SMS unwrapped: The key to stress-free deliveries this holiday season

As the festivities begin, so does the final surge of peak trading activity in the calendar year. This means it’s the most crucial time for businesses to check their customer-facing processes are running seamlessly before another round of consumer spending. 

Of course, with the countdown on, businesses are against the clock to make sure that deliveries are fulfilled on time, and with a high standard of customer service in spite of demand skyrocketing. 

Using SMS automation for delivery success

According to the UK Parcel and Postal Technology International, parcel volume reached 5.1 billion in 2022 – that’s a parcel per capita of 76. Being prepared could make all the difference, and there’s everything to play for this season. 
This is where SMS automation steps in.

We’ve put together a list of ways that you can leverage SMS automation to meet demand and ensure customer satisfaction this holiday season.

Order confirmation and tracking updates

Setting up an automated workflow to send regular SMS order and shipping updates is a great way to keep your customer in the loop and manage their timeline expectations. With tools like this, you can choose from a range of automatic triggers such as order completion and tracking updates to let customers know when their order has been placed and dispatched. 

Creating clear expectations for the order and delivery process from the outset is an effective way of improving customer confidence in the brand that they’re purchasing from.

Maximise your resources

SMS automation can really help to take the heavy lifting out of customer communications – it’s perfect for handling repetitive tasks. In fact, nearly 90% of queries are resolved in 10 messages or less with the help of chatbots. 

A chatbot can handle the simpler customer queries, allowing your agents to focus on the complex issues that require a more bespoke solution. 

Additionally, this frees up more time for your agents to analyse data, and offer a personalised service to your higher-value accounts. 

Chatbots can also ensure a 24/7 touchpoint for customers to reach out at their own convenience, which is a big plus for optimal customer experience. It’s a great way to provide around-the-clock support without having to stretch human resources. 

Interactive delivery options

According to Statista, the most popular complaint amongst UK customers (at 27.7%) was having to stay in at an inconvenient time to receive their parcel. 

This is where two-way communication can make all the difference. By integrating your CRM or communications system with an API, you could send real-time delivery updates to your customers via automation. This gives your customers the power to respond and reschedule their delivery slot to a more convenient time, and once the automated workflow is set up, you can sit back and relax. SMS automation can even handle ad-hoc tasks like last-minute changes to delivery schedules.

Offer an omnichannel experience

Build a seamless customer experience across your customer-facing services by creating an integrated brand experience. If a customer first reaches out via social media and then decides to migrate to WhatsApp, it’s vital that their experience stays consistent and your agent is able to recognise the same customer and carry forward their help request across your channels. 

Once again, creating automatic workflows to transfer data to a central location is the key to ensuring that your customer-facing team is well-equipped to provide a high standard of customer service.

SMS unwrapped

SMS automation is a critical component for meeting the surging demand this holiday season whilst maintaining a high standard of customer experience. Not only is it a powerful asset for resolving issues quickly, but it can also be a tool for building more meaningful engagement with your customers this holiday season.  

If you’re eager to learn more about using SMS automation to carry the extra weight this peak season, then get in touch with an expert at Esendex.