Extension pointers for integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho products #7: Initiate remote sessions and assist customers with their concerns from within Zoho CRM

Extension pointers for integrating Zoho CRM with Zoho products #7: Initiate remote sessions and assist customers with their concerns from within Zoho CRM

With an increase in customers, there's also an increase in the demand for customer support. While customer support can be provided via a variety of channels, such as live chat, email, or phone, there may be times when a visual demonstration is required in order for a support representative to check on the issue and resolve it.

In this post, let's see how to help Zoho CRM customers through an integration with Zoho Assist. In general, a support technician handles the customer's concern in the Cases module of Zoho CRM. Consider the following scenario: whenever a support representative wants to have a remote session with a customer to troubleshoot an issue on their end, they can do so with the click of a button from within Zoho CRM.

In order to resolve the problem, the technician will have met with the customer multiple times. Having all of the created sessions logged in a separate custom module, and the case-specific sessions as a related list in the specific case record, would make it easier to keep track of the assistance provided. Let's see how we can achieve this.

Creating a connector for Zoho Assist and adding connector APIs
  • Create a new connector in your extension for Zoho Assist using the Connectors feature under Utilities in the left panel of the Zoho Developer console. 
Note: Zoho Assist follows OAuth 2.0 protocols for authentication. You can see how to register Zoho products and retrieve your client credentials here.

                                                

The connector details for our example are as follows:
  • Add the necessary connector APIs for your functionality. Please refer to the Zoho Assist API guide for details.


The Zoho Assist REST APIs we added for our example are as follows:

Connector API Name
Method type
URL
Create Session
POST

Note: You can refer to this post to see the detailed steps involved in creating a connector, adding the connector APIs, and associating them with the extension.

Creating a button in the Cases module and associating it with a widget to initiate a remote session
  • Create a button called "Initiate a remote session" using the Links & Buttons feature available in the Components section of the Zoho Developer console, then associate a widget to perform the desired action.
  • For our use case, since we're going to log all the newly created sessions in a custom module, let's create a custom module, Session Details, with new custom fields like Session ID, Case Name and Case status during session initiation. Here the field Case Name is a lookup type, so that a relationship can be established between the Cases and the Session Details module in the form of a related list.
Initiate a remote session.js - code snippet

Util={};
var EntityId;
var EntityName;
var temp;
var emailid;
var message;
//Subscribe to the EmbeddedApp onPageLoad event before initializing the widget 
ZOHO.embeddedApp.on("PageLoad",function(data)
{
EntityId=data.EntityId[0];
console.log(EntityId);
entityname=data.Entity;  
//Fetching the current record details and retrieving the necessary field information
ZOHO.CRM.API.getRecord({Entity:entityname,RecordID:EntityId})
.then(function(data){
dataa=data.data[0];
email=dataa.Email;
customeremail=encodeURIComponent(email);
casestatus=dataa.Status;

var x = {
"customeremailid":customeremail,
}
/*Invoking the connector API to create a remote session with the customer in Zoho Assist by passing the constructed data set*/
ZOHO.CRM.CONNECTOR.invokeAPI("xxx.zohoassist.createsession",x)
.then(function(dataa){
response=dataa.response;
parseresponse=JSON.parse(response);
representation=parseresponse.representation;
//Fetching the necessary details from the created session response 
sessionid=representation.session_id;
customerurl = representation.customer_url;
technicianurl = representation.technician_url;

document.getElementById("customeremail").value=email;
document.getElementById("myAnchor").href = technicianurl;
//Constructing and passing the fetched data to be inserted in the new custom module called Session Details
var recordData = {
"Name": "Remote Session - " + sessionid,
"testsupport__Session_ID": sessionid,
"testsupport__Case_Number":EntityId,
"testsupport__Case_status_during_the_session_initiation":casestatus,
}

//Invoking the insert record API to insert a new record of the created session details
ZOHO.CRM.API.insertRecord({Entity:"xxx__Session_Details",APIData:recordData,Trigger:[]}).then(function(data){
console.log(data);
});

ZOHO.embeddedApp.init();

})
})
})

  • The above code snippet fetches the record details for the current case, from which the customer email ID and case status are retrieved. 
  • The retrieved customer email ID is passed as a parameter to the Create session API, which creates and initiates a remote session with the customer. 
  • The relevant details such as session ID and technician URL are retrieved from the session API response.
  • The retrieved details along with certain case-specific details are constructed and passed to the insert record API to be inserted as a new record in the custom module Session Details.
  • Now that the functionality is defined, the extension is published and installed in the Zoho CRM account using the private installation URL.


Sample output
  • After installing the extension, authorize the Zoho Assist connector.
  • Go to the Cases module and choose a case. Click on the Initiate a remote session button available on the record's view page. 

  • The widget is displayed with the customer email ID that the technician is going to initiate a remote session with.

  • Click on the hyperlink text "here". It will proceed to the remote session in Zoho Assist.
  • Now you can see that a new record has been inserted into the Session Details module.

  • Similarly, the record also reflects as a related list in the specific case record's view page as well.


Using this method, you can integrate Zoho CRM and Zoho Assist via an extension and perform functionalities as per your business requirements. We hope you find this information useful. Keep following this space for more advice!

SEE ALSO



    Access your files securely from anywhere

          Zoho Developer Community




                                    Zoho Desk Resources

                                    • Desk Community Learning Series


                                    • Digest


                                    • Functions


                                    • Meetups


                                    • Kbase


                                    • Resources


                                    • Glossary


                                    • Desk Marketplace


                                    • MVP Corner


                                    • Word of the Day



                                        Zoho Marketing Automation


                                                Manage your brands on social media



                                                      Zoho TeamInbox Resources

                                                        Zoho DataPrep Resources



                                                          Zoho CRM Plus Resources

                                                            Zoho Books Resources


                                                              Zoho Subscriptions Resources

                                                                Zoho Projects Resources


                                                                  Zoho Sprints Resources


                                                                    Qntrl Resources


                                                                      Zoho Creator Resources



                                                                          Zoho Campaigns Resources


                                                                            Zoho CRM Resources

                                                                            • CRM Community Learning Series

                                                                              CRM Community Learning Series


                                                                            • Kaizen

                                                                              Kaizen

                                                                            • Functions

                                                                              Functions

                                                                            • Meetups

                                                                              Meetups

                                                                            • Kbase

                                                                              Kbase

                                                                            • Resources

                                                                              Resources

                                                                            • Digest

                                                                              Digest

                                                                            • CRM Marketplace

                                                                              CRM Marketplace

                                                                            • MVP Corner

                                                                              MVP Corner





                                                                                Design. Discuss. Deliver.

                                                                                Create visually engaging stories with Zoho Show.

                                                                                Get Started Now


                                                                                  Zoho Show Resources


                                                                                    Zoho Writer Writer

                                                                                    Get Started. Write Away!

                                                                                    Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.

                                                                                      Zoho CRM コンテンツ






                                                                                        Nederlandse Hulpbronnen


                                                                                            ご検討中の方





                                                                                                  • Recent Topics

                                                                                                  • Inbox Preference - Saved replies based on message repsonse with specific word

                                                                                                    Hi There, Can one create a workflow where the Save Reply will be generic for all messages that contains a specific word, various channels,. The saved reply should contain a link for download etc. that is a response to the word entered in the message contained
                                                                                                  • Basic Price List Functionality Still Missing

                                                                                                    I am having a problem with the most simple imaginable pricing scenario - you buy cheap, add profit, then sell high. Or in less simplistic terms: business buys a product at a given cost, then adds predetermined percentage markup, and finally sells that
                                                                                                  • How do I hire employees????

                                                                                                    Hi! I own a bookkeeping company, where a few of my clients use Zoho Books as their accounting platform . I started utilizing Zoho Practice to work on the books of my Zoho clients, some have Zoho One and some have Zoho Books plans. I just hired an employee,
                                                                                                  • Automate data upload process like reports

                                                                                                    I'll start with the end in mind.  I want to basically keep certain creator tables updated with data that are in a sql database/tables in our office (employees, active jobs, employee positions) so I can reference that data and not have to duplicate it by hand every time someone adds a new job or employee in the office desktop software.  Here are some thoughts I had about how to do this, but am unsure as to whether any of them are actually possible and how to go about it from there: Is there any way
                                                                                                  • Greylisted, try again after some time

                                                                                                    Can you check my ip, i send to duyna@vietlinkjsc.vn but have an error; my ip is 112.213.94.12 Here is log: 2018-01-09 09:40:29 H=mx.zoho.com [204.141.32.121] SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<duyna@vietlinkjsc.vn>: 451 4.7.1 Greylisted, try again after some time 2018-01-09 09:40:32 H=mx2.zoho.com [204.141.33.55] SMTP error from remote mail server after RCPT TO:<duyna@vietlinkjsc.vn>: 451 4.7.1 Greylisted, try again after some time 2018-01-09 09:40:32 duyna@vietlinkjsc.vn R=lookuphost
                                                                                                  • Emails linked to Deal

                                                                                                    Hello everyone, I’d like to ask a question to see if someone can help me out. We are requesting availability from suppliers by sending emails directly from the Opportunity. These emails we send are logged within the Opportunity; however, when we receive
                                                                                                  • How to transfer all my mails from Zoho to Gmail or Office 365

                                                                                                    is there any option to move my emails from zoho to gmail or office 365. i would like to export more than 25k emails from zoho to office 365 or gmail. can anyone help me to guide properly. this will help me to access my emails easily i have both account and can easily  do it with office 365 or gmail. i want two options. direct from zoho to office 365  or exported eml files from zoho to gmail. please suggest me both if possible 
                                                                                                  • Inquiry Regarding Image Display Issue in Campaign Duplication

                                                                                                    We are currently using Zoho Campaigns for email distribution to our clients. I would like to inquire about an issue we encountered. When duplicating a previously created and sent campaign from the "All Campaigns" section, the images used in the header
                                                                                                  • New integrations for Bigin: Zoho Sign, SalesIQ, and Marketing Automation

                                                                                                    Greetings, We're excited to share new integrations that make Bigin more powerful and useful for your business! Zoho Sign for Bigin Zoho Sign now integrates seamlessly with Bigin, enabling you to sign, send, and manage contracts or agreements without leaving
                                                                                                  • Add multiple users to a task

                                                                                                    When I´m assigning a task it is almost always related to more than one person. Practical situation: When a client request some improvement the related department opens the task with the situation and people related to it as the client itself, the salesman
                                                                                                  • What is Attendee Status 0 and 1?

                                                                                                    Hi there, I recently stumbled upon the API to get the attendee list and in the return value, there is a parameter called "status", and 0 supposed to mean not_attending, and 1 means attending. I cannot find this representation anywhere in the attendee
                                                                                                  • ZOHO BackStage

                                                                                                    How to get list of events, using ZOHO BackStage APIs. Is it possible OR not?
                                                                                                  • How to Customize Task Creation to Send a Custom Alert Using JavaScript in Zoho CRM?

                                                                                                    Hello Zoho CRM Community, I’m looking to customize Zoho CRM to send a custom alert whenever a task is created. I understand that Zoho CRM supports client scripts using JavaScript, and I would like to leverage this feature to implement the alert functionality.
                                                                                                  • Zoho Meeting iOS app update - Join breakout rooms, access polls, paste links and join sessions, in session host controls

                                                                                                    Hello, everyone! In the latest iOS version(v1.7) of the Zoho Meeting app, we have brought in support for the following features: Polls in meeting session Join Breakout rooms Paste link in join meeting screen Foreign time zone in the meeting details screen.
                                                                                                  • Calculate hours between 2 date/time fields

                                                                                                    Hi, Does anyone know if it is possible to get the number of hours between 2 date/time fields in a zoho crm custom function? Thanks, Michael
                                                                                                  • External ID validation.

                                                                                                    I added an external ID field as below in one of my custom modules: When creating records via the API using some value (eg: 762115b2-097e-43b2-bdba-f3924a5371a6) for this field, it works without any problem. I can create and even see the records on the
                                                                                                  • CRM x WorkDrive: File storage for new CRM signups is now powered by WorkDrive

                                                                                                    Availability Editions: All DCs: All Release plan: Released for new signups in all DCs. It will be enabled for existing users in a phased manner in the upcoming months. Help documentation: Documents in Zoho CRM Manage folders in Documents tab Manage files
                                                                                                  • Remove Address from credit card payment

                                                                                                    I would like to remove the need to add address when paying by credit card. I only want the customer to have to add their credit card details.
                                                                                                  • Create a button that executes a customized function

                                                                                                    Hello, I have created a summary view in which I combine the data from my items table and suppliers table. I would like to know if there is the possibility of adding a button somewhere in the view to be able to execute a function when clicked on it. I
                                                                                                  • Custom field doesn't fill when converting sales order to invoice

                                                                                                    Hi, When I convert a Sales Order to an Invoice one of the custom fields on a product line names "Subsidie" does not seem to fill in automatically. I manually have to select the product again by clicking on the product name in the order line en re-select
                                                                                                  • Can I use ZOHO calendar to schedule a Youtube video that is already in my youtube account, but listed as private or unlisted?

                                                                                                    I am creating Youtube videos and shorts and then uploading them to our Channel so others can view and approve. Once approved I would like to just schedule them over the next few days within Zoho. So far it looks like I have to re-upload the video to Zoho
                                                                                                  • How to Display a Logo Image on a Public Form?

                                                                                                    I would like to display a logo image in the header of a form. To achieve this, I added an Add Notes field to the form. The code below works perfectly for Zoho users accessing the form. However, when the form is made public, the image does not load properly:
                                                                                                  • Advice for my first project in Zoho

                                                                                                    Hello, how can I design and implement a customized ERP and CRM system using Zoho to automate and manage core business functions, including customer relationship management, property inventory, sales tracking, and financial processes. This is one of my
                                                                                                  • Associate Email API Internal Error

                                                                                                    I am trying to associate an already existing email within a function using the Related Emails API. To provide more context, I also have admin permissions and have ensured that the fields are correct and that I have admin permissions when associating the
                                                                                                  • Profit on Sales order

                                                                                                    Hi, would it be possible to implement a column at the Sales order overview of Purchase amount? So a field with the amount of all purchase related to this Sales order? This is very usefull so you will see the profit you made on this deal. I tried to get
                                                                                                  • Subform Data in v2 REST API

                                                                                                    What is the mechanism for adding subform data in the Creator v2 REST APIs?  There is nothing documented in the Data APIs documentation (https://www.zoho.com/creator/help/api/v2/).   I was able to determine how to GET the subform data by adding it to the
                                                                                                  • Is the filename of an attachment restricted to only certain languages?

                                                                                                    Hi, I tried to create a file card in a notebook, but I encountered an issue: when the filename of an attachment is in languages other than the main ones (such as English, Japanese, or Simplified Chinese......), syncing stops or the filenames become garbled
                                                                                                  • How to create comparison time periods like these examples

                                                                                                    In a Pivot Report I would like to be able to select any date range and show a set of metrics for that date range e.g. revenue, orders, units sold. I would then like to be able to compare to the previous period based on the amount of days on the selected
                                                                                                  • Overwrite Option for custom modules

                                                                                                    Hi Team, I noticed that the overwrite option is unavailable in Zoho Books when importing data for custom modules. This limitation makes it challenging to bulk update old data, as the only option is the 'bulk update' feature, which is restricted to 25
                                                                                                  • Zoho Creator - Zoho Analytics

                                                                                                    I am facing an issue in Zoho Analytics where I am still seeing deleted data from the Zoho Creator form I created. Could you please look into this and let me know what needs to be done?
                                                                                                  • Unable to send emails

                                                                                                    I have this email parth@mrcolumbus.in, but I couldnt send outgoing email. Can you please help?
                                                                                                  • Notifications push : Encourager le réengagement et renforcer la fidélité des utilisateurs efficacement

                                                                                                    Vous avez déjà souhaité engager et communiquer de manière proactive avec les utilisateurs, y compris lorsqu'ils utilisent votre application de manière peu active ? Zoho Apptics vous offre déjà des fonctionnalités qui vous permettent d'évaluer la performance,
                                                                                                  • Easy way to delete attachments

                                                                                                    I've reached my data limit and would like to run a view/report, and mass delete attachments. Is there an easy, fast way to do this? Moderation Update: Post Summary: There are two features the post discusses a) Easy way to remove Email attachments Will
                                                                                                  • How to add new deal to existing contact

                                                                                                    Hi, I want to add new deal to existing contact.
                                                                                                  • Domain verification is in progress... (How long do I need to wait?)

                                                                                                    Trying to setup my first email domain by connecting with GoDaddy. Have been here for quite some time and the screen is not changing. How long should this take?Send DataSend Data
                                                                                                  • email address autocomplete

                                                                                                    Is there a way to eliminate certain addresses from showing up in auto complete when entering an address? Many old and unused addresses currently show up, many of which I would like to get rid of. Thanks
                                                                                                  • Linking an email to a Contact when the email is sent in deluge via sendmail

                                                                                                    The "to:" address in this code is a CRM Contact. Email address is forced unique in CRM This sendmail gets sent via a workflow which is in a custom module. It works, except that the outbound email does not appear (i.e, get linked to) the Contact such that
                                                                                                  • How to restore deleted Field

                                                                                                    I edited a field in zoho form and by accident I deleted a field (email address). The form is ongoing to be filled by respondent. Then, when I checked to the all entries and report, the email address is gone. I checked in audit log, there is a record that
                                                                                                  • How to select multiple notes at once in the PC client?

                                                                                                    In the PC client, you can select notes using ctr+LMB. But why can't you use shift+LMB? PC version 3.2.0
                                                                                                  • How I can add customized Invoice

                                                                                                    Hi, I wanna use a customized Invoice, how i can add that
                                                                                                  • Next Page