Small-scale businesses are constantly looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency. One such cost-cutting measure is using SMS (short message service) and automation to handle customer service tasks. SMS has become a popular way for small businesses to connect with their customers. Instead of leaving your customers reaching out to you over the phone, you can now send them a text message directly from your business app.
This saves time, energy, and money for your business — all while ensuring that your customers get the response they’re looking for in the most efficient way possible. In this article, we take a look at how to use SMS and automation for your business by Understanding the benefits of using SMS API Canada for customer support; Identifying the best platforms and tools available; Looking at top tips for using automation effectively; And much more!
What is SMS?
If you’ve been in business for any length of time, you’ve probably come across the term “SMS” at some point. However, many may not know what it entails or how to use it for their business. SMS stands for short message service and it is a form of messaging that allows you to send and receive short messages to your customers, staff, or patients from your phone.
The main advantage of using text-based communication instead of the phone is that it is more efficient – you save time, energy, and money. Not only do you not have to spend the money on phone calls, but you can also avoid being shut down by your customer service team because you didn’t receive a callback. Instead, you can send them a text message with just one call. You can also send and receive pictures, videos, and other files that are saved in the messaging app.
Make sure that the communication platform you choose supports the features that are necessary for your business — and your customers — to operate effectively. When using a third-party app, make sure to check if there is a privacy setting that allows you to control who can see your messages. Some platforms will even let you set up an emergency contacts list so that your customers can easily reach you even if you’re offline.
How to Use SMS for Customer Support?
Let’s say you own a nail polish store and you’re looking to expand your customer base. Perhaps you have a few friends who you think would benefit from your services — or you just want to try out some new nail polishes before buying your next set. You could send them all a personalized note or a standard, impersonal email with a list of products and a few words of praise.
The problem with that is that it takes too long to send and receive personalized messages, and the receiving end often won’t understand your unique needs or wants. Furthermore, you could also try and use automation to handle customer service tasks.
However, this can be tricky as you may not be aware of all the different ways your customers could contact you. You don’t want to accidentally send a note to a former customer, for example. With an automation solution such as SendGrid, you can create a customer service task that sends a personalized text message to a customer when a certain criteria is met.
To use SendGrid, you first need to create a profile for your business. From there, you can create a workflow for sending and receiving messages. For example, you could have a default profile that automatically sends a message to all your customers when they reach out to you.
Or, you could use a “task” feature to create custom profiles that send a message only when a certain condition is met. This saves you from having to remember or think about all the possible scenarios that might come up.
Identify the Best Platforms and Tools Available
You can check out platform comparison websites to see which platforms are the most popular among business users. Look for platforms that offer a variety of options, including integrations with third-party apps.
For example, if you want to automatically send a message to all of your customers when they place an order, look for a platform that lets you send messages from one app — not every app you use — and receive messages from every other app that is associated with your account. You also want to make sure that the tools offered by the platform are easy to use.
For example, if you’re creating a profile for a customer service task and want to save their contact info, make sure you can easily share that information with other platforms that you use.
Top Tips for Using Automation Effectively
There are a number of ways to use automation effectively for your business. Here are a few tips that you may want to consider using: Always make sure that you have a data plan for your business. Without a plan, you’ll end up spending money on calls that don’t need to be made and won’t have a positive impact on your bottom line.
Make it easy for your customers to contact you. It’s always better to have a quick response than to say you’ll get back to them in a week. Be as convenient as possible for your customers when it comes to contacting you.
Be sure to clearly outline what your expectations are for the quality of the response you receive. For example, if you have a strict deadline for the response, let your customer know up-front so that they can plan accordingly.
Conclusion
In today’s environment, where customer service is stressed to the max, it’s important to remember that there’s no need to be a robot. Automation can actually aid in reducing costs and improving the efficiency of your business. You can use automation to handle customer support tasks, send and receive messages, and even store customer data. Learn more…