Customer Service Concepts

As discussed in Chapter 4, Microsoft CRM comes in different configurations based on the functionality in which an organization is willing to invest. For the purposes of this chapter, we will address the functionality of the Professional edition so that all features are covered. Keep in mind that if you are using a Standard edition you might not see all of the objects and features we discuss here.

The core objects unique to the Customer Service Area are

• Service Contract Templates

• Service Contracts

• Service Contract Line Items

• Cases

• Queues

• Knowledge Base Articles

Of course, these core objects are associated with the core Contact and Account objects that were discussed in Chapter 4. Additionally, the ancillary Activity and Note objects will come into play when tracking our interactions with customers.

So what happened to Leads? In Microsoft CRM, Leads are a holding spot for records so you can evaluate them, and then decide whether you want to convert them into Contact, Account, and/or Opportunity records. You cannot associate Leads with any of the core Customer Service Objects discussed previously, but you can convert Leads into Contacts or Accounts, and then associate Customer Service objects with them.

This might come into play in a scenario where a software company allows Web visitors to register on their site, download a trial software copy, and contact Customer Service for some amount of assistance. On one hand these are Leads, but at the same time they're important enough to merit Customer Service, so they must be converted to Contacts or Accounts to make that association possible.