How to engage your customers on WeChat using C4C and Nexmo

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Reach your customers on WeChat (and other chat apps) using Nexmo’s C4C Integration

People all over the world now use OTT Messaging Apps to communicate.  WeChat, with 650M+ users, is one of the most popular, enabling brands to establish a presence and engage users for customer service and marketing.  Leading brands including KLM Airlines, Disney, and Dell use the chat app channel to service customers.  At Nexmo, we recently announced our collaboration with KLM Airlines, enabling WeChat customer service through their Service platform.

Nexmo’s Chat App API/C4C integration allows agents to communicate with customers on the chat apps to resolve customer service issues.  The demo below shows an illustrative interaction between C4C and WeChat:

Below, we outline the simple steps necessary to use our integration and immediately connect with your customers on the chat apps.

Integration requirements

• Java 8 SE installed
• The port 8080 is opened or forwarded to the Internet
• Nexmo Chat App API Documentation Link

Nexmo account setup

• Register for a Nexmo account at https://dashboard.nexmo.com/sign-up
• Click “API Settings” then “Edit” settings
• Set up:
  • Add callback URL for inbound message:

http://[host:port]/rest/nexmo/message

• Delivery receipts

http://[host:port]/rest/nexmo/receipt

Take note of Key and Secret—you will need them later

Application Configuration

Create a text file application.properties in any working directory with the following content:

nexmo.api.key=[Nexmo API key]

nexmo.api.secret=[Nexmo API secret]
c4c.soap.host=[tenant].crm.ondemand.com

c4c.soap.username=[SOAP username]

c4c.soap.password=[SOAP password]

c4c.odata.endpoint=https://[tenant].crm.ondemand.com/sap/byd/odata/v1

c4c.odata.username=[administrator name]

c4c.odata.password=[administrator password]

c4c.channelCode=[Custom Channel Code]

logging.level.com.axamit=DEBUG

• Run the application with the command java -jar nexmo-c4c-0.0.1.jar from the working directory
• Check that http://localhost:8080/rest/nexmo and http://localhost:8080/rest/c4c are accessible
• Check that the service is accessible from the Internet

SAP C4C Configuration

Step 1

Login to https://[tenant].crm.ondemand.com/ as administrator using Silverlight enabled browser (IE)

Check application.properties that c4c.odata.endpoint, c4c.odata.username, and c4c.odata.password match the tenant ID and credentials

Step 2

Open BUSINESS CONFIGURATION/IMPLEMENTATION PROJECTS → Project → Activity List → Add “Create or Delete Custom Channel Type” to Project → Add new Channel Type to the “Create or Delete Custom Channel Type” activity

Step 3

Open ADMINISTRATOR/GENERAL SETTINGS/Communication Systems and create or modify the Communication System as described in API Documentation

Step 4

Open ADMINISTRATOR/GENERAL SETTINGS/Communication Arrangements and create or modify Communication Arrangements for:

• Customer Service Portal Integration
• Query Social Media User Profiles

Check that the credentials entered match the application.properties lines c4c.soap.username and c4c.soap.password

Enter Communication System ID from the previous step as a System Instance ID and as c4c.channelCode property in application.properties

Step 5

Open ADMINISTRATOR/BUSINESS FLEXIBILITY: MASHUP WEB SERVICES and create/edit the REST service as below:

• Authentication Method: None
• Service Protocol: JSON
• HTTP Method: POST
• Content Type: Form
• URL: http://[host:port]/rest/c4c/message
• Input Parameters: Add Parameter content
• Click Simulate and ensure that empty Root Data Structure is received

Step 6

Open ADMINISTRATOR/SERVICE AND SOCIAL: Social Media Channels. Create new Social Media Channel. Select the Social Media Channel Type created in Step 2 and MashUp Service ID generated in Step 5

Set the c4c.channelCode property in application.properties to the Channel ID value

Conclusion

You’re all set!  Now all chat app Tickets will appear in your Service Queue:

As you can see from the image below, here we have an agent responding to a ticket created by a user’s message, and a correspondence between the agent (on C4C) and the user (on WeChat):

With this integration, you can now reach your customers on WeChat and other chat apps (soon Facebook Business on Messenger, Kik, Tango, Zalo, and more) for customer service and marketing.  Please contact me at donovan.rose@nexmo.com if you’d like to learn more about the integration.  Thank you.