Interacting with Console by Direct Message
Introduction
Employees often reach out for help through direct messages. When the request is urgent or sensitive, a one-to-one conversation can feel like the fastest way to get support.
Rather than force a new workflow on employees, Console supports these interactions through Slack and Microsoft Teams while preserving structure, visibility, and control. Employees can message Console directly, submit requests, answer follow-up questions, and receive updates without turning DMs into an untracked support channel.
Why support direct message interactions
Direct messages are a natural part of how teams communicate. Without a structured way to handle them, requests are often resolved informally and never fully tracked.
Supporting DMs in Console allows IT teams to:
Meet employees where they already ask for help
Capture requests without forcing public posting
Maintain consistency and accountability behind the scenes
This ensures requests are captured, tracked, and handled consistently, regardless of how they start.
How requests start in a DM
When an employee sends a message to Console in Slack or Microsoft Teams, Console treats the message as the start of a structured request.
From that initial message, Console:
Interprets the intent of the request
Determines what information is required
Begins structured intake directly within the DM
The interaction feels conversational to the employee, but the request is logged, categorized, and tracked like any other Console request.
Structured intake happens inside the DM
Not all requests require the same information. When a request begins in a DM, Console asks targeted follow-up questions to collect the required context.
Instead of back-and-forth clarification, Console can:
Ask specific questions upfront
Ensure required details are provided
Prevent incomplete or ambiguous requests from moving forward
This ensures requests are complete and actionable before they move forward.
Managing DM-initiated requests in the Inbox
Although the interaction happens privately, the request itself is not isolated. Once intake begins, Console routes the request into the Inbox, where IT or operations teams can:
View the request alongside others
Review collected context
Approve, execute, or route the request as needed
Doing this prevents direct messages from becoming a hidden support queue while preserving employee privacy.
Approvals, execution, and updates in context
Some requests submitted via DMs can be resolved automatically once intake is complete. Others require approval or human review.
When approval is required:
Console notifies the appropriate approver
The decision is recorded and tied to the request
The workflow continues without manual hand-offs
Throughout the process, Console sends updates directly in the DM. Employees receive status changes and outcomes without needing to follow up, while teams avoid repeated check-ins.
Direct messages and shared help channels work together
Direct messages are not a replacement for shared help channels. They are a complementary interaction surface. Many teams use shared help channels for common, visible requests and direct messages for private, sensitive, or one-off interactions.
Console supports both patterns across Slack and Microsoft Teams while keeping request handling consistent, auditable, and centralized.
Summary
Direct messages are a natural way for employees to ask for help. Console supports DM interactions across Slack and Microsoft Teams without sacrificing structure or visibility.
By enabling structured intake, routing, approvals, and updates directly within DMs, Console allows teams to handle requests efficiently while avoiding the risks of untracked conversations and manual follow-ups.