Explore the Service Console
Learning Objectives
After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:
- Navigate the Service Console.
- Identify key features within the console.
Focus on the Right Customer Information for Service
The console brings together all Service Cloud features in one place and on one screen. You can think of the console as a service agent’s workspace for interacting with customers and resolving customer requests as quickly as possible, no matter the customer or agent’s location or engagement point.
Let’s tour the console.
Tour the Service Console
After Ryan takes a call and opens a new case, the automatic workflow rules route it to Ada for evaluation. Ada gets an email alerting her that she’s been assigned a new case and because it came in from Platinum Support, she wants to take a look at it right away. She goes straight to the console, so she can see the new case and all other associated records.
Ursa Major Solar’s admin, Maria, has customized the console by giving it a new logo and renaming it the Solar Console, so to get to it, Ada clicks the App Launcher ( 
) and opens the Solar Console app. The console automatically opens as the default view. (If your admin hasn’t customized the console, it’s even easier to find: Just open the App Launcher, enter service console in the Quick Find box, and select the result.)
Ada can see the case record, account information, contact details, and other related files all in one place.
By default, the console is zoomed out so you can see everything at once and decide where to zoom in when you’re ready. There are a lot of individual pieces aggregated together within the console. Let’s take a quick tour of Ada’s console. Although the specifics will be different for your console due to customizations, the general user interface will be the same.
Object Menu (1)
In the console, your primary navigation tool is the dropdown in the navigation bar called the object menu. From here, you can select any object and access list views for that object, such as cases or accounts. When you click a record, it automatically opens up as a new tab, so it’s there when you need it.
Record Pages (2)
This area is your primary workspace. Everything you need to know about a customer and the current service issue is literally front and center, minimizing the amount of clicking and scrolling you need to do to find customer information. In this section, you can see case records and any associated files.
Case Feed (3)
Clicking a button in Salesforce to change a status value from New to In Progress or Closed really doesn’t adequately reflect the work it takes to make progress on a case or with a customer in real life. Working with a customer usually involves several processes and multiple communication and information streams. It’s a lot to keep track of, especially when you have a heavy caseload.
With case feed, you can keep track of all the separate steps and pieces in one place. It’s a timeline display of case events. It includes every customer interaction—email, calls, social networking posts, meeting notes, progress through a workflow, and internal communications. This means anyone on the team can view case status and events and jump in to help at any time.
Case Details (4)
Within the record page, you can click the tab for Details to see more about that particular case, contact, and any related cases. When you’re working directly with a customer, all the information you need is right here.
Related Record Details (5)
Contact and account details also appear within the console, so you can get details about the customer you’re working with and update the records without having to toggle to a different screen or switch workspaces. Having all of these details in one place ensures that you and your team are always looking at the same customer information, no matter what stage the case is in or who’s working on it.
Utility Bar (6)
The utility bar runs along the bottom of the console and provides a shortcut to all the tools you need to provide a smarter, quicker resolution for every customer issue. It’s fully customizable by your admin. Maria, Ursa Major Solar’s admin, added a link to History, Notes, and Macros on this utility bar, so you can quickly flip to a record you were recently viewing, take notes during a conversation, or automate some of the repetitive actions you regularly take on his cases.
Knowledge Base (7)
Salesforce Lightning Knowledge is really useful when integrated with cases, and that’s clear when looking at knowledge within the console. From here, you can open an article alongside the case you’re working on—maybe the article is an FAQ for a specific solar panel, or maybe it’s a script for interviewing a new customer. When you’re working on a case and need to refer to something in the knowledge base, this is the place to go.
Split View (8)
A split view to the left of the screen lets you view (or hide) lists for quick reference and navigation. You can collapse or expand the split view as needed for more or less screen real estate.
Mobile, Accessible, and At-Home Ready Service
Just like other Salesforce features and tools, the console is available through the Salesforce mobile app, so you can create, edit, and view your data in real time, no matter where you are. Whether you’re working at home, signing on to a virtual meeting, or out in the field to visit a customer, you can pull up information from the console to your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. All you need is an internet connection and log in to Salesforce to work anywhere, any time.
Salesforce is also committed to providing accessible products for all individuals—including your service team members working with assistive technology, such as speech recognition software and screen readers. Accessibility isn’t a special feature; it’s universally designed into features for Service Cloud.
