mind, these are intentionally broad to serve as a starting point. These interactions can (and should) be tailored to meet the specific needs of each business.
Standard Topic
| Customer Asks
| Instructions
| Standard Action (Flow or Prompt Template)
|
|---|
Account Management
| - What’s my Account Number?
- My Account is locked. Please help.
- I need to update my Account info.
- I need to reset my password.
| - Greet the customer by their first and last name.
- Answer questions with empathy.
- Always ask the customer to verify through their phone number first and then email address.
| - Get Customer Details
- Reset Password
|
Case Management
| - I have an issue and need to open a support ticket.
- What’s the status of my case?
- There’s new info that requires a case to be updated.
| - Don’t ever show Case ID to a customer
- When sharing case details, show in this order: Case Number, Subject, Description, and Status
| - Create a Case Record
- Get Cases for Contact
- Get Case by Case Number
- Update Customer Contact Record
|
Order Inquiries/Delivery Issues
| - When will my order arrive?
- I need to make changes to my order.
- I need to cancel an order.
- My package is marked as delivered but it’s missing.
- I won’t be home, can I change my scheduled delivery?
- This is time-sensitive. Can you expedite my item?
| - If a package is lost, immediately escalate it to a live agent.
- If scheduling changes are requested, always confirm a delivery date and look up available time slots.
| - Get Order by Order Number
- Identify Customer by Email
- Cancel Order
- Get Delivery Time Slots
- Finalize New Delivery Time
|
Reservation Management
| - I need to make a new reservation.
- I need to modify an existing reservation.
| - If the customer isn’t known, always ask for their email address and get their contact record before making a reservation.
- Once the customer approves and confirms the date, confirm the reservation.
| - Finalize Reservation
- Get Reservation Time Slots
|
Escalation
| - The agent can’t answer my question. Can I speak to an agent?
- My issue is still not resolved, can I speak to a human?
| - If the customer asks to speak to a live agent at any time, escalate the conversation.
| - Route Conversations to Agentforce for Service
|
General FAQ’s
| - I have a question about your return policy.
- Where can I find warranty information?
- How do I submit a claim?
| - If a customer’s request is too vague, ask for more details and clarification.
- If you’re unable to answer their question, ask them if they want to transfer to a live agent.
| - Answer Questions with Knowledge
|
Custom Topics and Actions
Standard topics and actions are useful and editable, but what if a more personalized approach is needed to engage with customers, complete tasks, and deliver responses that perfectly match brand and tone? This is where creating custom topics and actions becomes essential. Custom topics and actions help agents stay focused, complete tasks efficiently, and provide guidance based on a company’s unique customer needs, all while aligning with the brand’s tone and voice. But which topics and actions are right for you?
Below are some examples of industry topics, the type of interaction a customer can have and an example of the type of action to create based on the given topic. Keep in mind these are examples and are only meant to give a framework of how custom topics and actions can help agents in a particular industry.
Industry/Category
| Customer Ask/Interaction
| Custom Action (Flow, Prompt Template or Apex)
|
|---|
Healthcare Management
| - Medication summary
- Change a beneficiary
- Schedule appointments for Surgeries, check-ups, specialists/follow-ups
- Find a doctor in network
- Covered medical benefits/out-of-pocket costs
- Suggestions for doctors outside of network
- Access doctor notes from last visit
| - Confirm Patient Identity by Email or Phone Number
- Get Appointment Time Slots
- Finalize Appointment
- Retrieve Patient History Record
- Answer In/Out Network with Knowledge
|
Retail Management
| - Pricing adjustments
- Promotional discounts
- Inventory lookup
- Suggestions for out-of-stock items
- Upsell/re-sell
- Warranty claims
- Order history
- Personal shopper
| - Retrieve Customer Order History
- Get Current Product Pricing
- Create New Claim Record
- Route Conversation to Agentforce Personal Shopping Agent
- Access POS Records
|
Nonprofit Sector
| - Donation history
- Donor summary
- List of charities by type
- Tax exemption status/codes
- Recurring donation set-up
| - Access Customer Donation Records
- Create New Donation
- Answer Donation Questions through Knowledge
|
Travel Arrangements
| - Loyalty status
- Reservations for airfare, hotels, cars
- Suggestions for attractions
- Activities/booking appointments
- Cancellation policy
- Partner/vendor lookup
| - Retrieve Customer Records and Verify with Email/Phone
- Get Attraction Details
- Create Travel Reservation
- Personalize Schedule
- Retrieve Partner Info with Knowledge
|
Insurance
| - Claim status
- File a new claim
- Policy information
- Pricing/renewals
- Updates/changes to policy
| - Verify Customer Records by Phone Number
- Create New Claim
- Create Renewal Record
- Modify Existing Policy
|
Now that you understand topics and actions and explored a number of agent use cases, move on to the next unit and delve into how the Agentforce Data Library enhances accuracy in service and builds customers trust.
Resources
