Text-based customer service

A 2022 study shows around 76% of US adults prefer to use their phones to shop. With the advent of text messaging apps and platforms like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, customers will expect to be able to text customer service whenever problems arise. Companies should prioritize focusing on text-based customer service — also known as SMS customer service.

Below is everything customer service teams need to know about the benefits you can reap when customers can text customer service, the qualities to look for in an SMS customer service platform, and how to adopt a text-based customer service strategy.

Do customers prefer texting?

The short answer is “yes.” According to Forbes, nearly 93% of consumers want to communicate with brands via text messages, yet less than a third of consumers report getting text messages from them.

Customers prefer texting because they want to be able to access products easily, make purchases quickly, and get their questions answered immediately.

What is text-based customer service?

Text-based customer service, or SMS customer service, refers to any kind of customer service support conducted through text. This also includes SMS customer support platforms and third-party messaging apps, like Messenger or WhatsApp.

By using SMS for customer service, support teams can relay updates and notifications, resolve customer inquiries, conduct surveys and reviews, and track products all with a few text messages.

In order to scale, organize, and limit errors, most text-based customer service strategies implement SMS customer service software. Utilizing a software or texting platform will help you track your messages, organize your data, and streamline notification and update processes.

Text-based customer service case study: Deckers

With more than a hundred team members, Deckers, the parent company of popular shoe brands like Ugg, Hoka One, Teva, and Sanuk, has a substantial customer service operation. However, they found themselves struggling with customer wait times, especially during the holiday season.

Their previous ticket-based CRM system wasn’t cutting it, making it difficult for Deckers’ team members to “get it right for customers, every contact, every time.” So, they switched to Gladly, an all-in-one, comprehensive customer support platform, and at Gladly’s recommendation, invested in expanding the capabilities of their SMS customer service.

This led to SMS contacts increasing 10x in one year, which lowered call volume and boosted productivity numbers, even during peak shopping events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

Learn more about Deckers Brands customer service journey with Gladly

Benefits of SMS for customer service

The biggest reason you should adopt customer service via text messaging or SMS is to reach your customers on the platforms that they’re using. According to Gladly’s Customer Expectations Report, 42% of customers ranked reaching customer service agents on their preferred channel as the most crucial attribute of the customer experience.

And with 85% of these customers owning smartphones, you can be sure that texting is a preferred channel for many. This represents a massive swath of modern American consumers who, with the ability to quickly text a customer service number for help resolving an issue or answering a question, could become lifelong brand advocates.

Other benefits of text-based customer service:

• Personal connections: Text messaging, as a less formal platform than email or phone calls, will feel more personal to your customers. Couple the casual tone with the speed and efficiency of texting, and you have a boost in customer experience and satisfaction.

• More options: You always want your customers to have more options. Especially if you have a diverse and wide-ranging customer base, it’s important to provide several communication lines that customers turn to. Allowing shoppers to reach customer service via SMS will help you connect with more customers, answer their questions quickly, and retain more customers over time.

• It’s convenient: A text message is that comfortable space between a phone call and email. It’s faster and more convenient than an email, but it doesn’t require the two parties to be completely focused on the conversation, often leading to an overall more convenient experience.

• Improved efficiency: Because your customer service team members will be able to handle multiple conversations at the same time, you will likely see an increase in productivity. Additionally, customers will have to wait less time to get a response to their answers.

• A distinct brand voice: Emojis and gifs, when used properly, are a fun way to interact with your customers. Customer service representatives can create a more casual, light-hearted tone with their customers by using some of the unique features to texting.

Text-based customer service best practices

Turning on a text number is the easy part, and the habits below are what make customers want to keep using it.

• Set expectations in the first text. Tell customers upfront whether they should expect a reply in minutes or by the end of the day, so a slower response doesn't read as being ignored.

• Write the way a person texts. Skip the full sentences and formal sign-offs that make a message look copy-pasted from an email.

• Carry the conversation across channels. If someone starts on the phone, let them finish over text without repeating their order number or their problem from scratch.

• Ask before you text, and make opting out effortless. Get permission the first time you collect a phone number, and treat a reply of STOP as final.

• Automate the routine messages. Shipping updates, appointment reminders, and delivery windows are good candidates for automation, with a person ready to step in the moment a customer sounds frustrated.

• Track your call and email volume alongside texting. A channel that only adds to your total number of conversations isn't saving anyone time.

Messaging platforms you need to be using

There are several popular messaging platforms you should be using to provide customer service via text message. This list reflects some of the most widely used direct and social media messaging apps on the market in 2022.

Because most businesses can support over-the-top-messaging (OTT), which is simply messaging outside of SMS through third-party platforms, integrating texting apps and outside platforms should be a simple task.

Some of the major SMS and social messaging platforms you should be using include:

• WhatsApp

• Messenger from Meta

• Line

• Apple Business Chat

• WeChat (for customers in China)

• Messages (previously called Android Messenger)

• Telegram

On top of integrating third-party messaging platforms, you can also utilize a SMS customer support template to help you track your messages and scale your responses. Templates allow you to provide updates, send notifications, reach out to passive customers, and answer basic inquiries with ease and efficiency.

What to look for in a text-based customer service platform

Not every texting tool is built for customer service specifically. A few capabilities separate a platform that scales with your team from one that turns into another disconnected inbox.

• One thread per customer, across channels. Phone, email, chat, and text stay on the same timeline, so a team member can see the whole history without switching tools.

• Two-way conversations that reach a real person. A customer who replies to a text should land in front of a CX team member who can help right away.

• Consent and opt-out built in. The platform should capture opt-in when you collect a number and make STOP work immediately, so you stay ahead of texting regulations.

• Automation for the predictable stuff. Shipping confirmations, appointment reminders, and delivery windows are worth automating, with a clear path to a person for anything more complicated.

• Reporting that separates texting from your other channels. You want to see response time, volume, and resolution rate for text specifically, so you can tell whether it's working as its own channel.

Get started: SMS for customer service

Built-in text support

Does your current software allow you to help your customers via SMS when they’re on the go, or at a place where a phone call isn't possible? Gladly’s customer service platform offers natively built-in text support that allows CX team members to start a conversation on the phone and continue it through text when needed. Even better, both conversations are kept in a single thread for lifelong context.

Proactive SMS

If you ever need to scale urgent customer communications, SMS is an ideal channel for real-time notifications, reminders, and alerts. With Proactive SMS, you’re able to send personalized SMS messages to provide updates to track and manage product orders, or let loyal shoppers know that their store pickup window is ending soon.

Built-in social support

Yes, social media support is important for customer service teams, too. Instagram and Facebook Messenger are key platforms where customers interact with your brand and may be looking for customer service support. Gladly’s customer service platform offers natively built-in social support so you can meet your customers on the social platform of their choice.

Text-based customer service examples

A few short exchanges show what this looks like in practice.

Order status update

Customer: “Hi, do you know when order #48213 is arriving?”

Team member: “Just checked, it shipped this morning and should land Thursday. I'll text you the tracking link in a second.”

A proactive reminder

Team member: “Reminder: your fitting is tomorrow at 2pm at our downtown store. Reply YES to confirm, or call us to reschedule.”

Handing off from a call to text

Team member: “I have another call coming in, but I can keep texting you here so you don't have to repeat any of this. One second.”

A return request

Customer: “Can I exchange these for a different size?”

Team member: “Of course, just reply with the size you need and I'll email a prepaid label right over.”

Now that you understand the impact that text-based messaging can have on your business, are you ready to evaluate the state of the rest of your customer service capabilities? Check out our Gladly CX Self-Assessment.