sales-talkdesk

What this skill does

# Talkdesk Platform Help

## Step 1 — Gather context

If `references/learnings.md` exists, read it first for accumulated platform knowledge.

1. **What do you need help with?**
   - A) ACD routing, IVR (Studio), or call flow setup
   - B) Digital channels (email, chat, SMS, social messaging)
   - C) AI features — Autopilot (virtual agents), CoPilot (agent assist), Navigator (routing)
   - D) Quality management — QA scoring, evaluations
   - E) Workforce management — forecasting, scheduling, adherence
   - F) Outbound dialer or campaign management
   - G) Reporting and analytics
   - H) API integration or Connections setup
   - I) Pricing comparison or tier selection
   - J) Salesforce or CRM integration
   - K) Comparing Talkdesk to another platform (Five9, NICE CXone, Genesys)
   - L) Other

2. **What's your current setup?**
   - A) Evaluating whether to buy
   - B) New — haven't started implementation
   - C) In implementation
   - D) Running but having issues
   - E) Expanding to new modules

3. **Contact center size?**
   - A) Small (< 25 agents — consider Express free tier)
   - B) Mid-size (25-200 agents)
   - C) Large (200-1,000 agents)
   - D) Enterprise (1,000+ agents)

Skip-ahead rule: if the user's prompt already contains enough context, skip to Step 2.

## Step 2 — Route or answer directly

| Problem domain | Route to |
|---|---|
| Building a coaching program or training cadence | `/sales-coaching {user's question}` |
| Reviewing a specific call transcript for coaching | `/sales-call-review {user's question}` |
| Choosing between note-taker/conversation intelligence platforms | `/sales-note-taker {user's question}` |
| General CRM/tool integration patterns (Zapier, webhooks) | `/sales-integration {user's question}` |
| Overlay QA tools for Talkdesk (Observe.AI, Balto, Cresta) | `/sales-observe-ai` or `/sales-balto` or `/sales-cresta` |
| Comparing to NICE CXone | `/sales-nice-cxone {user's question}` |

Otherwise, answer directly using the platform reference below.

## Step 3 — Talkdesk platform reference

**Read `references/platform-guide.md`** for the full platform reference — modules, pricing, integrations, data model, workflows.

Answer the user's question using only the relevant section. Don't dump the full reference.

## Step 4 — Actionable guidance

You no longer need the platform guide — focus on the user's specific situation.

**Tier selection framework:**
1. Small US/Canada team (< 25 agents) → Express (free, 25 licenses)
2. Digital-only → Digital Essentials ($85/agent/mo)
3. Voice-only → Voice Essentials ($105/agent/mo)
4. Omnichannel + WFM + screen recording → Elite ($165/agent/mo)
5. Industry-specific (healthcare, banking, retail) → Experience Cloud ($225/agent/mo)
6. AI features (Autopilot, CoPilot, Navigator) are **paid add-ons** on all tiers — budget 20-60% above base price
7. All pricing assumes 3-year contract — negotiate 15-25% below list

**When comparing to competitors:**
- vs **Five9**: Five9 stronger on intelligent IVR and virtual agents, concurrent pricing model (cheaper for shift-based teams). Talkdesk deploys faster, more flexible with smaller teams, better industry-specific clouds.
- vs **NICE CXone**: CXone has deeper WFM, more mature QM, broader digital channels. Talkdesk easier to implement, better for mid-market. CXone stronger at enterprise scale.
- vs **Genesys Cloud CX**: Genesys stronger on AI-driven routing and predictive engagement. Talkdesk easier to deploy. Both Gartner Leaders. Similar enterprise pricing range.

If you discover a gotcha, workaround, or tip not covered in `references/learnings.md`, append it there.

## Gotchas

> *Best-effort from research — review these, especially items about plan-gated features and integration gotchas that may be outdated.*

- **AI features are all expensive add-ons.** Autopilot, CoPilot, Navigator, and Interaction Analytics require separate quotes even on Elite ($165/agent/mo). Total costs typically climb 20-60% above listed per-agent price. Get an all-in quote before committing.
- **3-year contract required for listed pricing.** Shorter terms cost more. No publicly advertised volume discounts.
- **Telecom costs are separate.** PSTN usage, toll-free, and inbound numbers are billed in addition to per-user monthly fees. Budget for these on top of the agent license.
- **Implementation can take months.** Multiple reviews report 6-12+ months to go live with full implementation, with continued charges during setup. Define clear milestones and go-live criteria in contract.
- **Support tickets take 3-4 days.** For a call-center solution, this response time is unusually slow. Dedicated TAM add-on improves this but costs extra.
- **Call quality issues.** Dropped calls, crackling audio, and unclear error messages are consistently reported. Often related to WebRTC/browser issues — test in Chrome with cleared cache.
- **API access is restricted.** Only enterprise customers and AppConnect partners get API access — not included in base plans. Submit a request with account info.

## Related skills

- `/sales-nice-cxone` — NICE CXone platform help (primary CCaaS competitor)
- `/sales-observe-ai` — Observe.AI platform help (QA overlay that integrates with Talkdesk)
- `/sales-balto` — Balto platform help (real-time AI guidance for contact centers)
- `/sales-cresta` — Cresta platform help (enterprise contact center AI)
- `/sales-call-review` — Review specific calls and extract coaching insights
- `/sales-coaching` — Build coaching programs for contact center agents
- `/sales-note-taker` — Compare conversation intelligence tools or wire APIs into CRM
- `/sales-do` — Not sure which skill to use? The router matches any sales objective to the right skill. Install: `npx skills add sales-skills/sales --skill sales-do`

## Examples

### Example 1: Choosing the right Talkdesk tier
**User says**: "We have 80 agents handling phone and chat. Which Talkdesk plan do we need and what will it actually cost?"
**Skill does**:
1. Identifies Elite ($165/agent/mo) as baseline for omnichannel
2. Warns that AI features (Autopilot, CoPilot) are add-ons — budget $200-260/agent/mo all-in
3. Calculates annual cost range and suggests negotiation targets
4. Notes 3-year contract requirement and separate telecom fees
5. Compares to Five9 and NICE CXone pricing for context
**Result**: Clear tier recommendation with realistic all-in cost estimate

### Example 2: Talkdesk calls keep dropping
**User says**: "Our agents keep getting disconnected mid-call and the audio quality is terrible"
**Skill does**:
1. Confirms call quality issues are a known Talkdesk problem across reviews
2. Troubleshoots: browser cache/cookies, Chrome version, incognito mode test
3. Checks WebRTC and firewall configuration requirements
4. Recommends bandwidth verification (100 Kbps per concurrent call minimum)
5. Suggests opening a support ticket with browser console logs
**Result**: Systematic troubleshooting plan with fallback options

### Example 3: Comparing Talkdesk to Five9
**User says**: "We're evaluating Talkdesk vs Five9 for our 200-agent contact center with heavy outbound calling"
**Skill does**:
1. Notes Five9 is stronger for outbound-heavy (progressive dialer, TCPA compliance built-in)
2. Five9 concurrent pricing saves money for shift-based teams vs Talkdesk per-user
3. Talkdesk deploys faster and has industry-specific clouds (healthcare, banking)
4. Both Gartner Leaders — decision is about fit, not quality
5. Recommends POC criteria
**Result**: Side-by-side comparison tailored to their outbound-heavy use case

## Troubleshooting

### Calls dropping or audio quality issues
**Symptom**: Agents get disconnected, crackling audio, customers can't hear clearly
**Cause**: WebRTC issues, browser cache corruption, or network configuration
**Solution**: Clear browser cache and cookies. Test in incognito mode. Use Chrome (recommended). Check bandwidth (100 Kbps per concurrent call). Verify WebRTC isn't blocked by firewall. Check Talkdes