Customer Service Texting : The Ultimate Guide

Introduction

Are you considering shifting to customer service texting to offer better support to your customers? Well, that is indeed a great idea! 

But what exactly is customer service texting? This simply refers to offering customer service via SMS for a variety of purposes, be it for sharing updates, quotes, customer support, promotion and marketing, etc. 

Also, quality customer service is a crucial aspect of any business, because if you are not able to communicate with your customers properly, then you cannot sell. So, to simplify this aspect of your business in a way that saves both time and money, you must consider shifting to customer service texting. 

Keep on reading to find out how you can achieve this exactly!

Why Should You Offer Texting as a Channel for Customer Service?

You might already have some kind of support system in place, so the first thing you might want to find out is why should you offer texting as a channel for customer service in the first place. Here’s why!

To Reduce Phone Calls 

On average, customer phone calls can last for 6-7 minutes & sometimes, even longer. This leads to waste of time and poor efficiency. So, if you wish to reduce phone calls and utilize the same amount of time to deal with multiple customers at once, then you must go for texting customer service. 

To Reduce the Need for Support Agents

Your agents can only take one call at a time, but multiple chats at once. So, if you are a rapidly growing business offering call support, then you’d need to hire more agents to meet the increasing demand for customer queries. However, by choosing texting as a means of customer service, you can reduce the need for support agents, thereby reducing extra expenses and wasted time.   

Customer’s Preference 

According to a report by eWeek, 52% of customers said that they would much rather text a customer support agent if given the option. Additionally, it is much faster & easier to send an SMS compared to waiting in long call queues, which simply adds to the frustration of customers. Because of this customers prefer SMS as a way of communication and so you must leverage this preference to offer the best customer service. 

Top 5 Customer Service Texting Software: A Quick Comparison!

Key highlights:

• For all three metrics, Emitrr has the best rating.
• Emitrr is also the most affordable SMS customer service platform. SimpleTexting and Text Request are the most expensive of all.
• Heymarket has decent pricing as well, but it does not offer that many features, making it low value for money.

How to Implement Customer Service Text Messaging?

Now that you know why you should offer text-based customer service, the next question must be how to make this happen exactly? 

Here’s a simple four-step process to implement this:

1. Choose a SMS customer service software 

Access your business’s needs and look for a SMS customer service software. Have a look at the must-have features for text-based customer service software (we have shared the list below) and see what all features your business needs the most. Emitrr has all the features that you might possibly need and that too for a very affordable price.

2. Integrate with your existing customer service tool 

While looking for a SMS customer service software, it is important to consider if it integrates with your existing customer service tool for an uninterrupted workflow. After choosing the right platform, set up a workflow for your team and integrate it with your existing CRM software. 

3. Train your customer service agents 

After selecting your customer service texting platform, give your agents the necessary training to help equip them with the new software for the best productivity. 

4. Leverage automation and other tools 

Leverage access to the many tools that you have now. Automate responses to frequently asked questions, set up auto-responses for after hours, utilize templates to create new campaigns or messages, and much more. 

5. Monitor and Analyze performance  

Lastly, make sure to analyze the performance to find bottlenecks that prevent you from reaching your goals. Customer text messaging platform offers many features, such as average handle time, total chats, time taken to give resolution, etc., that can help you immensely in analyzing and correcting errors. 

Features to Look for in Customer Service Texting Software 

1. Integrations: Easily integrate your existing customer support channel, such as a CRM, ticketing platform, system of record, etc., and carry on your customer support process without being afraid of losing previous data or needing to learn a new way of doing things. 
2. Unified inbox: Manage and access conversations happening on different platforms, Web, Facebook, phone, etc., in one single place.
3. Contact management: Manage, tag, and categorize all your contacts.
4. Multiple locations: Access and manage customer service texting across multiple locations. 
5. Collaboration tools: Use tools such as transfer chat, chat tags, etc., to easily sync with your team.
6. Personalization: Send custom messages to customers.
7. Segmented list: Classify customers & keep conversations separate.
8. Automation: Send replies or scheduled messages to your customers.
9. Reports: Track customer service volume, response time, resolution time, etc. 
10. Outreach campaigns: Send promotional SMS, discount codes, and offer updates via outreach campaigns. 
11. Chat-based SMS survey: Send survey forms, review links, etc. to gather customer feedback. 
12. Custom field & templates: Utilize pre-existing SMS templates, create new ones, or customize them to send customer service SMS.
13. Auto-replies: Offer quick responses to frequently asked questions
14. Export chats: Safely transfer chat data from one platform to another
15. Block & delete: Restrict interaction with a certain customer
16. 2-way text messaging: Allow customers to send replies to your SMS & start a conversation.
17. Opt-outs: Give options to your customers to opt-out of your messages. 
18. Recurring texts: Schedule recurring SMS for providing appointment or booking updates, for promotion and SMS marketing purposes, etc.  
19. Drip campaigns: Send a series of personalized messages to your contact list.
20. Link shorteners: Share tracking or review links in a presentable format.  
21. Response filters: Sort conversations on the basis of the response received. 
22. View conversation history: To access and analyze previous conversations for quality or adherence purposes. 
23. Conversation tagging & folders: Tag conversations on the basis of their nature, response, category, etc., for easy identification and access. 
24. Web chat to text: Continue the conversation in your inbox that started on the website.  
25. Bilingual messaging: Conversate with your customers in more than one language. 
26. Integration with other messaging channels: Easily integrate with social media channels such as Facebook, Instagram, etc. as well as other external tools to improve customer service.

5 Best Customer Service Texting Software: A Detailed Analysis

1. Emitrr
2. Textline
3. SimpleTexting
4. Heymarket
5. Text Request

Emitrr 

Emitrr is the number one customer service texting platform that offers a comprehensive suite of features such as a unified inbox, link shortener, personalization, collaboration tools, survey and feedback forms, etc. to help businesses automate and improve their customer service via SMS. The platform offers affordable pricing, seamless integration with external tools, and excellent customer support to their clients. If you want an all-in-one solution for simplifying customer service texting, then Emitrr is the best option that you will find. Here is an in-depth look at what you can expect from Emitrr. 

Emitrr Features

Emitrr offers all the essential 24 features listed above along with some additional features that can be very handy for any business. 

• Unified inbox 
• Contact management
• Collaboration tools 
• Personalization 
• Segmented list
• Automation 
• Reports 
• Outreach campaigns 
• Chat-based SMS survey 
• Custom field & templates to 
• Auto-replies
• Export chats 
• Block & delete
• 2-way text messaging 
• Opt-outs 
• Recurring texts for SMS marketing
• Drip campaigns
• Link shorteners
• Response filters
• View conversation history
• Conversation tagging & folders
• Web chat to text
• Bilingual messaging
• Mass texts your customers
• Integration with other messaging channels

Emitrr Integrations

Afraid to bring in new software to continue your customer support services, thinking about what will happen to the existing data and if you would have to start from scratch? Thankfully,  Emitrr seamlessly integrates with over 500 CRM, ticketing platforms, systems of records, etc., so that you can access your customer information such as name, number, email, previous chats, appointment details, or any other information about them that is already present in your existing CRM that too without switching multiple tabs! 

Here’s an example of the same: 

Here’s a list if integrations Emitrr offers:

• Zapier 
• Hubspot
• Mailchimp 
• HousecallPro
• Slack
• Freshdesk
• Salesforce
• Chrome extension
• Instagram business
• Facebook messenger
• Zendesk Support
• Dolphin
• Dentrix
• And more…

Pros of Emitrr 

• Superior customer service 
• Easy to set up dashboard 
• Multiple useful features
• Easy-to-use interface 
• Affordable & flexible pricing 
• Seamless integration 
• Customizable
• Versatile
• Saves time

Cons of Emitrr 

• No major issues with this software 

Emitrr’s Pricing 

Emitrr’s pricing is based on the volume of text messages being sent, with plans starting at just $159 a month for 5,000 credits. Customers can start with a lower plan and upgrade easily as and when needed. Additionally, Emitrr also offers usage alerts and rollover of unused credit to help businesses manage costs. 

Emitrr’s Customer Rating 

• Capterra: 4.8/5
• G2: 4.7/5

Textline

Textline is essentially a business SMS platform, but it offers many features to help businesses offer better service and support experiences. The platform integrates with popular tools and is very easy to use. However, it offers limited features, and many times show errors when sending messages to customers. Here is a detailed look at Textline:  

Textline Features 

• Conversation tracker
• Message automation
• Metrics
• Unified inbox
• Surveys
• Tag management
• Routing
• And more..

Textline Integrations 

• HubSpot
• Talkdesk
• Help Scout
• Zendesk Support
• Aircall 
• And more..

Pros of Textline

• Easy to use
• Good integrations
• Ease of communication 

Cons of Textline

• Poor customer service
• Limited features
• Error and delay in sending messages 

Textline’s Pricing

Textline offers three different kinds of pricing plans:

• Limited: $59.97/month
• Standard: $89.97/month
• Pro: $249.95/month

Textline’s Customer Rating

• Capterra: 4.9/5
• G2: 4.5/5 

SimpleTexting

SimpleTexting is one of the most user-friendly customer service texting software. The platform offers a handful of features, including a unified inbox, two-way texting, etc., to businesses to improve their customer support and even offers flexible pricing. However, it is slightly more expensive than its competitors and often delays outbound messages. Here are some more details on SimpleTexting: 

SimpleTexting Features

• Two-way texting
• Group messages
• Schedule messages
• Drip campaigns
• Conversation filters
• Internal notes
• And more…

SimpleTexting Integrations

• Zapier
• Mailchimp
• Salesforce
• Hubspot
• Slack
• Instagram
• And more..

Pros of SimpleTexting 

• Easy to set-up and use
• Integrates with multiple tools easily
• Useful features 

Cons of SimpleTexting 

• Issues with billing 
• Expensive compared to others
• Delay in sending messages 

SimpleTexting’s Pricing 

SimpleTexting charges $29 for 500 credits and has a monthly estimated cost of $39.00 + $4 one-time carrier registration. 

SimpleTexting’s Customer Rating

• Capterra: 4.7/5
• G2: 4.7/5

Heymarket

Heymarket is an intuitive business texting platform that offers features and capabilities for businesses to send out customer service SMS and simply customer interaction. The platform offers plenty of useful features for the same and integrates with the most used CRM such as Hubspot, Salesforce, etc. However, the only problem with this software is that it is quite glitchy and expensive. Here are additional details about Heymarket: 

Heymarket Features

• Personalization  
• Message scheduling
• Drip campaigns
• Auto-replies
• Two-way texting
• Custom field
• Survey request
• Auto reply

Heymarket Integrations

• Hubspot
• Salesforce
• Shopify
• Zapier
• Aircall
• Clio
• And more..

Pros of Heymarket

• Easy communication 
• Intuitive interface
• Automation 

Cons of Heymarket

• Expensive
• Poor customer support
• Integration issues
• Software glitches 

Heymarket’s Pricing

Heymarket offers four kinds of pricing plans including:

• Standard: $19/user/month
• Plus: $39/user/month
• Pro: $59/user/month
• Enterprise: Custom

Heymarket’s Customer Rating 

• Capterra: 4.5/5
• G2: 4.6/5

Text Request 

Text Request is an affordable customer service texting platform that helps businesses of different industries simplify their customer service process via text. The software is known for its ease of use, pricing, and onboarding process. However, the major problem with Text Request is that sending messages and managing contact using it is quite difficult. 

Text Request Features

• Auto responses 
• Route conversations
• Message tags
• Analytics
• Form fields
• Multiple locations 

Text Request Integrations

• Hubspot
• Mailchimp
• Clio
• Help Scout
• Zapier
• Square 

Pros of Text Request 

• User-friendly
• Good customer service
• Seamless onboarding process 
• Affordable pricing 

Cons of Text Request 

• Issues with closing messages
• Issues with managing and looking up contacts 
• Delay & error in sending messages

Text Request’s Pricing

Text Request offers four kinds of pricing plans:

• Basic: $59/month
• Starter: $139/month
• Corporate: $279/month
• Enterprise: $549/month

Text Request’s Customer Rating 

• Capterra: 4.6/5
• G2: 4.6/5

What are the Benefits of Customer Service Texting?

1. Accessibility 

In the U.S. 97% of the population owns a cell phone, making SMS accessible to anyone who owns a cell phone. Additionally, texting does not require anyone to download an additional app, such as Facebook Messenger, that requires an internet connection. This is the reason why texting for customer service might be a better solution for you. 

2. Lower cost

Did you know on average customer service calls last for about six-seven minutes? In the same amount of time an agent can take multiple chats. Additionally, phone calls cost $15.50 on average, whereas SMS cost between $1-$5. Clearly, SMS customer service can help you cut down on both cost and time that goes into individually dealing with each customer over call. 

3. Increased efficiency

Since chat allows customer agents to interact with more than one customer at a time, there is a good chance that you can see increased efficiency and productivity. Additionally, even your customers would experience lower wait times.

4. Faster response time

As mentioned earlier, a phone call can take several minutes, which can cause dissatisfaction among the next caller waiting on the line. But by using SMS customer service and even automation, your agents can handle multiple chats at once, can automate answers to commonly asked customer inquiries, leading to faster response times and better customer experience. 

5. Better engagement 

Text messages are less formal as compared to emails or calls. You can customize your messages, add emoji, and human touch to your customer messages, which improves customer engagement. This coupled with faster response times, leads to a better customer experience. 

6. Team Productivity

When texting, agents spend less time per ticket and can handle multiple conversations at once; this helps them get more work done in less time, thereby improving team productivity and efficiency. 

Who is Customer Service Texting Best For?

Businesses in almost every industry can benefit from customer service texting because texting is not only scalable but is also preferred by the majority of customers as a source of communication.

However, customer service texting may be very useful for you if your business if you: 

• Need to automate response to answer common questions
• Improve customer communication
• Handle customer complaints
• Solve customer issues
• Troubleshoot technical issues
• Dispatch orders
• Communicate business updates or service downtime
• Provide quotes
• Solicit customer feedback
• Do back-and-forth conversations 

Customer Service Texting Best Practices 

Let’s have a look at some of the best practices for customer service texting:

1. Select the right customer service SMS platform 

There are so many SMS customer service software in the market, that it can get quite confusing to choose one provider. However, the right SMS customer service platform should make it easy for you to reach your customers while improving their overall experience. For this look for features that we mentioned in the guide above. 

We personally recommend you to choose Emitrr as your customer service texting provider, as it ticks all the boxes. 

2. Leverage automation

Instead of wasting time by manually responding to common queries, leverage text automation or AI. For this, most SMS customer service providers allow you to set automated text responses, offer ready-made customizable templates, allow you to auto-assign conversations to team members, etc.  

3. Categorize and prioritize customer SMS  

Create an effective communication channel by categorizing support requests based on urgency and customer value for better customer communication. At the same time, utilize chatbots to take care of lesser important chats while putting humans to high-value cases. For this, you can utilize features like conversation tags, folders, etc. 

4. Personalize your messages

Personalization is important to make your customers feel listened to and cared for. For example, by sending any updates on delivery, promotional messages, appointment reminders, or simply when having a conversation, make sure to refer to them by their first name. The “property feature” offered by SMS customer service platforms comes in very handy when you want to send personalized messages to multiple customers. 

5. Promote your SMS customer support channel

Let your customers know that you offer SMS customer service by promoting it on various social channels including:

• Business website
• Google profile
• Social media accounts
• Review websites
• Signatures and email receipts
• Voicemails
• Newsletters
• A message when customers are on hold

6. Train your customer support agents

After purchasing a new customer support texting software, offer the necessary training to your customer care agents and familiarize them with all the features so that they can get the most out of your money’s worth. 

7. Keep your SMS crisp

You get only 160 characters. So whether you are handling a customer query on chat or simply use a customer service text messaging platform for promotion, updates, etc. Make sure to mind your tone and to keep your messages crisp and to the point. 

8. Utilize SMS to capture customer feedback

Getting feedback from your customers is a great way to analyze where you are lacking. So after each conversation or service, set up automated customer feedback SMS soliciting feedback from the customer. This will allow you to improve your service even more for a delightful customer experience.

9. Integrate SMS with other support channels

To offer a consistent support experience to your customers, think about integrating with other support channels, such as your CRM or social media platforms. This strategy is known as omni-channel support, and it can help you improve your customer satisfaction by simplifying customer communication.  

Customer Service Texting Use Cases & Templates 

To check out use cases of customer service texting and to download free SMS templates for customer service, check this out. 

Customer Service Platform Vs. SMS Customer Service 

The world is moving away from email support and support offered through social media towards chat because:

1. It is preferred by customers largely over calls, emails, or social media.
2. Because it is more convenient & time-saving. 

Let us look at a quick comparison between a normal customer service platform such as Freshdesk Vs. an SMS customer service platform such as Emitrr so that you can understand how convenient shifting to SMS customer service can be:

Let us take the example of Freshdesk, a ticketing platform majorly used by businesses for providing customer support. So whenever a customer raises a query, Freshdesk creates a ticket, which then gets assigned to a support agent who then resolves it and closes the ticket.

The problem with this is that ticketing is not conversational in nature; so keeping track of conversations becomes very difficult, especially if you are in the healthcare industry, home service, retail industry, etc., where you might need to interact with your customers frequently.

Now compare this with an SMS customer service software such as Emitrr. 

As you can see, SMS customer service software is conversational in nature. It can allow you to track conversations with all your customers across all your business locations. You can access previous chats, see the customer details, access customer information already present in your existing CRM, add tags, transfer chat, and much more that too without switching tabs! How cool is that?

And what’s best is that you can access the performance of all your customer care agents by day, week or month by accessing the performance metrics tool as shown below. 

Unfortunately, ticketing software is not as efficient and makes the customer support process quite complex. So consider investing in customer support text messaging software such as Emitrr to automate and simplify your customer support process. 

Why Emitrr is the Best Customer Service Texting Software?

After comparing some of the top customer service texting software, we can conclude that Emitrr is the best option available for the same. Here’s why:

1. Comprehensive SMS customer service features 

The entire point of purchasing an SMS customer service software is to simplify the customer service process to save time & money and to improve customer satisfaction. But all of this can only be achieved when the software you purchase offers you all the features and tools that you can possibly think of. Emitrr offers over 25 amazing features, such as 500+ CRM/system integration, conversation tags, multiple locations, chat transfer, case notes, and much more!! 

2. Integration with customer service system

Emitrr integrates with 500+ tools, such as Hubspot, Zapier, Mailchimp, etc. so whichever platform you are currently using for customer service, we are sure Emitrr can integrate with it easily. This means you can sync Emitrr with your current system and carry on your customer service process without any hiccups. 

3. Affordable SMS customer service software 

Emitrr is the most affordable SMS customer service software in the industry. The platform’s pricing is based on the volume of text messages being sent, with plans starting at just $159 a month for 5,000 credits. Customers can start with a lower plan and upgrade easily as and when needed. 

4. Exceptional customer service 

Emitrr is known for offering exceptional customer service 24/7 via multiple support channels. In fact, on software review sites like Capterra and G2, Emitrr has been given a rating of 5/5 stars for their customer service. So you can rest assured that your queries and need for help will never go unnoticed. 

Customer Service Texting FAQ’s

Conclusion 

Businesses are shifting towards customer support texting because of customer preference and the plethora of benefits and ease it offers to businesses. If you are considering shifting to the same, then do not resist. There are many customer service texting platforms available in the market, but we suggest you go for Emitrr for the best experience.