Using Microsoft Teams in side conversations

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<p class="p">Side conversations are spaces in a ticket where agents can have a conversation
with a specific group of people, or discuss a specific area of concern or
course of action. Side conversations are available in email, Slack, and as
child tickets. </p>
<p class="p">As an alternative, you can use side conversations in a ticket to initiate and
participate in Microsoft Teams threads in channels. The Microsoft Teams side
conversations you initiate can be viewed in the ticket and the Microsoft
Teams application. Like email, Slack conversations, and child tickets,
Microsoft Teams side conversation messages are recorded as ticket events.
You can also use them as trigger conditions.</p>
<p class="p">This feature is available only if an admin has <a class="xref" href="https://zendeskforteams.com/installation-guide" target="_blank">installed</a> the latest version of <a class="xref" href="https://www.zendesk.com/marketplace/apps/support/767198/microsoft-teams-for-support/" target="_blank">Zendesk for Microsoft Teams</a>
and <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408832279962-Enabling-and-disabling-side-conversations" target="_blank">activated side
conversations</a>.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic-1__image_opf_vhr_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/side_convo_MS_teams_and_support.png" width="800"></p>
<div class="p">This article includes these topics:<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_j4b_xng_gfb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_mt1_rng_gfb">Creating a side
conversation with Microsoft Teams</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_gbv_2r1_vvb">Adding attachments
to a Microsoft Teams side conversation</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_kk5_rng_gfb">About limitations
and breaking the link between Support and Microsoft
Teams</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="p">Related articles:<ul class="ul" id="topic-1__ul_avj_b5j_tvb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408844206746" target="_blank">About side
conversations</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_mt1_rng_gfb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Creating a side conversation using Microsoft Teams</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can create a side conversation with Microsoft Teams from within
Support. </p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr"><strong class="ph b">To create a side conversation using Microsoft Teams</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_mt1_rng_gfb__ol_ny1_pcy_cgb">
<li class="li" id="topic_mt1_rng_gfb__li_wmn_2r3_ytb">In a ticket, open the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408836526362" target="_blank">context panel</a>
and click the <strong class="ph b">Side conversations</strong> (<img class="image" id="topic_mt1_rng_gfb__image_ell_b43_ytb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_omnipanel_side_conversations.png">) icon, then click the plus
sign (+).</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Select <strong class="ph b">Microsoft Teams</strong> as the conversation
type. <p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_mt1_rng_gfb__image_egn_sdr_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/side_convo_select_MS_teams.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Enter the Microsoft Teams’ team, channel, and your message. You
can also add ticket comments.<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_mt1_rng_gfb__image_svk_jgr_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/side_convo_MS_teams_send.png" width="300"></p>
<p class="p">For more information about the
composer, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4604347676954#topic_llv_sl1_rnb" target="_blank">Rich text editing
in the side conversation
composer</a>.</p>
<p class="p">You can start a side
conversation in one team and channel at a time. You
can't combine Microsoft Teams, Slack, and email
conversations. </p>
<p class="p">If you have a lot of teams and
channels, it may take a few moments to display the
list. The Team appears before the channel address,
for example, Team 1 - General, Team 2 - General, and
so on.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">When you’ve finished composing your message, click <strong class="ph b">Send</strong>.
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Anyone in the Microsoft Teams channel
can view your message and reply to the thread
directly, without logging into Zendesk Support.
</p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Microsoft Teams replies are
automatically included in the ticket’s side
conversation. The conversation can continue back and
forth, as long as necessary, until you get the
information you need.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">When the side conversation is complete, click <strong class="ph b">Done</strong>.<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span>
This action is not reflected in the Microsoft Teams
application.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_gbv_2r1_vvb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Adding attachments to a Microsoft Teams side conversation</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can add attachments to a side conversation from the Microsoft Teams
application by using the bot that appears at the beginning of a
conversation. Using the bot allows attachments to appear in both
Support and Microsoft Teams.</p>
<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Attachments sent directly in the Microsoft Teams side conversation do
not appear in the ticket’s side conversation in Support. Likewise,
attachments sent directly in Support do not appear in the Microsoft
Teams side conversation.</div>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To add attachments to side conversations from Microsoft Teams</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_gbv_2r1_vvb__ol_ah2_qwj_tvb">
<li class="li">In Microsoft Teams, open a side conversation.</li>
<li class="li">Scroll up to the beginning of the conversation where the bot
first responded.<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_gbv_2r1_vvb__image_zj4_vgp_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/side_convo_MS_teams_attachment.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Click here</strong> and upload the file you want to
attach.<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_gbv_2r1_vvb__image_k3s_xgp_tvb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/Side_convo_MS_Teams_upload_attachment.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Upload files</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="topic_kk5_rng_gfb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">About limitations and breaking the link between Support and Microsoft Teams</h2>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">Note the following limitations when using Microsoft Teams side
conversations:<ul class="ul" id="topic_kk5_rng_gfb__ul_cd2_ps1_vvb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Deleting messages</strong>: You can’t delete a message
from a Microsoft Teams side conversation.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Attachments</strong>: Attachments sent directly in the
Microsoft Teams side conversation do not appear in
the ticket’s side conversation in Support. Likewise,
attachments sent directly in Support do not appear
in the Microsoft Teams side conversation. For
attachments to appear in both Support and Microsoft
Teams, see <a class="xref" href="#topic_gbv_2r1_vvb">Adding attachments to a Microsoft
Teams side conversation</a>.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">The following Microsoft Teams features are not supported:</p>
<ul class="ul" id="topic_kk5_rng_gfb__ul_es1_mcy_cgb">
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Direct messages<p class="p">As a workaround, the administrator
can set up separate channels with only one member (for example, “Team Finance Experts – Support”) and add the Zendesk for Microsoft Teams app to this team.</p>
</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Microsoft Teams @mentions</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Emoji reactions</li>
<li class="li" dir="ltr">Typing indicators</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">If the link breaks between Zendesk and Microsoft Teams (for example, an admin removes the Zendesk app from a Microsoft Teams channel or archives or deletes a Microsoft Teams channel that you used for side conversations), you can still open and view these side conversations in a ticket, but you can no longer use that Microsoft Teams channel to send or receive updates to side conversations.</p>
<p class="p">If you're experiencing issues with the Microsoft Teams app, contact <a class="xref" href="https://zendeskforteams.com/" target="_blank">Softserve</a>, a third-party group which
owns the Microsoft Teams functionality. </p>
<p class="p">If you experience ongoing problems using side conversations with
Microsoft Teams, you can choose to <strong class="ph b">Allow dynamic subdomain
detection</strong>. Activating this setting can negatively impact
the performance of side conversations in Microsoft Teams, and is
only recommended when standard troubleshooting does not resolve
issues that prevent proper function. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408832279962" target="_blank">Activating and configuring
side conversations</a>.</p>
</div>
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