Key takeaways
- Service Cloud Voice puts calls, controls and real-time transcription inside the Salesforce agent console.
- Options include Service Cloud Voice with Amazon Connect, provisioned through Salesforce or using your own Amazon Connect instance, and partner telephony for other providers.
- Calls become records linked to contacts and cases, so reporting and AI features work on voice data.
- Plan routing, phone numbers, transcription consent and agent training carefully.
For service teams, the phone is still a primary channel. When telephony and CRM are separate, agents juggle windows, re-type information and lose context. Service Cloud Voice integrates telephony directly into Salesforce so voice works like any other channel.
What Service Cloud Voice does
- A softphone inside the Service Console for answering, transferring and controlling calls.
- Screen pops that open the caller’s record and related cases automatically.
- Real-time transcription displayed during the call, where supported and configured.
- Voice call records linked to contacts and cases, with recordings and transcripts according to configuration.
- Routing of calls alongside cases, chats and messages through Omni-Channel.
The main options
| Option | What it means | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Service Cloud Voice with Amazon Connect (provisioned by Salesforce) | Salesforce sets up Amazon Connect as part of the product | Teams wanting a pre-integrated contact center with less setup |
| Bring your own Amazon Connect | Connect Service Cloud Voice to an existing Amazon Connect instance in your AWS account | Organizations already invested in Amazon Connect |
| Partner telephony | Use another supported telephony provider through partner integrations | Organizations committed to other contact center platforms |
Pricing differs by option, including whether minutes are bundled; review current Salesforce and AWS pricing for your volumes.
Why Amazon Connect
Amazon Connect is a cloud contact center service from AWS, priced on usage, with flexible call flows, queues, and a wide range of AWS integrations for analytics and AI. Combined with Service Cloud Voice, it gives agents a unified experience in Salesforce while Amazon Connect handles telephony.
Implementation considerations
- Call flows and routing: design IVR menus, queues and routing to agents with the right skills.
- Phone numbers: plan number porting or new numbers, and caller ID.
- Transcription and recording: configure according to consent requirements and data retention policies; recording laws vary by state and country.
- Omni-Channel: balance calls with other work items through capacity and presence settings.
- Reporting: combine Salesforce voice records with Amazon Connect metrics for a full picture.
- Training: agents need practice with the softphone and console layout before go-live.
AI on voice data
With calls captured as records and transcripts, AI features can summarize calls, suggest next steps and analyze trends across conversations. Review consent, retention and privacy requirements before enabling AI on recorded conversations, especially in healthcare and financial services.
We implement Service Cloud Voice and other telephony integrations; see our system integration services.
Go-live checklist
- Phone numbers ported or provisioned and tested.
- Contact flows, queues and routing tested with real scenarios.
- Agents trained on the softphone and console layout.
- Recording and transcription configured in line with consent rules.
- Supervisors able to monitor queues and agent states.
- Fallback plan if telephony is unavailable.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need an AWS account for Service Cloud Voice with Amazon Connect?
Not with the option where Salesforce provisions Amazon Connect for you. With the bring-your-own option, you use your own AWS account and Amazon Connect instance.
Can we keep our existing phone provider?
Possibly, through partner telephony if your provider is supported. Check compatibility before deciding.
Are calls recorded automatically?
Recording and transcription depend on configuration. Set them up in line with consent laws and your policies.
