2021 Release Wave 2: Dynamics 365 Customer Service Updates

As part of its twice-a-year development plan for their business applications, Microsoft has started to roll out its second release wave of new features. These new updates will continue to be released between October 2021 and March 2022 and will significantly improve many existing features.

This blog is part of a series covering the changes made to Dynamics 365 that will affect our clients. This information comes from Microsoft’s documented plans and some features may not yet be available or be released at all.

For a comprehensive list of changes, ,click here.

Introducing Voice Channel for Customer Service

Previously available in public preview, the first-party ,voice channel for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Customer Service is now generally available. With the release of this new feature, the platform has expanded to become a comprehensive digital contact center solution. This is enabling organizations to provide customers with consistent, personalized service and support across all company channels.

,Said Jeff Comstock, Vice President for Dynamics 365 Customer Service: “With the new voice channel, we are delivering an all-in-one digital contact center solution that brings together contact center channels, unified communications, leading AI, and customer service capabilities together into a single, SaaS solution, built on the Microsoft cloud.”

This ‘all-in-one digital contact center’ helps to support organizations in their efforts to provide the high-quality and seamless service they demand from today’s business teams. Here are just four ways in which the new voice channel achieves this.

Personalized Support Across Channels

The addition of Dynamics 365 Customer Service’s voice channel helps to bridge the gap and provide teams with a 360-degree view of the customer journey. Users will also enjoy:

• A ,Power Virtual Agent that can be used as either a chatbot for SMS or social media channels or interactive voice response (IVR).
• AI-based routing for incoming calls.
• Higher collaboration with subject-matter experts who can help resolve customer issues faster.

An AI-Infused Platform

Voice channel features AI-infused capabilities throughout the entire platform. Routine tasks are now automated, providing customer service reps with deeper insights and faster recommendations.

Some AI capabilities include:

• Real-time transcription.
• Sentiment analysis for tracking customer emotions.
• AI-driven recommendations for knowledge articles or locating similar customer issues which can help resolve issues more quickly.
• Real-time translation.

Eliminate Silos with Unified Customer Insights

,Dynamics 365 is already known for breaking down silos by bringing data together onto a single platform. The addition of voice channel only extends this capability by unifying customer conversations across all business channels through:

• Advanced AI capabilities that analyze all customer conversations for emerging issues.
• Rich customer insights and KPIs that span channels such as social media, live chat, and voice in order to provide a holistic view of the customer support center.

Simple and Scalable

Setting up the new voice channel can be done in just a few clicks. Within a few minutes, representatives can begin working with a conversational Power Virtual Agent that will start analyzing all incoming and outcoming calls immediately.

Additionally, the high scalability of the tool means business teams can confidently incorporate it across growing channels.

Build Your Comprehensive Digital Contact Center with JourneyTEAM

Whether the goal is to eliminate siloes or unify customer conversations, Dynamics 365 Customer Service voice channel enables business teams to deliver world-class customer care.

For additional support with voice channel or additional tools within Dynamics 365, contact the experts at JourneyTEAM.