My 5 Favourite Microsoft Copilot Hacks Inside Dynamics 365 Contact Center
Having worked with organisations using Microsoft Omnichannel since its original release back in July 2021, I’ve closely followed Microsoft’s journey in transforming customer service technologies. My excitement grew when, a year later, Microsoft announced the Microsoft Digital Contact Center Platform. This was a pivotal step towards a more integrated and intelligent customer service experience.
Fast forward to June 2024, we reached another significant milestone with the introduction of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center, a Copilot-first contact center solution that brings generative AI to every customer engagement channel. With its general availability starting July 1 2024, this standalone Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) solution allows businesses to maximise their existing investments by seamlessly connecting to preferred customer relationship management systems (CRMs) or custom applications.
I’ve been particularly interested in exploring the new Copilot-first capabilities. Here are some of my favourite ways I have used Copilot to enhance customer interactions and efficiency, drawing from my experiences and the latest advancements in the platform.
1. Draft a chat response (Preview)
One of the standout features of Copilot is its ability to draft chat responses. This is particularly helpful during live conversations with customers. In the above example the customer messaged that they had a broken kitchen drawer. Using Copilot I said I needed more information and to find out what specifically was broken. Copilot wrote me a response. By simply clicking the one-click response generation button in the Conversation control panel, Copilot analyses the context of the conversation and the latest customer message. It then drafts a response that I can review and send. This saves time and ensures that I can provide accurate and timely responses without manually typing everything out.
2. Use Copilot to summarise conversations
Copilot’s conversation summaries are a lifesaver. They provide a concise overview of key information such as the customer details, subject, priority, and description. This helps me quickly grasp the context and urgency of each conversation. This is especially useful if you add another agent or transfer the conversation or consult with someone else. Copilot can summarise both chat and transcribed voice conversations, providing a record of the steps taken to address customer issues. This not only helps in resolving issues more efficiently but also ensures a seamless handover if the case needs to be escalated.
Copilot conversation summaries provide context and relay the steps that you took to solve the issue. With the one click button I can then Create a case off the back of this conversation.
3. Draft questions or actions
You can ask free-form questions just as you’d ask your colleague or supervisor who might know the answers.
Sometimes, getting to the root of a customer’s issue requires asking the right questions. Copilot excels here by allowing me to ask free-form questions as I would with a colleague. Whether it’s a direct query or a follow-up, Copilot pulls from the knowledge sources available to provide relevant answers. If the initial response isn’t quite what I need, I can guide Copilot to refine its answer. This natural, conversational interaction makes it feel like I’m collaborating with an experienced co-worker.
4. Write an email with Copilot
Who hasn’t done this yet? When you use Copilot to draft an email, you can use the following features to help you write a response to a customer. Email remains a crucial channel for customer communication, and Copilot has several features that make crafting emails easier. Depending on the situation, Copilot can suggest prompts for a variety of scenarios:
- Suggest a Call: Proposes a call with the customer to discuss the issue in detail.
- Request More Information: Asks the customer for additional details needed to resolve their issue.
- Empathise with Feedback: Provides a thoughtful, empathetic response to complaints.
- Provide Product/Service Details: Offers detailed information or answers specific questions about products or services.
- Resolve the Customer’s Problem: Outlines resolution steps clearly and concisely.
The ‘Custom’ prompt option is particularly useful, allowing me to tweak the email response to suit the specific context and needs of the customer.
5. Summarise cases
Copilot case summaries help you quickly understand the context of a case and resolve customer issues more efficiently. You can also generate a case summary for cases that are resolved or cancelled.
Note: A case summary isn’t generated if the descriptions added in the source case fields that Copilot uses are less than 38 words in English, without counting spaces.
Conclusion
In wrapping up, I have to say that seeing what the Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center can do will dramatically help call centers. From the early days with Microsoft Omnichannel to the latest Copilot-first features, I’ve seen how these tools can make a real difference in how we connect with our customers.
The way Copilot helps draft responses, summarise conversations, and even craft email responses will save countless hours and improve the quality of interactions.
Looking ahead, I’m excited to see how it will evolve and continue to offer even better service. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and with these new capabilities, we’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.
So, what’s your favourite feature of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Contact Center? I’d love to hear how others are using this powerful tool!
