Getting Started

with AI
A Microsoft Copilot Guide for Service Leaders

E-book
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 1

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to
A survey of customer service agents conducted Integrating AI into contact center and
by Gartner® reveals that “43% percent of productivity tools can help service agents
customer service agents reported they were deliver exceptional service and build loyalty

AI for service
overwhelmed by the number of systems and with every interaction. This guide will give you
tools needed to complete work.” 1 And it’s the knowledge and confidence to use AI to
widely believed their jobs are only getting achieve new levels of productivity, efficiency,
harder, as increased customer expectations, and customer satisfaction. You’ll learn how an
scattered knowledge sources, and legacy AI-powered assistant can help you:
processes drag agents away from what they do
best—helping customers. • Increase agent productivity.

As the pressure rises for service teams to • Streamline repetitive tasks.

modernize, many organizations are deploying
a timesaving, focus-preserving solution to • Unify knowledge.
empower their agents: AI.
• Elevate customer and agent experiences.

1
Gartner, Optimize Rep Productivity With a Connected Tech Strategy, 2024. https://www.gartner.com/en/customer-service-support/
trends/the-customer-service-customer-rep. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in
the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 2

Your guide to AI for service teams

CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3:

Why AI now The impact of Where to start

Get ahead in a Copilot for Service Guidance to save time and
fast-paced world. sidestep common issues.
Boost key performance indicators and
service metrics with an AI assistant.

Why now is How AI transformed Reduce agent Onboard and Assign Prioritize
the time to Microsoft service handling time retain agents licenses ongoing training
invest in AI processes
Increase first-time Improve Help build Quantify
What service agents How Copilot resolution service metrics new habits impact
want from AI protects your data
Identify Celebrate
champions successes
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 3

We’re at the forefront of

integrating AI to not just work
faster, but to work smarter.

Karim R. Lakhani
Chair, Digital Data Design Institute at Harvard,
and Dorothy & Michael Hintze Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business2 2
Microsoft. “2024 Work Trend Index: Annual Report | AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part” May 8, 2024.
 4

CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3:

The impact Where

of Copilot for to start
Service
Get ahead in a fast-paced world.

Why now is the What service agents How AI transformed How Copilot
time to invest in AI want from AI Microsoft service protects your data
processes
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 5

Why now is the time to invest in AI KEY INSIGHTS

The world of work is changing fast, with more AI has been around for decades, but it’s never The Microsoft 2024 Work Trend Index explored how workers feel about AI’s potential to reshape work.4
data, communication tools, and customer been more accessible, cost-efficient, and The annual report found that:
demands than ever before. Service professionals powerful than it is today. Thanks to advances
are hardly immune. With so much on their in cloud computing, data science, and natural
plates, finding time to work through increasingly language processing, AI can now understand,
complex issues and handle high-value reason, and learn from vast amounts of
transactions can be a challenge—but that’s information and interact with humans using
struggle with
the work that really pushes businesses forward. natural language. This means that it’s easier
than ever to use AI to augment your abilities 68 % the pace and
volume of work.
75 % are using
generative AI.

AI can help your service teams accomplish and elevate your performance.
more by automating routine tasks, optimizing
workflows, and enhancing experiences for AI isn’t just a trend; it’s a transformation.
customers and agents alike. Using AI lets service And that transformation is now fully underway.
professionals decrease average handling time To join the next wave of productivity growth
and focus on the work that matters most, and meet evolving customer needs, service
empowering them to uncover helpful insights organizations must invest in AI technology
and discover new opportunities. In fact, Bain & now—or they risk falling behind their say AI helps

90 85
Company found that 29% of customer service competitors. say AI helps them focus
agents’ time can be automated with AI.3
% them save time. % on their most
important work.

3
Bain & Company. “How Generative AI Will Supercharge Productivity.” August 22, 2023
4
Microsoft. “2024 Work Trend Index: Annual Report | AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part.” May 8, 2024.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 6

What service agents want from AI

Microsoft surveyed customer service employees
to understand how AI can transform their

When we’re constantly switching,
typical business processes. According to these
employees, AI tools and technologies would
we don’t work as well. AI can help
have a positive impact on their performance.5
liberate workers from menial work
and enable innovation.

Michael Platt
5
Microsoft. “Microsoft Work Trend Index Special Report 2023.” November 15, 2023. Neuroscientist and Professor
6
Microsoft. “2024 Work Trend Index: Annual Report | AI at Work Is Here. Now Comes the Hard Part.” May 8, 2024. Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania6
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 7

How AI transformed Microsoft’s service processes HOW TO GET COPILOT

Incorporating generative AI into customer Key benefits of Copilot for our service knowledgebase articles, and offline files). Access Copilot capabilities embedded within
service processes helped Microsoft better team include: Agents also benefit from integration with major Dynamics 365 Customer Service or by purchasing
manage agents’ workload. It’s like having a service vendors including Salesforce, ServiceNow, a Microsoft Copilot for Service license.
personal assistant that knows your customers Higher agent productivity: and Zendesk.
and business, helping your agents make the
best decisions. Copilot helped agents stay in the flow of work Elevated service experience: Microsoft Copilot for Service
by resolving questions with relevant answers Purchasing a Copilot for Service license enables
After deploying Microsoft Copilot across our from CRM solutions, contact center systems, Copilot provides agents with customized, agents to work with existing contact center
Customer Service and Support (CSS) team, we knowledge sources, and organizational data. relevant responses to customers by analyzing systems like Salesforce and ServiceNow—
studied how it impacted the work of thousands CRM data, internal knowledge, historical cases, without complex integrations or software
installations. Licenses include Copilot for
of agents. The results were eye-opening; not Streamlined tasks: and customer interaction data.
Microsoft 365, for integration with Microsoft
only did agents who used Copilot spend less Teams and other Microsoft 365 apps.
time resolving a case, they had less need for Service agents can now schedule meetings, Copilot is more than just another tool. It
time-consuming consultation with peers— pull in added context from case summaries, empowers agents to work smarter and deliver
resolving issues independently so fewer generate meeting recaps, and offer key better customer experiences, helps service teams
customers had to be put on hold.7 discussion points and suggested next steps. become trusted advisors for their customers, and
ultimately helps drive more revenue and growth.
Unified knowledge: Copilot in Dynamics 365
Customer Service
Service agents now have one source of Copilot features are embedded in
information with Copilot connecting to various Dynamics 365 Customer Service to
existing contact center systems and trusted enhance native capabilities. Once
enabled, they help agents automate time-
knowledge sources (public websites, SharePoint,
consuming tasks and summarize cases.

Microsoft. “What Can Copilot’s Earliest Users Teach Us About Generative AI at Work?” November 15, 2023.
7
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 8

How Copilot protects your data

Microsoft designed Copilot for Service with a
comprehensive approach to enterprise-grade
When your employees log in and use Copilot,
they automatically enable commercial data Trust is more than a handshake.
security, compliance, privacy, identity, and
responsible AI. That means every sales agent
protection capabilities designed to secure your
sensitive data, such as:
It’s the agreement, the bond,
can improve efficiency without fear of unethical
business practices. Disabled chat history.
between users of digital services
Copilot will not retain any chat prompts and the suppliers of those
or responses.
services that enables us to enjoy,
Restricted access to organizational data.
Microsoft will not have access to your data. be productive, learn, explore,
Prohibited use of your data. express, create, be informed.
Copilot will not use your data to train the
underlying AI model.

Satya Nadella
Chief Executive Officer
Microsoft
 9

CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3:

Why Where
AI now to start

Boost key performance indicators and service metrics with an AI assistant.

Reduce agent Increase first-time Onboard and Improve service metrics

handling time resolution retain agents
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 10

Reduce agent handling time

Time-consuming and inefficient service
processes are a drag on resolution times— Old manual process Outcomes
leaving both customers and agents frustrated.
Speed up service times by using Copilot for
Open a message or email from a customer
detailing a need or issue. Swift agent assessment and
Service to streamline how your agents assess
customer needs and decide what to do next. Pore through past notes, related cases, and
documentation.
grasping of the situation—without
having to involve their peers

Faster, more informed responses

New Copilot process
to customers
Copilot summarizes the message, the issue or
need, previous interactions, and other open cases.

Copilot instantly pulls up relevant customer data

and knowledge bases.

Copilot offers to automate routine tasks like

adding a customer to your CRM and opening
a new case.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 11

Increase first-time resolution

Running down accurate, timely information
needed to solve issues right away requires Old manual process Outcomes
significant manual research and discovery by
service agents. Reimagine agent efficiency by
Agents sift through documents to find relevant
resources and navigate various systems and  Immediate information retrieval
using Copilot for Service to surface the right
and less agent time spent finding
channels to pull together scattered information.
documents, data, and insights from within the
tools that agents use every day.
relevant case info

Faster answers and increased

New Copilot process
first-time resolution
Copilot instantly pores over keywords and topics
in email and chat.
Greater customer satisfaction
Copilot suggests resources from relevant CRM
data, internal knowledge bases, trusted websites,
and other external sources.

Copilot elevates insights from historical cases.

 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 12

Onboard and retain agents

Agents can’t have all the answers—especially
when they are new to the job. But with the Old manual process Outcomes
ability to tap into the collective knowledge of
their team and larger organization, Copilot for
Delayed response as agent investigates issue with
help from other agents. Dramatically reduced
Service helps make new service agents feel
right at home, right away. Agent searches through documents for resources
across systems and channels.
resolution times
Agent reaches out to other departments or teams
looking for guidance.
Shorter onboarding time

New Copilot process

Less agent attrition
Copilot helps agents quickly access tools and
resources they need to build confidence.

Copilot surfaces resolutions from similar cases to

speed up productivity.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 13

Improve service metrics

A customer issue isn’t fully resolved until an
agent conveys an answer or meets the customer Old manual process Outcomes
need—but pulling together accurate, cohesive
responses that drive critical service metrics
Manually create a personalized response to
the customer. Communicate to customer far
can take precious time. Help your organization
improve CSAT (customer satisfaction) and net Compile resolution steps and links to
support articles.
faster than a manually created
promoter score (NPS) numbers by letting agents
use Copilot for Service to gather information Search for other resources that might be relevant.
response
that will resonate with customers and close
cases faster.

Wrap up cases quickly to exceed

New Copilot process
standard resolution times—and
Copilot drafts a customer response, using an customer expectations
agent’s custom or pre-defined prompt.

Copilot analyzes relevant CRM data,

knowledge bases, and case history to generate
a tailored response.
Contribute to your bottom line with
Agent reviews and personalizes the draft higher NPS and CSAT numbers
before sending.
 14

CHAPTER 1: CHAPTER 2: CHAPTER 3:

Why The impact

AI now of Copilot
for Service

Guidance to save time and sidestep common issues.

Assign licenses Identify champions Quantify impact

Help build Prioritize Celebrate

new habits ongoing training successes
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 15

Assign licenses
Reducing handling times, prioritizing next Define specific use cases Allocate Copilot across your team
actions, prepping for customer calls—service
organizations are uniquely positioned to benefit Your service team should have a clearly defined Some organizations may opt to assign licenses
from Copilot. To maximize the business impact goal or use case for how they’ll implement throughout their team to help everyone increase
of Copilot for Service, consider the following Copilot. Getting specific ensures Copilot is efficiency and transform customer service.
factors as you decide on an approach to effectively integrated into workflows across When teams have access, they can share insights,
deploying licenses. various roles and levels. To improve customer learn from each other, and take on your biggest
service, consider use case metrics like: customer service opportunities—and pain points—
Look at current usage trends together. As more agents use Copilot consistently
Reducing onboarding time for new agents. and effectively, the impact that Copilot brings to
The service professionals who already use your service organization multiplies.
Microsoft 365 products most are best positioned Streamlining access to knowledge.
to get the full benefits from Copilot. One way
to evaluate who uses Microsoft 365 the most is Eliminating repetitive administrative tasks.
with Microsoft Copilot Dashboard, powered by
Microsoft Viva. Navigate to the Readiness tab to Reducing ticket volume.
see technical eligibility and your total number of
Microsoft 365 users. By focusing on specific use cases and high-
impact areas first, you’ll maximize the ROI of
Copilot and prepare your organization for wider
adoption. For more service use case examples,
take a look at the Copilot Scenario Library.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 16

Lumen Technologies, a global communications services

provider, deployed Copilot to its customer service team.
They’re now using Copilot to surface relevant policies,
summarize tickets, and access step-by-step repair
instructions from manuals, summarize next steps, and enrich
customer interactions with additional depth and context.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 17

Help build new work habits PRO TIP

Change management is key for implementing an Manage expectations Show what Copilot can do to help promote transparency and user satisfaction, while minimizing potential
AI tool like Copilot. It helps ensure people across misconceptions. For example:
your service organization view it as not just new As part of this training and communication,
technology, but a new way of working. It also it’s also important users have a clear Copilot helps service agents prepare for customer Copilot encourages experimentation. If you don’t get
requires leaders to gauge attitudes and manage understanding of what Copilot can and can’t engagements. Use it to help generate relevant the desired output on the first try, adjust the prompt
expectations. do. Equally important is knowing when to use case information. or approach.
AI capabilities and when to rely on human
Measure attitudes and interest expertise. Emphasizing that the user is in the Have Copilot pull a summary of customer
driver’s seat—or the pilot’s seat, if you will—is Have Copilot revise a message to make it
data and insights directly into Microsoft
A key part of managing any change is simply sound friendlier.
a great way to communicate the limitations and Teams or Outlook.
recognizing that diverse perspectives exist. A strengths of AI overall.
new AI tool is no different, so you’ll likely see a
combination of enthusiasm and skepticism. An
effective adoption strategy must cater to these Copilot is good at making sense of vast amounts Copilot empowers agents to prioritize follow-up
diverse attitudes, which means support, training, of data. Use it to generate content that would be actions and be more responsive. Use it to help
labor-intensive to create yourself. organize your day.
and clear communication to transition workflows
and mindsets.
Have Copilot create a response to a
Have Copilot show all open tasks and
customer with order status, history, and
action items within Microsoft Teams.
estimated time of delivery.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 18

Identify champions to lead the way

To drive wide adoption of Copilot, you’ll need
champions and early adopters. This group will
To identify Copilot champions and
early adopters: What Copilot helps me do is get
lead by example, helping showcase the practical
benefits of Copilot in their daily work. Plus, Set up a Copilot channel on Microsoft Teams
through the administrative tasks faster
their positive experiences will naturally inspire
curiosity and interest among their colleagues—
as a place to share news and resources.
so I can move on to the next call. Now
encouraging broader usage. Check in with your Copilot user community the whole process is taking 15 minutes
to see who’s sharing tips or giving feedback.
or less, where it used to take 30 or 40.
Reach out to managers and ask them to
identify a team representative or power user.

Use the Copilot Dashboard to

measure usage.

Michael Simons
Support Escalation Engineer,
Microsoft
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 19

Prioritize ongoing training PRO TIP

Service teams will see productivity gains Here are some top training resources to help Service agents who view Copilot as a way to amplify what they’re already doing—not just as a search
right away with Copilot. But how each agent your service organization get started: engine—will gain value the fastest. Encourage employees to:
personalizes their Copilot usage will evolve over
a 6-month to 12-month period, so ongoing Copilot Success Hub: See how Copilot helps
training is critical. boost productivity and save time. Plus, find
Build a daily habit. 
out how to maximize the impact of Copilot
Prompting—giving clear commands to get the for your business. Regularly using Copilot helps agents quickly
learn how to get better responses—and
right results with an AI tool—is likely a new skill
take full advantage of AI capabilities in their
for many employees. Better inputs lead to better Copilot adoption: Get resources for everyday routine.
outputs, and this requires practice for Copilot deploying, using, and scaling Copilot
to become a natural extension of an agent’s across your organization.
workday. Explore resources that help your teams
generate powerful prompts in the Copilot Lab. Copilot for Work: Discover work
scenarios and how Copilot can become
Business leaders should publicize a variety of your AI assistant.
guidance and promote collaborative sharing of  Provide feedback.
best practices. This way, Copilot users can stay Copilot for Service documentation: Encourage agents to give feedback when
up to date on new features, troubleshoot issues, Discover how to use Microsoft Copilot Copilot prompts them to. This will continue to
and learn from each other’s experiences. A for Service with online training courses, improve and refine their experience—while
also improving customer interactions.
culture of continuous learning can also increase resources, and videos.
engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 20

Quantify impact with the Celebrate

Microsoft Copilot Dashboard successes
Measure usage and adoption at every phase of the rollout Implementing new technology takes coordinated effort, so
with real-time data and insights from the Copilot Dashboard. be sure to take a step back and celebrate milestones your
The dashboard provides insights to help leaders understand service team reaches in your Copilot adoption strategy.
where Copilot is adding value and where enablement Acknowledge the efforts of people who’ve contributed
strategies could see even greater benefits, including the to the rollout’s success and identify your power users, as
number of active Copilot users per app and the number of these stories serve as strong sources of inspiration and
times key Copilot features have been used in those apps. showcase how Copilot can deliver tangible benefits within
Get additional reporting and deeper functionality with a your service organization. Success stories also play a pivotal
Microsoft Viva subscription. role in driving adoption and ensuring that your organization
maximizes the impact of Copilot while maintaining
transparency and realistic expectations.
 Introduction Why AI now The impact of Copilot for Service Where to start Next steps 21

NEXT STEPS

The road ahead

Embracing AI is about more than just improving At Microsoft, we’re committed to empowering
productivity at an individual level. When every every person and every organization on the
agent in your service organization is more planet to achieve more with AI. We’re constantly

with Copilot
efficient, focused, and effective, it can transform innovating and developing new AI capabilities
your entire business. Following the best for Copilot, and we offer resources and support
practices and recommendations in this guide will to help you learn, adopt, and optimize AI in your
help you start your AI journey with confidence service processes and beyond.

for Service
and clarity, generating buy-in at every level of
your organization so you can build an AI-centric We invite you to explore Copilot and
culture—which is the true secret to gaining a discover how you can transform your service
competitive edge with this technology. organization. Together, we can make AI work
for everyone on your customer service team.

For more guidance on how to optimize your

customer service activities, check out our
Copilot for Service adoption site.

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