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Engage Customers Using Channels

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

  • Identify the messaging channels supported by Service Cloud.
  • Understand the optimum number of channels to create.
  • Take care of the basic requirements to begin messaging with your customers.

Messaging Channels Available in Service Cloud

Messaging is all about helping your customers faster by communicating with them on their preferred messaging channels. Customers can start conversations with you by sending texts, Facebook messages, or WhatsApp messages to your numbers and accounts. Agents can then respond to customers directly from the Service Console. Agents can also start conversations with customers under certain conditions, or set up flows that send automated notifications.

In the previous unit, we introduced you to messaging channels. A channel is any way for customers to communicate with your business. Service Cloud supports a number of channels that your customers can use to contact you–including phone, email, web forms, and social media networks. Service Cloud Messaging includes the following specific channels:

  • Facebook Messenger
  • WhatsApp
  • SMS
  • Messaging for In-App and Web

How Many Channels Do I Need?

With the increasing number of available channels, you’re probably wondering what is the optimal number to use to maximize your messaging efficiency. Well, a lot depends on your customers. Messaging lets you tailor your strategy to meet the needs of your customers, all while streamlining it for your agents. 

For example, maybe your company doesn’t have a Facebook account, so setting up a Facebook messaging channel wouldn’t make much sense. Or maybe you have a Facebook account but you want to keep it strictly informational. In that case, you could stick with a WhatsApp channel to communicate with customers. 

Will All of My Messaging Channels Be Easily Accessible?

No matter which channels you use, you get them all in one place: the Service Console. Incoming messages appear in the Omni-Channel widget, just like phone calls. Agents can then accept a message and start chatting. The Conversation component in the console shows all messages exchanged with the customer. 

Messaging user records, created for anyone who has exchanged messages with your company, show the user’s related records and all of their messaging sessions for a particular channel. If a customer wants to talk over multiple channels, all their conversations are visible on their record, at the agents’ fingertips

Set Up Messaging

Setting up Messaging is as easy as 1, 2, 3 (OK, more like 1 to 9). But after you follow these general steps you are ready to start chatting with your customers.  

Note

For more detailed steps on setting up Messaging for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS, refer to Messaging in Salesforce Help. Messaging for In-App and Web follows a different setup path—see Messaging for In-App and Web in Salesforce Help.

Prerequisite Steps

Before getting started with Messaging for WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or SMS, complete a few prerequisite steps. 

  1. Turn On Messaging
    Take the first step to letting agents communicate with customers.
  2. Assign the Messaging User Permission Set License
    Set these permissions for all users who talk with customers in sessions or supervise messaging agents.
  3. Create and Assign Messaging Permission Sets
    These permission sets serve as toolboxes that allow agents to deliver top-notch support and admins to set up a great Messaging experience for your agents.

Set Up Messaging

When the prerequisite steps are out of the way, you’re ready to set up Messaging.

  1. Create Messaging Channels
    Give your customers new ways to contact your business. Set up at least one messaging channel using a simple guided setup flow. You can create up to 2,000 channels.
  2. Set Up Routing for Messaging Channels
    Omni-Channel routes customer messages to a queue, bot, or qualified support agent.
  3. Update Messaging Channel Settings
    Configure your settings for each messaging channel.
  4. Protect Customer Data and Privacy in Messaging
    Honor your customers when they have special requests for handling their personal data.
  5. Add Messaging to the Service Console
    Add Messaging to your Service Console app.
  6. Test Your Messaging Channels

Now that you know more about channels and how to set up Messaging, let’s learn about how you can make the most of Messaging. In the next unit, we outline the capabilities that power the full portfolio of channels.

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