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Richard Mottershead - PeerSpot reviewer
Enterprise Architect at a non-profit with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Offers feedback input to CRM systems instantaneously and provides operational reporting features but needs improvement in backend connectivity
Pros and Cons
  • "The instant input of feedback into the CRM systems by case management is one of the impactful features"
  • "There are some issues with backend connectivity in Salesforce Service Cloud."

What is our primary use case?

Salesforce Service Cloud is used in our organization at the contact center and for presales working processes. The solution enhances customer support in our company by connecting to CRM solutions and enables the recording of case information of various accounts we manage. 

What is most valuable?

All of the features of Salesforce Service Cloud we currently have in our company are useful. Our company is preparing to go live this year with Salesforce Service Cloud. 

What needs improvement?

There are some issues with backend connectivity in Salesforce Service Cloud. For example, connecting it with your phone is troublesome. I expect the backend issues with the solution to get resolved before our company goes live with Salesforce Service Cloud. 

The integration capabilities with varying phone operating systems should be improved. The vendor should upload every phone provider for development and delivery. The future version of Salesforce Service Cloud should have social media integration capabilities. The text integration feature should be improved; presently, it is quite expensive to avail compared to other routes. 

Delivering to every channel in a phone is an ideal feature, but customers are not willing to pay a fortune for it. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Salesforce Service Cloud for two years. 

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December 2024
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. It's a stable product with features that are easily integrated with third-party tools and can be accessed through other platforms. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I would rate the scalability a seven out of ten. Around 30 professionals in our company use Salesforce Service Cloud, and we plan to increase the number of users in the future. 

How are customer service and support?

Their support is excellent. A huge set of information is available over the internet. There are trailblazer accounts available to learn about the product. They are always there to help you with any issues. I would rate the tech support a nine out of ten. 

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

In our organization, we are also using a different solution as the common integration issues with Salesforce Service Cloud persist. When the integration issues with Salesforce Service Cloud are resolved, the telecom provider's service in our company will probably also improve, and we will be able to use the backend agent seamlessly. 

How was the initial setup?

I would rate the initial setup of Salesforce Service Cloud as six out of ten. The setup process of Salesforce Service Cloud is slightly more difficult than traditional CRMs. The solution is built for customization and can be implemented in partial or full-blown mode. Configuration of Salesforce Service Cloud can be complex in some cases. 

The solution should include different packages of add-ons to allow third parties to deliver specific packages and build interfaces. It's very difficult to integrate certain features of third-party tools with Salesforce Service Cloud. 

The design and delivery of the customized version of Salesforce Service Cloud have already taken a year for our company, and another six months are needed for complete deployment before the solution can go live. 

Our company useds CI/CD processes to deploy Salesforce Service Cloud. In our organization, we prefer to test solutions in different dedicated environments and then deploy the product in another. The CI/CD processes make the deployment seamless by removing several manual tasks. The usage of CI/CD in deploying Salesforce Service Cloud is vital. 

Our organization requires about 20 professionals to deploy and maintain Salesforce Service Cloud. The solution is developed in our organization using system integrators. 

What was our ROI?

Our company expects improvements in sales, retention and the offer to market duration with Salesforce Service Cloud. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Salesforce Service Cloud is a highly expensive solution. I would rate the pricing an eight out of ten. The price is justified by the reputation of the vendor. 

What other advice do I have?

The instant input of feedback into the CRM systems by case management is one of the impactful features of the solution for customer service workflows. The aforementioned features facilitate proper lead management through enhanced visibility into workflows. 

Our company uses a basic version of Salesforce Service Cloud and plans to upgrade to a higher version later on. Salesforce Service Cloud is going to run alongside the conference center phone solution in our organization and will be integrated soon. 

The solution is used for operational reporting, and our company's finance application is implemented through the Salesforce platform. The Mibi and user analytics are carried out using Tableau in our organization. I would rate Salesforce Service Cloud as seven out of ten. I would advise others to do extensive research and identify problems other users have faced with the solution. 

Channel communication with telecoms and CRM integrations are the industry trends addressed by the solution. 

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Project E2e Architect at Optus
Real User
Used for campaigns, decision-making processes, and order submissions
Pros and Cons
  • "I don't have the specific details, but I'm aware that Salesforce is used for campaigns, decision-making processes, and order submissions. I'm currently in the learning phase and not familiar with all the details."
  • "I'm not deeply engaged with this team, so I don't have extensive experience with it. As you mentioned, I haven't used it much yet, so my experience is limited."

What is our primary use case?

Our main use cases for Salesforce involve order submission and managing the shopping cart. Additionally, we utilize various modules, including the Salesforce Service Cloud, for our online channels. The platform is instrumental in submitting orders and seamlessly integrating them into downstream systems.

What is most valuable?

Salesforce is used for campaigns, decision-making processes, and order submissions. I'm currently in the learning phase and not familiar with all the details.     

What needs improvement?

I'm not deeply engaged with this team, so I don't have extensive experience with it. I haven't used it much yet, so my experience is limited.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Salesforce Service Cloud for two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?


The level of stability depends on the deployment. I'm not familiar with all the details, whether it's a self-service or managed deployment, on-premise or in the cloud. As a newcomer, I'm still learning, and I may not provide accurate feedback on these aspects.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Salesforce operates on a metadata-driven architecture, not a microservices-based one, which limits its scalability. I would rate its scalability at a 7.

How are customer service and support?

I've only been with the company for a few months, and I'm not familiar with the support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

The suitability of Salesforce depends on the specific use case. Salesforce offers a wide range of functionalities, including campaigns, e-commerce, and more. Broadleaf, on the other hand, is specifically designed for e-commerce. The choice between them depends on the company's needs and preferences. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate it 7 out of 10. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Salesforce Service Cloud
December 2024
Learn what your peers think about Salesforce Service Cloud. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: December 2024.
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Joanna Hindle - PeerSpot reviewer
Support Operations Manager at One Advanced
Real User
Top 10
Streamlining customer service operations with its centralized platform and offering robust case management, contributing to improved efficiency and enhanced customer support
Pros and Cons
  • "The strength lies in its ability to work cohesively with other systems, creating a centralized hub that enhances efficiency and collaboration across various functionalities within our organization."
  • "The main concern for me revolves around the speed of certain integrations."

What is our primary use case?

Our use case revolves around managing licensing and ensuring that our partner companies, specifically resellers, have the appropriate access. We utilize the platform to monitor and organize information about their prospects.

How has it helped my organization?

The centralized infrastructure offers significant advantage.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable aspect is its integration capabilities, particularly with our internal systems. The platform seamlessly connects with our in-house integration tool. The strength lies in its ability to work cohesively with other systems, creating a centralized hub that enhances efficiency and collaboration across various functionalities within our organization.

What needs improvement?

Occasionally, individuals face difficulty accessing information that seems to be unavailable to them. The main concern for me revolves around the speed of certain integrations. Occasionally, there's a delay of a few minutes for data to synchronize.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with it for six months.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I have never encountered any stability issues with it. I would rate it ten out of ten.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

About a thousand employees utilize it on a daily basis. Currently, we are in the process of reviewing everything, and there's a possibility that we will start using it more extensively in the future.

What about the implementation team?

There are approximately eight to ten people involved in the maintenance tasks.

What was our ROI?

Regarding the return on investment, there is an observed improvement in speed compared to the previous process.

What other advice do I have?

I would recommend ensuring that you have access to demos or a practice system to verify that Salesforce Service Cloud is user-friendly and meets all your requirements. Overall, I would rate it eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Other
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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reviewer2517570 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Architect Engineer at a consultancy with 1-10 employees
Real User
Helps to track the entire customer journey from lead to account or opportunity
Pros and Cons
  • "The main benefit of Salesforce Service Cloud is that everything is in the cloud. We can track the entire customer journey from lead to account or opportunity. The CRM is in the cloud, while the financial transactions are in NetSuite. By integrating these applications, we get a complete view of the business. Some integrations are event-driven, while others are batch integrations that run at scheduled times. We also build reports using our in-house analytics tool to help leadership make decisions."
  • "We're seeing a lot of automation and AI enhancements for improvements. This helps answer simple questions without manual intervention, saving time. We can improve by automating more of our solution-building process. Salesforce Service Cloud is a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution. It's constantly evolving, and we're always looking for ways to improve our use. The cloud services we use include CRM (Salesforce), financial (NetSuite), and people (Workday). These services are becoming more automated, with a lot happening in the AI space. We do a lot of modeling ourselves to find answers to questions, and our product team has introduced some AI enhancements."

What is our primary use case?

I've been using Salesforce Service Cloud for a long time. We're integrating it and using it. For Salesforce Service Cloud, we have use cases like integrating invoices, products, and sales orders between the tool and NetSuite. When an opportunity is won, the transaction happens in NetSuite. We must integrate these systems for a 360-degree view that our C-suite needs. It's an event-driven process with automation. When an order executes in Salesforce Service Cloud, it creates an order in NetSuite. We then need to tie back subscription IDs and order IDs to the solution.

What is most valuable?

The main benefit of Salesforce Service Cloud is that everything is in the cloud. We can track the entire customer journey from lead to account or opportunity. The CRM is in the cloud, while the financial transactions are in NetSuite. By integrating these applications, we get a complete view of the business. Some integrations are event-driven, while others are batch integrations that run at scheduled times. We also build reports using our in-house analytics tool to help leadership make decisions.

What needs improvement?

We're seeing a lot of automation and AI enhancements for improvements. This helps answer simple questions without manual intervention, saving time. We can improve by automating more of our solution-building process. Salesforce Service Cloud is a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution. It's constantly evolving, and we're always looking for ways to improve our use. The cloud services we use include CRM (Salesforce), financial (NetSuite), and people (Workday). These services are becoming more automated, with a lot happening in the AI space. We do a lot of modeling ourselves to find answers to questions, and our product team has introduced some AI enhancements.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Regarding stability, it's robust, with no noticeable data latency, whether we use external tools or Salesforce Service Cloud's in-house technology for data integration. Nothing stands out as a bottleneck to me.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I find Salesforce Service Cloud pretty scalable. Salesforce has taken care of a lot of custom needs by itself. I've been working with that cloud for a while now. For email marketing, they offer ExactTarget. For real-time sync, they have Heroku connectors. For AI-driven dashboarding, it has Einstein. If you want customized dashboarding and analytics reporting, it has Tableau. They're the market leader for CRM. Most of their services are scalable, as far as I understand.

How are customer service and support?

I haven't used technical support extensively, but from what I hear, they respond to tickets on time.

How would you rate customer service and support?

Positive

How was the initial setup?

Tools like Fivetran make deployment easier. They take care of many deployment issues—we just have to plug and play. It also makes the developer's life easier, as they don't have to build connectors or create schemas. We're also developing in-house capabilities for deployment by creating our own CI/CD pipeline for apps. We're trying to reduce our reliance on outside solutions or integrators, but we can still improve in this area.

What was our ROI?

The return on investment is high, but it depends on the company's size, data volume, and transaction volume. For companies that want to save time and ensure the reliability of their data and insights, paying the premium can be worth it.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Salesforce Service Cloud is expensive. I worked with ExactTarget over five years ago, and it was quite pricey then. Not everyone could afford it. Salesforce has different tiers for different kinds of users. It's expensive considering their features and services, but they offer best-in-class solutions.

What other advice do I have?

I rate the overall solution a nine out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
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SaurabhSingh4 - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Analyst at Wespath Benefits and Investments
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
Service Console for agents provides essential information for efficient case resolution and employs machine learning algorithms to retrieve relevant information for issue resolution
Pros and Cons
  • "Salesforce Service Cloud offers several notable features. It includes robust case routing, escalation capabilities, entitlement mapping, and entanglement rules. Additionally, it supports Computer Telephone Integration (CTI), which allows for automatic case generation when a call is made to a designated number."
  • "One minor drawback is that its implementation requires some preparation. It's not something you can implement instantly; it takes time. The only issue I've encountered is that you need to ensure the implementation is done properly, which can be time-consuming. So, it requires some time and attention."

What is our primary use case?

Our customers have different use cases. One company in the B2B sector specializes in HVAC and EC systems. They utilize Service Cloud to address customer requests, such as warranty-related issues. Customers can interact with Service Cloud to generate cases for their problems, and the entire case management process takes place within the platform.

Another scenario involves banking customers who use Salesforce Service Cloud. They leverage it for various purposes, including handling inquiries related to loan applications or service requests to enhance their overall customer service.

Lastly, insurance providers also find value in Salesforce Service Cloud. When a customer is onboarded, they can use the platform to raise questions or seek resolutions regarding policy entitlements or other related matters. These are some of the primary use cases.

What is most valuable?

Service Cloud offers almost all the features that service professionals and teams need. It's rich in features.

Salesforce Service Cloud offers several notable features. It includes robust case routing, escalation capabilities, entitlement mapping, and entanglement rules. Additionally, it supports Computer Telephone Integration (CTI), which allows for automatic case generation when a call is made to a designated number.

Furthermore, it offers the flexibility to generate cases through various mediums like Twitter, Facebook, and email, catering to your customer's preferred communication method. Once a ticket is generated, you can categorize it automatically, leveraging hands-on discovery if you have the appropriate license or manually categorize it. To route the case to the correct agent, you can utilize both hands-on discovery and custom algorithms or coding tailored to your department's needs.

To help all these agents, the  solution provides service console for agents, which displays all pertinent information required to resolve the case efficiently. Notably, we've introduced a new feature—soft phone integration, where agents can receive calls using Computer Telephone Integration (CTA) or make outbound calls to customers.

Furthermore, Service Cloud includes a knowledge recommendation feature. If an agent encounters a customized issue or case and is seeking a resolution provided by another agent, they can access the knowledge management system, which employs machine learning algorithms to retrieve relevant information. These are some of the key functionalities of Salesforce Service Cloud.

What needs improvement?

One minor drawback is that its implementation requires some preparation. It's not something you can implement instantly; it takes time.

The only issue I've encountered is that you need to ensure the implementation is done properly, which can be time-consuming. So, it requires some time and attention.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've worked extensively with it for two to three months, gaining valuable experience during that time.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

There have been no reported issues on the stability front. It is a highly stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a highly scalable solution. We primarily have enterprise clients.

How was the initial setup?

There's no installation required as everything is on the cloud. Salesforce has been a cloud-based company since 1999.

It's just complex when you're trying to customize it. However, for the end-users, it remains user-friendly. Customization processes and internal aspects have become more intricate. So, it's challenging for those involved in customization but not for the end-users. 

It is difficult to implement it. It requires a certain learning curve to implement it. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Salesforce is not a cheap product. It can be expensive. When you purchase a Salesforce platform license, it includes sales, service, and platform licenses all together. While it's cloud-based, there are additional costs. It may seem costly, and sometimes clients opt for alternative providers. However, if it's not bundled, other vendors like Duo or Gen might be considered for their service requests.

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. The advice I'd offer is applicable to any platform, not just Salesforce. Prospective users should conduct thorough research and have a clear understanding of their expectations and desired features before implementing the product. 

It's essential to be clear about what they want to achieve with the system. For instance, if they plan to handle customer requests, they should have a well-defined process in mind. The key is to make the most of Salesforce's features to maximize the benefits, rather than using it solely as a record-keeping system.

The complexity arises because Salesforce has grown significantly as a platform, and this complexity applies to all its offerings.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Integrator
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Software Engineer at Nexogic
Real User
Top 5
A good CRM platform used for ticketing, marketing, and sales purposes
Pros and Cons
  • "Salesforce Service Cloud is a user-friendly and flexible CRM tool that provides good accessibility and security."
  • "The solution’s user interface could be improved and enhanced."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for ticketing, marketing, and sales purposes. It is also used for generating leads, converting them to opportunities, and completely managing sales. It captures every lead it encounters, and complete tracking can be available there. It's a good tool for the marketing and sales team to build their business.

Salesforce is also used to resolve tickets or grievances. Suppose an organization with thousands of customers chooses Salesforce as a platform. To service those customers, grievances or tickets would be assigned in the solution. From there, there would be the next stages of assigning the ticket, like L1, L2, AND L3, to the different teams in the organization.

What is most valuable?

Salesforce Service Cloud is a user-friendly and flexible CRM tool that provides good accessibility and security. Salesforce Service Cloud is a good tool for managing customer CRM.

What needs improvement?

The solution’s user interface could be improved and enhanced.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Salesforce Service Cloud for one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I rate the solution ten out of ten for stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

I rate the solution’s scalability ten out of ten.

How are customer service and support?

The solution's technical support is customer-friendly and knowledgeable.

What about the implementation team?

We take subscriptions for the solution. From the subscription, there would be a set of people installing the tool based on the company's requirements. There would be some technical people deploying the solution for us. Also, Salesforce provides assistance and support based on our requirements.

What other advice do I have?

Salesforce Service Cloud is actually a good tool. Every customer needs a quick response because the customer is ultimately what every organization needs to serve. Only when customers are satisfied can we get more results. That is how our organization can also have good feedback and work.

Every customer contacts us via phone, and every call cannot be monitored. Salesforce captures everything, including leads, and quickly responds so that customers feel satisfied by the issues being addressed. Based on the escalation metrics, the issues would be closed within one, two, or three days.

The solution provides good integration. It is a tool we use without coding, and it works well. The solution has a single user for one branch. Salesforce Service Cloud is a user-friendly and flexible solution that provides good accessibility and security. The login and integration part is also good from system to system.

The solution's artificial intelligence capabilities are good. I would recommend Salesforce Service Cloud to other users because it is a good CRM software.

Overall, I rate the solution ten out of ten.

Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
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Srini-Dhanaraj - PeerSpot reviewer
Founder & CEO at imfine.club
Real User
Top 5Leaderboard
A stable solution enables users to automate service processes, streamline workflows and find key articles, topics and experts to support customer service agents
Pros and Cons
  • "The complexity of the solution is very less."
  • "The pricing of the solution can be made cheaper."

What is our primary use case?

The customer call center and the Salesforce people wanted to check the status of delivery, but the delivery fulfillment is happening in ECC. To cut response time, we enabled a button that fetches all the relevant info from ECC and pass it on.

What is most valuable?

It's very user-friendly and is easy to navigate.

What needs improvement?

The pricing of the solution can be less expensive. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Salesforce Service Cloud for six months. 

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability is a ten out of ten. 

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Eight people are using the solution at present. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. 

What other advice do I have?

Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
PeerSpot user
reviewer2515905 - PeerSpot reviewer
Director, Technical Architecture at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
MSP
Accelerates time to market and streamlines workflows through automation
Pros and Cons
  • "Salesforce accelerates time to market and streamlines workflows through automation. Integrating with other software systems, such as HR or ERP platforms, allows for seamless data exchange and enhances efficiency."
  • "Since customization can increase the cost from an implementation standpoint, we focus on showcasing Service Cloud's built-in features and possibilities."

What is most valuable?

Salesforce accelerates time to market and streamlines workflows through automation. Integrating with other software systems, such as HR or ERP platforms, allows for seamless data exchange and enhances efficiency. Organizations can leverage the integrated data for various purposes by integrating Salesforce with these systems. For instance, if a company’s user base is managed in an ERP system like SAP, Salesforce can access this data along with its inherent relationships. This integration provides sales teams valuable insights, such as customer types, business relationships, and past interactions. Consequently, sales professionals gain a comprehensive view of their prospects and customers, enabling them to make more informed decisions and improve their performance.

What needs improvement?

Our job is to listen to the client's needs and provide the best solution. We aim to present a packaged, commercially viable solution that minimizes customization. Since customization can increase the cost from an implementation standpoint, we focus on showcasing Service Cloud's built-in features and possibilities. We encourage clients to use the out-of-the-box capabilities as much as possible. We would direct those questions to Salesforce's customer support or advocate if further clarification is needed.

For how long have I used the solution?


What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is very scalable because they are built on the cloud.

How was the initial setup?

Deployment is straightforward, but there can be challenges related to data mapping and import. For example, specific fields in Salesforce might be mandatory, while the corresponding fields in the source system are optional. This discrepancy can make data mapping complex. These issues are more technical than business-related and need to be addressed as they arise during deployment.

What was our ROI?

ROI is good, but there are many challenges. Sales and marketing processes are not as simple as some IT challenges.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Salesforce offers a comprehensive solution that might appear extensive in pricing. However, potential customers need to see how it can benefit their business. Salesforce must demonstrate its value by helping small, medium, or large businesses improve operations and see measurable revenue benefits. Many large companies have already adopted it, but the focus should be on how it can provide a positive return on investment and drive growth for businesses of all scales.

What other advice do I have?

To implement Salesforce Service Cloud, it's essential to have a clear and detailed project plan. If the requirements are well-defined and mapped out, the technical team can follow this plan to execute the implementation. However, the technical team may struggle to deliver the solution if the requirements are unclear. They need a comprehensive list of technical tasks and requirements to ensure they can address all aspects of the project. Without this clarity, simply knowing the business needs and high-level client requirements is insufficient for the technical team to execute the project.

If their business has the potential to scale or expand and generate more revenue. People have more time on their hands if many things are automated.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Salesforce Service Cloud Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: December 2024
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Salesforce Service Cloud Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.