Digital Messaging overview

A Digital Messaging interface is a combination of bot configuration and assignment of one or more digital channels to that bot experience. Digital Messaging includes Web Messaging (website-embedded chat), private channels such as Mobile Messaging SDK, Apple Messages for Business, Facebook Messenger, SMS (Twilio), WhatsApp, and Client Channel API, and public channels, such as Facebook public posts. Web Messaging is synchronous and allows real-time conversation, whereas the private and public channels offer synchronous and asynchronous communication.

You create or build a single digital messaging channel to ensure that users can interact with your application through multiple social messaging platforms as Pega Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA). The digital messaging channel is quick to create and configure, giving the user a completely new experience. Also, the digital messaging channel makes maintenance of the conversational capability of an IVA much easier by providing users with a channel for communicating with Pega IVA and, indirectly, with the application through a simple question and answer form.

Expose your essential business services to users through a chatbot on multiple messaging platforms by defining a single Pega IVA for digital messaging. As a result, you provide users additional ways to communicate with your application, which improves the overall user experience. For example, you can create an IVA for a travel agency application. As a result, customers can instantly book a flight by interacting with your chatbot on Apple Business Chat, Facebook Messenger, and other messaging platforms.

Chatbot defined

Pega Customer Service™ chatbots act as the primary point of contact for all text-based interactions.

A chatbot allows your customers to enter questions or requests in a chat window (which is accessible from a customer-facing web page) and then receive answers and guidance.

In a live chat session, the customer interacts with a customer service agent. In a chatbot session, the chatbot responds to a customer request by walking the customer through a set of questions. The chatbot gathers the required information and completes the service request. The chatbot offloads work from customer service agents so they can spend time on more complex tasks.

Chatbot use cases

A chatbot is effective in service cases that follow a consistent pattern and generally do not require agent assistance. Requests for current account balance, previous month balance, next payment due, or account statement are good candidates for a chatbot.

You can also configure multiple-step processes such as opening an account, changing an address, and making a payment.

By automating these case types, an organization can provide always-available services.

If a chatbot cannot complete a case, users can escalate an interaction through chat to an appropriate queue. An agent can access the transcript of the partially completed case and continue the interaction with the customer.

Supported messaging channels

The messaging channels that fall under the Pega Customer Service application's Digital Messaging Service:

Channel	Description
Web Messaging	Allows clients to configure a public chat interface to be installed on their website for customers and contacts to reach them for a synchronous chat experience. Clients can configure bot interaction flows, self-service, and escalation to CSRs.
Apple Messages for Business	Allows private conversation in the iMessage app to connect with organizations and ask questions, schedule appointments, and make purchases.
Facebook messenger	Allows private conversation in the Facebook Messenger app.
Facebook public posts	Allows sending public posts to the CSR using the Facebook app.
SMS (Twilio)	Allows sending short message service (SMS) text messages by using the Twilio communications platform.
WhatsApp	Allows private conversation in the WhatsApp Messenger app. Customers can also send and receive attachments and emojis.
Mobile Messaging SDK	Allows private conversation in the native Android and iOS app built with Pega Mobile Messaging SDK.
Client Channel API	Allows private conversation on additional channels, for example, Teams, Webex, or Slack, by using the Client Channel API.