Dynamics 365 Customer Service: Omnichannel Engagement and Case Management
Introduction
Dynamics 365 Customer Service provides comprehensive case management and omnichannel engagement capabilities, enabling agents to deliver consistent customer experiences across chat, email, SMS, social media, and voice channels. This guide covers case lifecycle management, omnichannel configuration, SLA implementation, knowledge management, and agent productivity enhancements.
Case Management Fundamentals
Case Entity Overview
Case structure:
Case (Incident) Table:
Core Fields:
- Case Number: Auto-generated (CASE-######)
- Title: Short description
- Customer: Lookup to Contact/Account
- Case Type: Inquiry, Problem, Request
- Priority: Low, Normal, High, Critical
- Status: Active, Resolved, Cancelled
- Status Reason: In Progress, On Hold, Waiting for Details, etc.
- Origin: Phone, Email, Web, Chat, Social Media
- Owner: User or Team
- Case Age: Calculated (days since created)
Related Tables:
- Activities: Emails, phone calls, tasks, notes
- Knowledge Articles: Linked articles for resolution
- Service Level Agreement: SLA tracking
- Case Resolution: Resolution details when closed
- Related Cases: Parent/child relationships
Business Logic:
- Business Rules: Auto-set priority based on customer tier
- Workflows: Escalation to manager if unresolved > 48 hours
- Plugins: Custom logic for routing and notification
Case Lifecycle
Standard case workflow:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Case Created (Email/Chat/Phone/Web) │
└────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
↓
┌───────────────┐
│ Auto-Routing │ (Queue, Skills, Capacity)
└───────┬────────┘
↓
┌───────────────┐
│ Assigned to │
│ Agent │
└───────┬────────┘
↓
┌───────────────┐
│ In Progress │ (Research, collaborate, KB search)
└───────┬────────┘
↓
┌───────────────┐
│ Resolution │ (Solution applied, customer notified)
└───────┬────────┘
↓
┌───────────────┐
│ Customer │
│ Confirmation │
└───────┬────────┘
↓
┌───────────────┐
│ Resolved/ │
│ Closed │
└────────────────┘
Queues and Routing
Queue configuration:
Queue: Technical Support Tier 1
Type: Public
Members:
- User: support.agent1@contoso.com
- User: support.agent2@contoso.com
- User: support.agent3@contoso.com
- Team: Tier1 Support Team
Routing Rules:
Rule 1: Hardware Issues
Conditions:
- Case Type = "Problem"
- Subject contains "hardware|device|laptop|printer"
Actions:
- Route to: Hardware Support Queue
- Priority: Normal
Rule 2: Software Issues
Conditions:
- Case Type = "Problem"
- Subject contains "software|application|login|password"
Actions:
- Route to: Software Support Queue
- Priority: Normal
Rule 3: VIP Customers
Conditions:
- Customer.Account Type = "VIP"
Actions:
- Route to: VIP Support Queue
- Priority: High
- Assign to: Available senior agent
Assignment Method:
- Type: Skill-based routing (Unified Routing)
- Capacity: Max 5 concurrent cases per agent
- Distribution: Round-robin among available agents
Omnichannel for Customer Service
Channel Configuration
Available channels:
Channels:
Live Chat:
Widget: Embedded on website
Pre-chat Survey: Name, Email, Issue Type
Queue: Web Support Queue
Routing: Skill-based
Business Hours: 24/7
Average Wait Time: Display to customer
Chat Transfer: Enabled
Supervisor Monitor: Enabled
SMS:
Provider: Twilio/Azure Communication Services
Number: +1-800-SUPPORT
Keywords:
- HELP → Route to general support
- BILLING → Route to billing queue
- STOP → Opt-out
Queue: SMS Support Queue
Response Templates: Enabled
Voice:
Provider: Azure Communication Services
Number: +1-800-123-4567
IVR Menu:
1. Sales → Sales Queue
2. Support → Support Queue
3. Billing → Billing Queue
0. Operator
Recording: Enabled (with consent)
Transcription: Enabled (AI-powered)
Queue Callback: Enabled (estimated wait > 5 min)
Social Media:
Facebook: @ContosoSupport
Twitter: @ContosoHelp
Monitoring: 24/7
Auto-response: Acknowledge within 1 minute
Queue: Social Support Queue
Email:
Address: support@contoso.com
Auto-reply: Enabled (case number provided)
Signature: Include agent name and contact info
Attachments: Allowed (max 10MB)
Queue: Email Support Queue
Unified Routing
Skill-based routing:
Skills Setup:
Hardware Support:
- Level 1: Basic troubleshooting
- Level 2: Advanced diagnostics
- Level 3: Expert (certified techs)
Software Support:
- Windows: Level 1-3
- macOS: Level 1-3
- Mobile Apps: Level 1-2
Languages:
- English: Native/Fluent
- Spanish: Native/Fluent
- French: Conversational
Agent Profiles:
John Smith:
Skills:
- Hardware Support: Level 2
- Windows: Level 3
- English: Native
- Spanish: Fluent
Capacity: 5 concurrent chats, 3 calls
Availability: 8 AM - 5 PM PST
Routing Configuration:
Match: Exact match required for technical skills
Fallback: If no exact match, route to queue manager
Priority: VIP customers get highest priority
Timeout: Assign to next available if no response in 60s
Agent Experience
Unified Interface for agents:
Agent Dashboard:
My Work:
- Active Cases (5)
- Open Chats (2)
- Pending Callbacks (3)
Productivity Pane:
- Smart Assist: AI-suggested KB articles and similar cases
- Agent Scripts: Step-by-step guided workflows
- Quick Responses: Pre-defined templates
- Knowledge Search: In-context KB search
Communication Panel:
- Active Chat Conversation
- Email Composer
- Phone Dialer
- SMS Interface
Customer Summary:
- Contact Information
- Account Details
- Case History (last 10 cases)
- Open Opportunities/Orders
- Sentiment Analysis
- Timeline (all interactions)
Features:
- Consult: Ask colleague without transferring
- Transfer: Move case to another agent/queue
- Conference: Add another agent to chat/call
- Supervisor Escalation: One-click escalation
- Screen Pop: Automatic customer record display
- Wrap-up: Post-call/chat notes and case update
Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
SLA Configuration
Response and resolution SLAs:
SLA: Premium Support Response Time
Applicable To: Cases where Customer Account Type = "Premium"
KPIs:
First Response Time:
Warning: 15 minutes
Failure: 30 minutes
Success: Response sent within 30 minutes
Resolution Time:
Warning: 8 hours
Failure: 24 hours
Success: Case resolved within 24 hours
Business Hours: 24x7 (Premium customers)
Actions:
On Warning:
- Send notification to agent
- Highlight case in queue (yellow)
On Failure:
- Escalate to supervisor
- Send email to customer success manager
- Update case priority to Critical
- Highlight case in queue (red)
On Success:
- Log SLA compliance
- Update customer satisfaction metric
Pause Conditions:
- Status Reason = "Waiting for Customer"
- Status Reason = "On Hold"
- Outside business hours (for Standard SLA)
SLA monitoring:
Dashboard: SLA Performance
Metrics:
- Total Cases with SLA: 1,234
- Met SLA: 1,100 (89%)
- Breached SLA: 134 (11%)
- At Risk (Warning): 45 (3.6%)
Charts:
- SLA Compliance Trend (Last 30 days)
- SLA Breaches by Queue
- Average Response Time by Channel
- Top 10 Agents by SLA Compliance
Tables:
- Active Cases Nearing SLA Breach
- Recent SLA Breaches (Root cause analysis)
Knowledge Management
Knowledge Article Structure
Article template:
Knowledge Article: KB-0001234
Title: "How to Reset Password in Customer Portal"
Article Number: KB-0001234
Keywords: password, reset, login, forgot, customer portal
Language: English
Status: Published
Content:
Problem:
"Users unable to access customer portal after forgetting password"
Cause:
"Password expiration after 90 days or multiple failed login attempts"
Solution:
Step 1: Navigate to https://portal.contoso.com
Step 2: Click "Forgot Password" link
Step 3: Enter email address
Step 4: Check email for reset link (valid for 24 hours)
Step 5: Create new password (min 12 characters, complexity required)
Step 6: Click Save and login with new password
Additional Information:
- Password must meet complexity requirements
- Link expires after 24 hours
- Contact support if email not received within 5 minutes
Attachments:
- Screenshot: password_reset_screen.png
- Video: password_reset_tutorial.mp4
Metadata:
Category: Account Management
Subject: Customer Portal
Audience: External (Customers)
Author: support.admin@contoso.com
Created: 2025-01-15
Last Modified: 2025-05-20
Expiration Date: 2026-01-15
View Count: 5,432
Rating: 4.5/5 (234 ratings)
Helpful: 89%
Related Articles:
- KB-0001001: "Creating a New Customer Portal Account"
- KB-0001122: "Two-Factor Authentication Setup"
- KB-0001345: "Managing Account Profile Settings"
Knowledge Search Integration
Agent knowledge search:
Context-Aware Search:
Case Title: "Cannot login to portal"
Auto-Suggested Articles:
1. KB-0001234: Reset Password (95% match)
2. KB-0001122: Two-Factor Authentication (78% match)
3. KB-0001001: Create Account (65% match)
Search Filters:
- Published articles only
- Internal + External articles
- Language: English
- Last updated: Within 6 months
Agent Actions:
- Preview: View article in side panel
- Link to Case: Associate article with case
- Send to Customer: Include in email response
- Copy to Clipboard: Paste solution into chat
- Rate Article: Thumbs up/down for relevance
Customer self-service portal:
Knowledge Base Portal:
Search Bar:
- Auto-complete suggestions
- Natural language queries
- Filter by category
Browse by Category:
- Account Management
- Technical Support
- Billing & Payments
- Product Information
Popular Articles:
- Top 10 most viewed
- Recently updated
- Highest rated
Article View:
- Content with formatting
- Attachments/Videos
- Related articles
- Feedback: "Was this helpful? Yes/No"
- Contact Support: Create case if not resolved
Agent Productivity Tools
Smart Assist (AI-Powered)
Intelligent suggestions:
Smart Assist Features:
Similar Cases:
- Machine learning finds cases with similar titles/descriptions
- Displays resolution and time to resolve
- Agent can adopt solution with one click
Suggested Knowledge Articles:
- AI analyzes case description and customer messages
- Suggests top 3 relevant KB articles
- Updates suggestions as conversation progresses
Next Best Action:
- Predicts next step based on case history
- Suggests: "Update customer with status", "Escalate to Tier 2", "Request info"
Sentiment Analysis:
- Real-time customer sentiment detection (Positive/Neutral/Negative)
- Alert agent if sentiment becomes negative
- Suggest empathy responses
Suggested Responses:
- Pre-written responses based on context
- Personalized with customer name and case details
- Agent can edit before sending
Agent Scripts
Guided workflows:
Script: Technical Support Call
Steps:
1. Greeting:
Text: "Thank you for calling Contoso Support. My name is {Agent Name}. May I have your name and account number?"
Actions:
- Search for customer by account number
- Create new case
- Set Origin = Phone
2. Verify Identity:
Text: "For security purposes, can you please verify your email address?"
Actions:
- Validate email against contact record
- If match: Proceed
- If no match: Transfer to verification team
3. Describe Issue:
Text: "How can I help you today?"
Actions:
- Log issue description in case notes
- Set Case Type based on keywords
- Auto-search knowledge base
4. Troubleshooting:
Text: "Let's try some troubleshooting steps. Can you please..."
Actions:
- Follow KB article steps
- Log actions taken
- Update case status to "In Progress"
5. Resolution:
Text: "Were you able to resolve the issue with those steps?"
If Yes:
- Create case resolution
- Set status to Resolved
- Send follow-up email
If No:
- Escalate to Tier 2
- Schedule callback
6. Closing:
Text: "Is there anything else I can help you with today?"
Actions:
- Create follow-up task if needed
- Thank customer
- Complete wrap-up notes
Macros
One-click automation:
Macro: Send Troubleshooting Steps
Actions:
1. Update Case Status: In Progress
2. Add Note: "Troubleshooting steps sent to customer"
3. Send Email:
Template: Technical Support - Troubleshooting
To: Case.Customer.Email
Subject: "Troubleshooting Steps - Case #{CaseNumber}"
Body: Include top 3 KB articles
4. Create Follow-up Task:
Subject: "Follow up on case {CaseNumber}"
Due Date: +2 days
Owner: {Current User}
5. Refresh Timeline
Macro: Escalate to Manager
Actions:
1. Update Priority: High
2. Update Status Reason: Escalated
3. Assign to: {Agent's Manager}
4. Send Teams Message:
To: Manager
Message: "Case {CaseNumber} escalated - {Case Title}"
5. Add Note: "Escalated to {Manager Name} - {Reason}"
Best Practices
- Omnichannel Consistency: Ensure consistent experience across all channels
- SLA Alignment: Set realistic SLAs based on team capacity and business hours
- Knowledge Management: Keep articles current, review quarterly
- Routing Optimization: Regularly review routing rules and agent skills
- Agent Training: Provide ongoing training on new features and tools
- Performance Monitoring: Track KPIs daily and identify improvement areas
- Customer Feedback: Collect and act on post-case surveys
Troubleshooting
Chat widget not loading:
Issue: Chat widget doesn't appear on website
Checks:
1. Verify widget code embedded correctly in website <body>
2. Check CORS settings in Customer Service admin
3. Verify chat channel is Active and Available
4. Ensure agents are logged in and available
5. Test in incognito mode (clear cache)
Solution:
- Update CORS allowed origins in Power Platform admin
- Redeploy chat widget code
- Verify firewall not blocking WebSocket connections
SLA not triggering:
Issue: SLA timer not starting for new cases
Checks:
1. Verify SLA is Active and Published
2. Check applicable when conditions match case
3. Ensure business hours calendar configured
4. Verify case status triggers SLA (not Resolved/Cancelled)
Solution:
- Review SLA item conditions in detail
- Test with sample case matching exact criteria
- Check SLA KPI instance records for errors
- Deactivate and reactivate SLA if needed
Key Takeaways
- Omnichannel engagement provides unified agent experience across channels
- Skill-based routing ensures cases reach the right agent efficiently
- SLAs drive accountability and measure service performance
- Knowledge management reduces case volume through self-service
- AI-powered productivity tools accelerate case resolution
Next Steps
- Configure Customer Service Insights for analytics
- Implement IoT Connected Field Service for device monitoring
- Enable Customer Service Historical Analytics for Power BI
- Explore AI Builder for case classification and sentiment analysis
Additional Resources
- Dynamics 365 Customer Service Documentation
- Omnichannel for Customer Service
- Knowledge Management Guide
- SLA Configuration
Service excellence, every channel.