After Sales Cloud, Service Cloud is one of Salesforce's main clouds and allows your team to deliver instant, personalized service and support to your customers. For companies utilizing Salesforce and Slack, implementing Service Cloud for Slack is a no-brainer. As our final installment in the Slackmas Series, we'll walk through how to set it up and review some of its features.
Requirements
Salesforce Org
Admin user to complete setup
End users with "Salesforce" license to validate functionality
Slack Workspace
Workspace Admin user to complete setup
End users in Slack to validate functionality
More patience 😂
Time - Initial config can be done in a few days though complex config will take much longer (weeks? months!? years!?! oh my)
Setup
Step 1: Install Service Cloud for Slack App in Slack
This step will both install the Slack Service Cloud for Slack app in Slack as well as connect your Slack to your Salesforce org in one fell swoop. Be sure to have your Salesforce credentials at the ready.
After clicking "Allow" you will see a success modal and be redirected to Slack where you will see a direct message from the Service Cloud for Slack app in the Messages tab.
Step 2: Initial Slack Setup Wizard in Salesforce
Now that Slack and Salesforce are connected, we will do the "back-end" setup and configuration in Salesforce. As far as this article, we'll only be focused on Service Cloud for Slack, but this step is currently required as a pre-requisite to all Salesforce <> Slack integration configurations (i.e. Sales Cloud for Slack, CRM Analytics for Slack).
The important things to mention here specifically for Service Cloud are below. Note for other apps, different permissions will be required:
✅ Agree to the Terms and Conditions
✅ Enable Service Cloud for Slack
✅ Assign "Slack Service User" permission set, create new permission set or add permissions to an existing:
The app permission "Slack Service User"
The system permission "Run Flows", "Connect Salesforce with Slack"
Step 3: Set up Service Cloud For Slack in Salesforce
Like the Sales Cloud for Slack wizard which walks through multiple tabs like setting up sales and feed channels and automating notifications for those channels -- there is a similar set of configuration steps for the Service Cloud for Slack initial configuration. Note, this is not seen when you click on Service Cloud for Slack via Setup. Instead you must set up Swarming by navigating to Setup -> Feature Settings -> Service -> Swarming and following the steps outlined there. Note, not all the configuration is directly related to Slack. The important things to mention here:
✅ Update permission sets (above) to give access to Swarm and Swarm Members objects.
✅ Set Up the Service Console in Salesforce - Required for using swarms in Salesforce
Create a Lightning Console App and Add Navigation Items
Add Swarms and Swarm Members Related Lists to Page Layouts
Create a Swarming Tab and Add Swarming Related Lists
Add Swarms and Swarm Members Related Lists in Lightning App Builder
✅ Set up Swarming Flows
✅ Swarm With a Collaboration Tool - Select Slack
We've skipped some optional steps, but feel free to explore those yourself. There is one step above which really need further review - Swarming Flows. These template flows are how an integration between Service Cloud and Slack can start to be automated out of the box.
Though at this time, they are somewhat complex out of the box. Take for example the "Begin Swarming" flow below.
So, unlike Sales Cloud for Slack automated sales channel or feed notifications, there are not really flows/notifications you can test immediately once Service Cloud for Slack is implemented. It requiress a bit more time in the documentation and understanding the screen flows.
Extra Credit
More things you can do from Slack
Aside from the actions you can take on record blocks (like clicking "View Case" and getting edit/share modals), you can use slash commands.
Essentially, your users from Slack are able to create a new case, and then start a swarm (and close it) all directly from Slack. This speeds up resolution time significantly.
More things you can do from Salesforce
There are a handful of different Flow Actions/Elements available, some of which we've seen in template swarm flows. What you'll notice is there is a lot you can automate, which will save your team time and give them the opportunity to work on the case/incident and decrease resolution time.
📝 Note: These flow actions are native to Salesforce as discussed in our second series which reviews the Salesforce (i.e. Platform) for Slack app, but can be used across different apps (Sales, Service).
Now, let's imagine being able to automate an entire incident/support process. Say when a New Case is created (web-to-case or via a new case shortcut or Slack command), a flow is kicked off that:
Creates a new Slack Channel (i.e. Swarm)
Links the new swarm channel to the Case
Sends a Slack Message with the Case record
Pins the Case record to the channel
Invites optional incident/support/service team users to the Slack Channel
Automatically adds required service team members join the Channel
At this point, the team has all they need to work the incident, and can take it through to resolution, at which point another flow can fire which automatically archives the channel. This is one of the main visions for this app -- quickly doing the above and solving customer's issues as quickly as possible.
Summary
This app and installation/setup process feels a bit cumbersome, disjointed and somewhat confusing to set up properly quickly. In my opinion and experience, it requires a bit more time and effort than some of the other apps we've reviewed so far which likely explains why third-party apps like Centro and others are challenging the native solutions as they are much easier to install and get working in minutes -- not days or weeks.
So what should you go with? Service Cloud for Slack or a third-party solution?
😂 We're here to help answer this question and help your company speed up time to value. If you're curious how we can set up Service Cloud for Slack for your company - check out our services, check out LinkedIn and contact us via website or Slack Connect!