Text messaging with a business is rapidly becoming a mainstream communication channel. Many of your potential clients may have already even sent a text message to your business number. If your business number is not text message enabled you would never even know this was occurring. Depending on the size and type of business there are different consideration when deploying a business texting system.
Similar to the phone, a text message from a client is expected to be a real time communications channel. When a customer calls your business they expect some form of an answer (i.e. you answer the phone, a voicemail, an auto attendant) the same goes for a text message. When a customer texts you, the expect some form of response in a reasonable time frame. You will need to make sure you have a process in place for handling inbound texts.
You are probably asking, how does this even work, how do I get text messages on my business phone number? Where do the messages go? This question is a valid one, nobody wants to get a text message on their office phone. There are several methods for receiving texts on your business number
Text to Email: This is a one way communication method. A customer texts your number, and the message along with the sender details is sent to your email address. This allows you to get the customer contact info in your email and then Call them back
Text to Application: This is the preferred method of texting. Your phone system will provide you with an app (for your cell phone) or a website that you can access that allows you to have two way communications with your customers. You would interact very similar to “chatting” with your customers.
Text Auto Responder: This method is a more automated method. You can provide your clients “Key words” that they can text into your number, and your system will respond automatically with pre set information.
As you can see the possibilities are endless. More advanced use cases include, AI Chat bots, integration with your CRM, Integration with Slack and many more that are outside of the scope of this article.
If you are interesting in activating your business phones for texting. Voipcom can help!
Reach out to us today!