Agent initiated SMS conversation

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Agent initiated SMS conversation

    ServiceNow Customer Service Management now supports agent-initiated SMS conversations, enabling agents to communicate with customers via SMS within the platform. This feature tracks interactions between agents and customers through SMS messaging, enhancing communication channels beyond traditional methods.

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    Requirements

    • A configured messaging provider must be available to enable the Compose SMS option in the agent interaction screen.
    • Phone numbers must be validated and formatted according to the E.164 standard using the REST endpoint /api/now/initiatemessage/validatephonenumber. If a phone number is not in E.164 format, the system attempts to convert it based on the consumer’s location or defaults to E.164.
    • Consumer profiles are validated via the REST endpoint /api/now/initiatemessage/validateprofile to ensure correct association of phone numbers to consumers during SMS interactions.

    Key Features

    • Initiating SMS Conversations: Agents can start SMS conversations by selecting or entering a provider number for outbound messages.
    • Handling Active Interactions:
      • If no active SMS interaction exists, a new SMS interaction is created and assigned to the agent.
      • If an active interaction involves the same agent, the message is added to the existing conversation without reassignment.
      • If an active interaction involves a virtual agent (VA), the existing interaction is closed and a new interaction is created and assigned to the agent.
      • If an active interaction involves a different contact, the existing interaction is closed, a new channel user profile is created (deactivating the old one), and a new interaction is assigned to the agent.
    • Customizing Send From/To Numbers: The AgentInitiatedConversationUtil extension point allows customers to customize logic that controls the “Send from” and “Send to” phone numbers used in SMS conversations. For the out-of-the-box store application, this is configured via AgentInitiatedMessagingUtilExtPointImpl.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enabling SMS messaging broadens customer engagement channels directly within agent workflows.
    • Phone number and profile validations ensure message delivery integrity and accurate customer association.
    • Automatic management of interaction states and user profile associations simplifies agent workflow and maintains clean data.
    • Customization points allow tailoring the SMS sender and recipient handling to fit specific business requirements.

    Related Operational Tasks

    • Monitoring agent presence and capacity to manage message workloads
    • Checking and managing unassigned interactions and task work items
    • Composing SMS within the interaction interface

    Customer Service Management supports additional messaging channel such as SMS which tracks interactions between the agent and customer.

    Requirements

    At least one provider configuration for messaging type channel must be available to view the Compose SMS option in the agent interaction screen. For more information about provider sys_cs_provider_application.list, see Create a channel identifier.

    Phone number validation

    REST endpoint /api/now/initiate_message/validate_phone_number is used to validate if the phone number is in the E.164 format. If the number of a known consumer is not in the E.164 format, the system converts it to the E.164 format based on for example, the location of the consumer. If the location is not found, it will by default convert the number to an E.164 format. For more information about E.164 formats and validation, see Phone number field type.

    Customer profile validation

    REST endpoint /api/now/initiate_message/validate_profile is used to validate the channel user profile. When you send an SMS in reply to an interaction of type phone, the message is sent to a consumer originally associated with the interaction. If the same phone number is associated to a different consumer, and you send an SMS, you will get a message that the phone number is currently associated to another consumer and sending the new message will associate the phone number to the current user.

    A phone number is associated to consumer A and an interaction has occurred after which the phone number was disconnected for consumer A. There is a new interaction with consumer B and you select the same phone number that was associated with consumer A. A message appears that the phone number is currently associated to consumer A, and sending a new message will associate consumer A's phone number to consumer B who is the current user.

    Agent initiated SMS conversations

    To initiate an SMS conversation with a requester, agents can select a provider number for an outbound service or manually enter a provider number. If there is a current ongoing SMS conversation, it automatically appears. When an agent initiates an SMS conversation:

    If Then
    There is no active SMS interaction​
    • Create a new SMS interaction​
    • Assign interaction to agent​
    There is an active interaction involving an agent​
    • Inject the message into existing conversation​
    • Add agent to live group profile​
    • No reassignment​
    There is an active interaction involving VA​
    • Close existing interaction​
    • Create a new interaction and assign to agent​
    There is an active interaction involving a different contact/consumer/user​
    • Close existing interaction​
    • Create a new channel user profile and deactivate the existing channel user profile​
    • Create a new interaction and assign to agent​

    Customize the behaviour of send from and to numbers

    The AgentInitiatedConversationUtil extension point is added to implement a customers' logic to change the default behaviour of the Send from and Send to fields. For more information, see Associating user profiles on messaging interactions. For this store application, AgentInitiatedMessagingUtilExtPointImpl extension point is configured for fetching the from and to numbers.