SMS Chat Is Here
We’ve added yet another way for your customers to engage with you while they’re on the go. With text messaging quickly becoming a preferred method of communication across demographics, SnapEngage’s new SMS-to-Chat feature allows your visitors to communicate with your agents via SMS text message.
The Admin Dashboard now provides you with the ability to select and manage your phone numbers so that your agents can interact with your customers just like any other chat.
UPGRADING YOUR ACCOUNT IS QUICK AND EASY
1. Login to your Admin Dashboard.
2. Click on the ‘Text’ icon in your Settings tab.
3. Select your preferred phone number and click the ‘buy’ button.
(Repeat for additional phone numbers on subsequent widgets.)
4. Engage with your customers just like any other chat.
SMS CHAT FEATURES
Select Your Preferred Phone Number
Select your country (currently only offered for US and Canada) and preferred area code to view a list of available phone numbers. Select your preferred number* and click the ‘buy’ button. Yes. It’s that easy!
UPDATE: You can now enable your existing phone number (landlines only) to receive incoming SMS text messages from customers. We require proof of ownership for the phone number (i.e. invoice) and completion of a TSS Registry form for 800 numbers. Once submitted, setup takes approximately 2 weeks.
Interested in setting up your existing number to receive incoming SMS chats?
Email Us or Start a Chat
Agent-Driven Canned Messages
Agents are notified and can interact with incoming SMS chats in the same way that they are accustomed to handling other chats, including use of shortcuts or pre-populated canned messages. Customers receive quicker responses and agents spend less time typing. It’s a WIN-WIN!
Intelligent Agent Routing
Our intelligent agent routing feature recognizes your agent chat load and distributes your incoming SMS chats to available agents. And a bonus for Plus and Premier accounts: Establish agent tiers to customize message distribution to specific agents!
Offline Messaging
Don’t leave your customers hanging. Set up an automated response during off-business hours prompting your customers to leave a message for your agents to follow up later.
SMS Threading & Logging
Your SMS chats are automatically grouped and stored by phone number so your agents and administrators can easily access chat history in transcript logs.
Unlimited Messages – Low Flat Monthly Rate
Don’t worry about trying to keep track of your inbound and outbound message counts. We charge a low, flat monthly fee of $25-$35 per phone number for unlimited text messages.**
*Each widget requires its own unique phone number.
**Beginning July 1, 2015, users who have participated in the beta testing period for the SMS Chat feature will be charged $25-$35/month per active phone number.
How one SnapEngage customer is using SMS chat
City Unveils New Text 311 Service
Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz today unveiled a new service that will let residents easily send text messages from their mobile phones to the city’s 311 information center, but said a similar connection to the 911 emergency service may be a year or more away.
Bobkiewicz said that with the popularity of another recent feature — an online-merchant-style customer support chat service on the city website — he’s now convinced the new text messaging service will be quite popular.
About 2,000 people have used the chat tool in the past six months, Storlie said, compared to over 70,000 phone calls to the 311 line in the same period.
Stowe said the city has used the web chat service from SnapEngage so 311 operators can deal with both types of messages using the same interface on their computer monitors.
Questions? Chat with us!
