Customer Service Copilot: features and use cases

If you’re looking to enhance your contact center’s performance and want to leverage the power of artificial intelligence for this specific task—without the need to write code or develop custom solutions—Microsoft 365 Copilot for Service might be the right solution for you. Copilot for Service is a new product that allows you to create copilots for agents, capable of providing real-time responses from your content sources.

In this article, we will explain what Copilot for Service is, how it can help in various use cases, how it integrates with Microsoft 365 and other CRM platforms, and how you can get started with it.

Customer Service Copilot: an introduction

In many organizations, information such as customer records, knowledge base articles, and files are spread across multiple systems, making it difficult for customer service agents to navigate between various applications.

With Copilot for Service, based on Microsoft 365 Copilot, companies can simply point to their data and unlock AI-powered conversations through their knowledge bases. Customer service agents can then access this information with an integrated copilot directly in their preferred desktop software, such as Salesforce, as well as other tools like Outlook and Teams.

This is not the first time Microsoft has focused on the contact center and the opportunities that generative AI offers for customer experience (CX). Over the past year, Microsoft has introduced numerous generative AI features for Dynamics 365 and smart tools to support sales teams.

Microsoft Copilot for Service addresses the specific needs of customer service agents. In a recent survey, the tech giant found that three out of four agents feel less engaged and motivated than before. Microsoft reports that agents are struggling with more demanding work hours, less time to focus, and challenges in providing quality service. However, these agents believe that AI can positively impact their performance and provide the unique insights they need to succeed.

Redmond's copilot tackles today's agents' needs, allowing them to enhance their user experience in tools like Outlook and Teams. Microsoft’s virtual AI assistant can also provide guided responses and resources during customer interactions, helping Customer Service specialists perform their work more simply and efficiently. We will explore this further in the following sections.

What is Microsoft Copilot

For those who may have missed the latest tech news over the past few years or are simply interested in learning more about the topic, let’s take a moment to explore what Copilot is.

Microsoft Copilot is an AI digital assistant designed to simplify users' daily tasks, increase productivity, and spark creativity. Its main focus is on code generation, writing assistance, and collaboration. Seamlessly integrated with popular Microsoft 365 applications like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, Copilot offers contextual suggestions and helps users understand information effectively.

Powered by the cutting-edge GPT-4 language model, Microsoft Copilot boasts impressive features such as code auto-completion, documentation search, and collaborative writing. Microsoft continues to enhance Copilot with new functionalities over time, highlighting how heavily the Redmond-based company is investing in its Gen AI solution for the future of business-focused products.

The features of Microsoft’s AI digital assistant are aimed at a wide range of users and professionals, including developers, content creators, and workers seeking AI-driven support for their tasks.

The main ways to use Microsoft Copilot are as follows:

• ‍Adopting Copilot: Microsoft offers various Copilot assistants to boost productivity and creativity. Integrated across multiple Microsoft products and platforms, Copilot transforms the digital workspace into a more interactive and efficient environment.
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• ‍Extending Copilot: Developers can incorporate external data, streamlining user operations and reducing the need to switch contexts. This not only improves productivity but also promotes greater collaboration. Through Copilot, integrating these data sources into everyday Microsoft products is easy.
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• ‍Building your own Copilot: In addition to adopting and extending Copilot, it’s possible to create a customized Copilot for a unique conversational experience using Azure OpenAI, Cognitive Search, Microsoft Copilot Studio, and other Microsoft Cloud technologies. A custom Copilot can integrate company data, access external data in real-time through APIs, and integrate into business applications.

Copilot for Customer Service: key features

Effective customer service goes beyond problem-solving: it’s about building lasting loyalty, increasing efficiency, and driving business growth. However, a significant obstacle stands in the way: accessing relevant data and the right technology stack. Enter Copilot, a game-changer in customer service innovation.

While nurturing customer relationships has long been essential, many organizations still rely on complex customer service management systems to cultivate these connections.

The challenge? Developing, implementing, and managing these CRM systems comes with steep costs and heavy workloads, often putting them out of reach for many businesses—unless, of course, they are already part of the Microsoft Dynamics ecosystem. This leaves others at a disadvantage, as Copilot alone might not justify renewing their CRM systems.

Microsoft Copilot for Service is a tailored version of Microsoft’s generative AI tool, Copilot, offering the same conversational interface and ease of use found across other Copilot experiences, from Teams to Microsoft 365 apps.

The main difference is that this solution is designed to help customer service agents improve efficiency, meet customer needs, and enhance brand loyalty. It’s a Gen AI assistant specifically trained to tackle the challenges of modern customer service alongside its agents.

So, what can it do exactly? Key features include:

• ‍Work Across Multiple Systems – Copilot provides AI-enhanced conversations with organizational data through easy point-and-click access to public websites, SharePoint, company knowledge base articles, and offline files. Copilot for Service can also access knowledge sources through predefined integrations with widely used services and tools like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Zendesk.
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• ‍Built into Apps – One of the most impressive aspects of Copilot for Service, as mentioned, is its seamless connection with platforms like Dynamics 365, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Zendesk. This means that regardless of the CRM or service management system your organization relies on, Copilot can integrate smoothly with existing systems to enhance customer support capabilities.
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• ‍Accelerate Case Resolution – Using CRM data, users can ask questions about cases and contacts and summarize cases. In Outlook, users can leverage Copilot to summarize and draft emails, access case summaries, consult and update CRM records, and schedule meetings informed by case summaries and other pertinent information stored in CRM records.

And there’s more. Copilot for Service doesn’t stop there: it can also be extended to other systems using over 1,100 predefined and custom connectors. These connectors eliminate the need for costly, lengthy IT integration work, ensuring a smooth, hassle-free implementation process.

Microsoft reports that customers are already discovering the benefits of AI for customer service. The company’s customer support and assistance team has utilized Copilot’s capabilities in Microsoft Dynamics 365 over the past six months. With these tools, agents have reduced average handling time by 12% and felt more empowered to handle cases independently.

Here’s a closer look at how it can transform customer support:

• ‍Enhanced Support – Real-time knowledge suggestions and case summaries enable agents using Copilot for Service to find answers faster. As a result, there’s no more wasted time searching through multiple databases or consulting support manuals.
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• ‍Personalized Customer Interactions – Write personalized responses that are consistent with the brand and professional in every aspect when interacting with customers. Copilot also suggests different response styles based on the customer’s tone, ensuring positive results in interactions.
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• ‍Time-Saving Efficiency – Agents don’t need to worry about repetitive tasks, as Copilot takes care of them, allowing agents to focus on customers needing complex assistance. These tasks include drafting initial emails, summarizing long conversations, and even suggesting relevant knowledge base articles. Unlike other conversational AI development tools, it requires no complicated integrations or additional software installation.

2024 Wave 2 updates for Copilot

The Copilot for Service updates in the 2024 Wave 2 release are indeed focused on further enhancing the advanced integration of generative AI to boost agent efficiency and overall customer experience.

These updates are available for early access and, according to Microsoft’s plans, will be gradually rolled out in the first months of 2025. Here’s a brief look at the main new features in the list below:

• Increased Automation and Productivity: Copilot assists agents in case processing more quickly by providing contextual replies in emails and chats and automatic conversation summaries. This allows agents to save time and focus on more complex tasks.
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• AI-Based Intelligent Routing: Support requests are automatically classified and assigned to the most suitable agents, thanks to AI models that consider priority, skills, and other rules defined by the organization.
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• Optimizations for Contact Centers: New features improve the handling of messages and calls, integrating Copilot and AI into the operational flows of the contact center, enabling continuous optimization of operations.
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• Integration with Microsoft Teams: One of the main new features is Copilot’s ability to provide meeting summaries and follow-up actions directly in Microsoft Teams. This allows agents to create CRM tasks based on follow-ups, reducing the need to switch between platforms.
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• Post-Meeting Task Automation: After a Teams meeting, Copilot automatically suggests the next steps and can turn them into CRM tasks, enabling agents to be more proactive in customer responses.
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• Automated Meeting Creation: When Copilot detects a meeting reference in an email (for example, in Outlook), it suggests scheduling the meeting automatically, already including the participants.
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• Support for Email Management: Copilot can analyze emails and suggest related actions, such as creating tasks or scheduling calls, contributing to faster handling of customer requests.

With Copilot for Service, the extensive possibilities of the initial releases are set to expand even further, potentially becoming limitless. Whether aiming to optimize processes within your existing CRM or expanding service capabilities to other systems, Copilot enables seamless integration. Say goodbye to integration issues and welcome a new, fluid, and uninterrupted approach to customer service.

Copilot for Customer Service: common use cases

“Infinite possibilities” can sound a bit generic, though, and some may want practical examples of use cases for Microsoft’s Gen AI tool. Fortunately, there are numerous use cases across various business sectors, and we present some practical examples below to give you an idea of the possible applications of Copilot within an organization:

Automated customer responses

‍A company receives a high volume of similar customer inquiries (such as password resets, product questions, or order tracking). Copilot for Service can be used to generate automatic responses based on predefined templates, reducing response time and lightening the workload for agents.

Problem resolution support

‍A customer reports a technical issue or product malfunction. Copilot for Service can analyze the customer’s request, identify the issue, suggest standard solutions, and, in some cases, guide the customer through steps to resolve the problem independently.

Request prioritization

‍A customer service center receives hundreds of daily requests. Copilot can help classify and prioritize requests based on urgency, level of criticality, and customer history, allowing agents to address the most important or urgent issues first.

Solution suggestions for agents

‍A customer service agent is handling a complex request and needs assistance on how to respond. Copilot can suggest responses or actions based on similar past cases or internal technical documentation, providing agents with quick and relevant solutions.

Agent training

‍New agents have been hired for customer service and need time to familiarize themselves with company processes and policies. The digital assistant can be used as a training tool, suggesting best practices to agents during customer interactions and helping them respond consistently and efficiently.

Conversation analysis and reporting

‍The company wants to analyze customer service interactions to improve support quality. Copilot for Service can automatically analyze customer conversations, identify recurring trends, critical issues, and assess customer sentiment, helping the company enhance its customer care strategies.

Proactive issue management

‍Some customers are experiencing issues with a product that have not yet been formally reported. Microsoft’s digital companion can monitor conversations in real-time and suggest proactive interventions to resolve potential issues before customers bring them up.

Post-request process automation

‍A customer submits a refund or replacement request. Copilot can automate the entire follow-up process, such as generating documents for replacement, initiating the refund process, or sending updates on the request’s status.

Knowledge management

‍Agents often need to search for answers in the FAQ or company knowledge base. Copilot for Service can quickly access this information and provide agents with accurate and up-to-date responses, reducing search time and improving response consistency.

Multichannel interaction

‍Customers use multiple channels (email, chat, social media) to contact customer service. Microsoft’s AI assistant can manage interactions across all these channels, ensuring that responses are consistent and timely, regardless of the communication medium.

Conclusions

As we reach the conclusion of this article, one question someone might still ask is, "Is it worth investing in Microsoft Copilot for Service?" Microsoft, as we mentioned in the previous sections, revealed that using Copilot has reduced the average case resolution time for their own customer service team by 12%.

This not only represents a significant percentage improvement in operational efficiency but also shows how Microsoft has chosen to place full trust in its product rather than merely promoting it through the usual marketing channels.

Adopting cutting-edge technologies like Microsoft Copilot means much more than just staying efficient in today’s fast-paced business environment; it's about surviving and surpassing the competition. Optimizing operations, maximizing team potential, and delivering fast, personalized service are key elements for gaining a decisive competitive advantage.

So, it’s time to do some calculations and assess whether Copilot for Service aligns with your organization’s goals. Generative AI is now radically reshaping the way we do business, and Copilot could be the key your company is looking for to unlock new levels of productivity and client satisfaction.

FAQ on Microsoft Copilot for Customer Service

What is Microsoft Copilot for Customer Service?

Microsoft Copilot for Customer Service is an AI-driven assistant within Microsoft 365 that helps customer service agents access real-time information from their company’s data sources, allowing for faster and more efficient customer support.

How does Copilot improve efficiency for customer service agents?

‍Copilot enables agents to quickly find information across multiple systems, offers case summaries, and provides response suggestions. This reduces the time agents spend on repetitive tasks, letting them focus on complex issues.

Can Microsoft Copilot integrate with CRM tools?

‍Yes, Copilot integrates seamlessly with CRM tools like Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Zendesk, as well as Microsoft Dynamics 365, to enhance customer service functions across platforms.

What are the key features of Copilot for Service?

‍Key features include multi-system data access, automated case resolutions, response suggestions, case summaries, and easy integration with popular CRM systems, all of which improve customer interaction and service outcomes.

How does Copilot handle personalization in customer interactions?

‍Copilot suggests responses based on customer tone and context, helping agents maintain brand consistency and professionalism while tailoring interactions to individual needs.

What’s new in the 2024 Wave 2 release for Copilot?

‍The update introduces features like intelligent routing, increased automation, CRM task creation from Microsoft Teams meetings, and improved integration with contact centers, enhancing both agent productivity and customer experience.

How do I get started with Microsoft Copilot for Customer Service?

‍Organizations can integrate Copilot through Microsoft 365 or Dynamics 365. For customized implementations, Microsoft Copilot Studio and Azure OpenAI services enable tailored setups.