Microsoft Teams has developed a live chat widget that’s coming to all Microsoft 365 Business plans.
The feature offers small businesses a way to engage with customers on their websites directly from Teams.
These businesses may configure the widget through the Microsoft Teams Admin App, which is available in the Teams App Store.
As they do so, Microsoft promises an "out-of-the-box" implementation experience.
Alongside baseline communications, the widget will enable users to collect visitor contact information, assign cases, and close conversations from Teams Chat.
Meanwhile, employees may post customer requests and associated transcripts in the Teams channel for real-time support and escalations.
Additionally, managers can dashboard all customer queries across a given timeframe, as evidenced in the screenshot below.
As suggested, the widget will be available in all Microsoft Business Plans, including the Business Basic, Standard, and Premium offerings.
However, businesses on Enterprise plans won’t be able to access the tool, as Microsoft stresses that the solution aims to support SMBs in boosting their customer service.
The rollout will start in mid-January in the US and expand globally in March 2025.
The Latest Move to Build a Lite Contact Center on Teams
Microsoft offers a standalone CCaaS platform for enterprises: the Dynamics 365 Contact Center.
Yet, SMBs don’t need all the bells and whistles of a CCaaS platform.
Recognizing this, Microsoft launched its Queues Apps for Teams last year. Available at $10 per user per month, this add-on allows customer service teams to manage, monitor, and handle inbound and outbound customer interactions from the UCaaS platform.
Now, with Microsoft throwing live chat into the mix, Teams looks increasingly like a Contact Center Lite for SMBs.
While its chief UCaaS rivals – including Cisco, RingCentral, and Zoom – have built adjacent CCaaS platforms for midmarket and larger companies, Microsoft can target smaller brands that typically rely on bolt-ons for customer service.