Dynamics Community Forum Thread Details

ticketing portal Customer Self-Service template

I would like to create a corporate ticketing portal using Power Pages. Unfortunately, the Customer Self-Service Portal template does not work correctly, so I am forced to start from a different template that lacks these features, and I am encountering numerous issues.

I have managed to configure ticket creation and allow the logged-in account to view all its tickets, but I am unsure how to create an internal "chat" within the ticket and make it visible to the end customer logged into the portal.

Do you have any suggestions?

Categories:

Dynamics 365 general

Hi there! Good morning, evening, or afternoon :) depending on where you are!

Building a chat feature from scratch can be clunky.

Have you considered using Omnichannel Customer Service in D365 for integrated live chat?
- this provides a built-in live chat feature that can be embedded into your power pages portal
- which will allow customers to communicate directly with support agents or internal users in real time
- you'll get conversation tracking, automatically linking to the relevant case / ticket in D365
- the chat widget can be customized to match your portal's branding, etc.
- and you can leverage integrated AI powered chatbots to handle more common queries or provide auto responses
- Configure Omnichannel with Power Pages site copilot | Microsoft Learn

If you aren't wanting to go this route, you could do something like:

Use a Custom Table for Chat Messages:
- Create a custom table in Dataverse to store chat messages. Include fields such as:
  - Ticket ID (to link messages to specific tickets)
  - Sender (e.g., internal user or customer)
  - Message Content
  - Timestamp
Add a Sub-grid to the Ticket Form:
- On the ticket form in Power Pages, add a sub-grid to display chat messages related to the ticket. Configure the sub-grid to show messages filtered by the Ticket ID.
Enable Message Submission:
- Add a form or text input field on the ticket page to allow users to submit new messages. Use Power Automate to save these messages to the custom table and associate them with the correct ticket.
Set Up Real-Time Updates:
- Use Power Automate or JavaScript to refresh the chat sub-grid in real-time when new messages are added. This ensures that both internal users and customers see updates without needing to refresh the page.
Control Visibility with Web Roles:
- Use web roles and table permissions to control who can view or submit messages. For example:
  - Customers can only see messages related to their tickets.
  - Internal users can see all messages for tickets they manage.
Consider Power Virtual Agents for Chat-Like Experience:
- If you'd like to enhance the chat experience, consider integrating a Power Virtual Agent chatbot. This can provide automated responses and escalate to human agents when needed.
Test and Iterate:
- Test the chat functionality thoroughly to ensure it works seamlessly for both internal users and customers. Gather feedback and make adjustments as needed.