Automated SMS Workflows for Customer Service

Understanding Customer Service Workflows and Their Importance

Customer service workflows are the processes that your business follows when managing customer interactions. From support requests to customer queries, these processes detail the steps for managing every interaction consistently.

Many businesses design these support processes with clarity and consistency in mind. However, that doesn't always mean they're particularly efficient.

As a result, overloaded customer service teams often have slow response times. That can lead to overworked teams and frustrated customers.

With automated customer support, however, you can maintain clarity and consistency while significantly increasing efficiency. In many cases, automated customer service workflows can respond to queries instantly.

Plus, automated support agents don't get overloaded. That means your business can manage a high volume of inquiries and juggle follow-ups without creating a backlog.

Here's an example of an automated customer service message. This two-way workflow reminds the customer about an upcoming appointment and requests a confirmation.

How Automated SMS Workflows Improve the Customer Service Workflow Process

Adding SMS automation to your customer service process is more helpful than you might think. Here's how automated workflows benefit your customer support team and streamline your approach:

• Improve Response Times: Does your team typically take over an hour to respond to customer requests? With automated SMS workflows, you can reply instantly and make strides toward working more efficiently.
• Increase Consistency: Do your customer service reps struggle to provide consistent responses? By automating responses, you can ensure that customers get the right response every time.
• Enhance the Overall Customer Experience: When customers have to wait for answers, they may consider shopping elsewhere. Automating processes can resolve issues faster and meet customer needs better.
• Reduce the Need for Manual Interactions: Does your customer support team spend most of the day confirming appointments or answering common questions? By automating the process, you can limit repetitive tasks and reduce inefficiencies.

6 Automated SMS Workflows for Customer Service

Curious how automated customer engagement could work for your business? Use these customer service workflows as a starting point.

Ticket Acknowledgment Workflow

Use this workflow to confirm you've received customers' support tickets and share additional resources, like your self-service knowledge base.

Example of an initial message: "Thanks for submitting a support ticket [NAME]. We're working on your request. You can expect a response to ticket [NUMBER] by [TIME] on [DATE]."

Example of a follow-up message: "For additional information about our products, shipping information, and return policy, please visit: [LINK]."

FAQ Automation Workflow

Set up a two-way workflow to provide instant responses to FAQs. Allow customers to select questions from a list or send free-form questions.

Example of an initial customer message: "When is your store open this weekend?"

Example of a business's response: "We're open from 10am to 8pm on Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday. Hope to see you then!"

Escalation Workflow

Create this workflow to make it easy for customers to escalate issue resolution and connect with your support team.

Example of an initial message: "Sorry I couldn't answer your question. Would you like to connect with a member of our customer support team? Press Y."

Example of a follow-up message after the contact presses Y: "I'll be happy to connect you, [NAME]. Tap this link to start a video chat with our team: [LINK]."

Appointment or Service Reminder Workflow

Set up this workflow to remind customers about upcoming bookings. Request a confirmation to save your customer service team valuable time.

Example of an initial message: "Hi [NAME]! This is a reminder about your appointment with [BUSINESS] at [TIME] on [DATE]. Press C to confirm this appointment."

Example of a follow-up message after the contact presses C: "Thank you for confirming, [NAME]. We'll see you at [ADDRESS] on [DATE] at [TIME]."

Survey and Feedback Workflow

Use this workflow to request customer feedback on your company's products or services or on interactions with your team.

Example of an initial message: "We hope you enjoyed your visit to [BUSINESS] on [DATE], [NAME]! We'd love to hear from you. Please share your experience: [LINK]."

Example of a follow-up message: "Thank you for sharing your thoughts about your recent visit with us, [NAME]! As a token of our thanks, here's a code for 25% off your next order: [CODE]."

Order or Issue Status Update Workflow

Create this workflow to keep customers in the loop about their orders after checkout. Share shipping updates and tracking numbers automatically.

Example of an initial message: "Thanks for your order [NUMBER], [NAME]! It will be on the way soon. We'll update you with shipping details in 1-2 days."

Example of a follow-up message: "Your order [NUMBER] has been shipped! Check tracking information here: [LINK]."

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing Automated SMS Workflows for Customer Service

Implementing automated workflows is easy with Sakari. Follow these steps to create, test, and monitor customer support workflows from your Sakari dashboard.

First, identify when automations would be most beneficial in your customer service process. For example, service-based businesses may benefit from appointment reminders. Product-based businesses may benefit more from order-related workflows.

Next, create a new workflow from your Sakari dashboard. Choose an enrollment trigger to activate the automation. For example, you can set the workflow to begin when your business receives a message or when the message's status changes.

You can also use Sakari's workflow actions to enhance the automation. With actions, you can filter contacts, add and remove contacts from lists, and use if/then logic to respond to customer issues.

If your business also manages helpdesk support via other channels like chatbots, social media, and phone, connect Sakari with your customer relationship management (CRM) tool. That way, you can easily sync support ticket data across systems.

How to Test and Optimize SMS Customer Service Workflows

Before you enable the automation, take a moment to test it. That way you can avoid creating technical issues that could compromise the customer experience or require additional troubleshooting.

Send the automation to a separate list that only includes you or other team members. As you test, pay attention to the timing, messaging, and logic.

Technically, you can set and forget automated workflows. However, to optimize performance, you should monitor them and check the results regularly.

Look at metrics like engagement and click-through rates. Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for each workflow to confirm they continue to perform as expected.

If workflows don't meet KPIs, identify the pain points and make updates to improve the results. Alternatively, use Sakari's A/B testing tool to try different versions of your workflows to see what works best.

SMS workflows should simplify your support process, not overcomplicate it. As you configure workflows, keep these best practices in mind so you can improve the process for both your team and your customers:

• Personalize Support Messages: Your business's automated customer service workflow process doesn't have to sound robotic. Personalize elements like customers' first names to make support messages more engaging and relevant.
• Optimize Frequency and Timing: When customers need answers quickly, they'll likely appreciate rapid responses. But for support issues like appointment reminders, avoid overwhelming customers with too many messages too frequently.
• Avoid Compliance Issues: To provide customer support via SMS, you have to secure customer opt-ins first. Ensure that customers consent to be contacted via SMS to avoid customer complaints and comply with regulations like TCPA and GDPR.
• Monitor Workflow Analytics: The more customer support you automate, the more data you'll collect. Review your workflow analytics periodically to see what's working and what isn't. Make a point of continuously refining your workflows.
• Know When to Escalate: Automations can handle repetitive tasks and predictable questions. But they aren't the best solution for complex problems or agitated customers. Make it easy for customers to escalate serious issues, routing them to a human to complete the resolution workflow.

Automating Your Customer Service Workflows with SMS

With the right customer service workflows, you can improve your support team's efficiency and avoid overloading your team. By automating key parts of your process, you can also provide faster responses and ultimately improve customer satisfaction.

Ready to see how automated SMS workflows work for your business? Sign up for a 14-day free trial and get started today.