Proactive voice engagements in Dynamics 365 Contact Center

Proactive voice engagements in Dynamics 365 Contact Center

(A shift from reactive support to proactive service, where AI agents initiate outbound voice calls to notify customers of critical updates, service disruptions, or personalized offers.)

Real-time User Journey: Anticipatory Service

This journey illustrates how the system prevents a customer from needing to call support by reaching out first:

1. Event Detection: An airline’s internal system flags that Flight 102 is delayed by four hours due to a technical issue.
2. Audience Segmentation: The Proactive Engagement Agent identifies all passengers on that flight who have not yet checked in or are currently in transit.
3. Autonomous Outreach: The AI agent initiates an outbound call to a passenger.
4. Natural Interaction: The passenger answers. Using HD Voices, the agent says: “Hi Alex, I’m calling from the airline. Your flight to Seattle has been delayed. I’ve already found a seat for you on the 6:00 PM departure. Would you like me to confirm that now?”
5. Interactive Resolution: The passenger agrees via voice. The agent updates the booking in the CRM and sends a new boarding pass via SMS.
6. Deflection Success: Because the airline reached out proactively, the passenger does not call the busy airport desk, reducing the “spike” in inbound volume for human agents.

Step-by-Step: How to Enable This Feature

Proactive voice requires configuration in both the Dynamics 365 Contact Center and Azure Communication Services.

• Step 1: Configure Outbound Settings

In the Contact Center admin center, navigate to Channels > Voice. Ensure you have a validated outbound phone number and the appropriate telephony carrier settings.

• Step 2: Define Proactive Triggers

Use Power Automate or Dataverse to set up a trigger. For example, “When a Flight Status changes to ‘Delayed’, trigger the Proactive Voice Flow.”

• Step 3: Create the Voice Agent in Copilot Studio

Design the “Outbound Conversation” topic in Microsoft Copilot Studio. Specifically, select an HD Voice and draft the script using variables (like {CustomerName} and {FlightNumber}) for personalization.

• Step 4: Enable “Proactive Outreach” in Settings

In the Bot settings, navigate to Proactive Engagements and toggle the feature to On. Map your Copilot bot to the outbound voice channel.

• Step 5: Set Governance & Quiet Hours

Configure “Quiet Hours” (e.g., no proactive calls between 9:00 PM and 8:00 AM) and “Frequency Caps” to ensure customers aren’t overwhelmed by automated calls.

• Step 6: Launch and Monitor

Publish the bot. Use the Agent Activity Feed to monitor the success rate and customer responses to these proactive calls in real-time.

Infographic: Reactive vs. Proactive Voice

Feature	Reactive Voice Support	Proactive Voice Engagement
Origin	Customer initiates (High effort).	Company initiates (Zero effort for customer).
Inbound Volume	Leads to massive “spikes” during crises.	Smooths the curve by resolving issues early.
Tone	Often defensive/apologetic.	Anticipatory and helpful.
Cost	High (Human agents handling complaints).	Low (AI agents handling resolutions).
Customer Impact	Frustration and wait times.	Surprise, delight, and loyalty.

References

Announcing General Availability of Proactive Voice Enhancements in Dynamics 365 Contact Center