Capturing information from a user in a Apple Messages for Business chat conversation

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Capturing information from a user in a Apple Messages for Business chat conversation

    ServiceNow’s Virtual Agent Designer enables you to create conversational topics for interactions between a virtual agent and users within Apple Messages for Business chat. This integration leverages native app features to capture and respond to user inputs effectively. Notifications are disabled by default for this channel and require user consent, which can be obtained either through the chat or via an administrator-configured subscription option.

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    User Input Controls

    The integration supports multiple user input controls within Virtual Agent Designer, allowing you to tailor conversations to gather necessary information from users. These controls include:

    • Text: Users enter plain text responses.
    • Static Choice: Users select from a predefined list of options.
    • Dynamic Choice: Users select from dynamically generated lists, such as cases they have opened.
    • Boolean: Users provide yes/no answers.
    • File Picker: Users can send files during the conversation.
    • Date Time: Users select dates, times, or both.
    • Carousel: Users select a single item from a carousel display.

    Bot Responses

    Virtual Agent Designer supports various bot response formats to enhance the conversation experience:

    • Text: Bot sends plain text messages.
    • Image: Bot sends images.
    • Link: Bot sends web links, which must be from allowed domains configured in the system.
    • Table: Bot presents organized information in a table format, useful for displaying data like service changes, holidays, contact info, or testing sites.
    • Card: Bot displays detailed record information via record cards, video cards, or image cards (small or large), sourced from your ServiceNow instance.

    User Notification Consent

    Notifications are off by default and require explicit user opt-in. Users can grant consent by typing "Notification" in the chat, which prompts subscription options, or administrators can configure subscription management via a portal. Without consent, no notifications can be sent.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    This functionality enables you to design rich, interactive virtual agent conversations within Apple Messages for Business that capture diverse types of user information and provide rich responses, improving customer engagement and service efficiency. Ensuring user notification consent is critical for proactive communication. Proper configuration of allowed domains and input controls ensures smooth, secure interactions aligned with your business needs.

    Virtual Agent Designer is a diagram tool for creating and managing topics, which are blueprints for conversations between a virtual agent and user.

    Use the collection of input controls provided by the Virtual Agent Designer to prompt and capture information from a requester in a Apple Messages for Business chat conversation. For more information, see Getting started with Virtual Agent Designer.

    For more information about displaying images along with external links, see Using link unfurling in Virtual Agent.

    Apple Messages for Business has an array of interactive features that are native to the app. For more information about these interactive features, see Conversational Integration with Apple Messages for Business.

    User notification consent

    Note:

    Notifications are turned off by default for the Apple Messages for Business channel. Make sure to enable notifications at the channel level.

    Users must opt in to receive notifications. No notifications can be delivered until the user grants consent.

    There are two ways for users to grant consent to receive notifications:
    • The user can enter Notification into the Apple Messages for Business chat to get a bot response with the option to subscribe or unsubscribe from receiving notifications for your business on Apple Messages for Business.
    • As the administrator, you can set up the option for users to subscribe or unsubscribe from notifications from your portal. See Subscription-based notifications for more information.

    User input controls

    The Conversational Integration with Apple Messages for Business application supports the following user input controls in Virtual Agent Designer.

    Table 1. Supported user input controls
    User input control Description
    Text User enters a plain text string in the conversation.
    Static Choice User selects an item from a predefined list.
    Dynamic Choice User selects an item from a list that is created dynamically. For example, the user can select from a list of cases that they opened.
    Boolean User enters a Boolean response to the bot. For example, the user can reply Yes or No in a chat conversation.
    File Picker User sends a file to the bot.
    Date Time User selects a calendar date, time (hours and minutes), or both.
    Carousel User selects a single item from the carousel.

    For more information about configuring user input controls, see Virtual Agent Designer user input controls.

    The Conversational Integration with Apple Messages for Business application supports the following bot responses in Virtual Agent Designer.

    Table 2. Supported bot responses
    Bot response Description
    Text Bot sends a plain text string to the user.
    Image Bot sends an image to the user.
    Link

    Bot sends a web link to the user.

    Note:
    Any URLs must be added to the allowed domain list (sys_cs_hostname_allow_list) table.
    Table

    Bot sends information in a table format so that users can see information in a more organized way.

    For example, you can organize and display information such as the following:
    • Planned service changes
    • Company holidays
    • Contact information
    • Testing sites
    Card Bot uploads and displays selected information from a record on your instance. You can choose a record card, video card, or small or large image card.

    For more information about configuring bot responses, see Virtual Agent Designer bot responses.