QuiqQuiq

Tag: messaging

The Ultimate eCommerce Customer Service Software Guide For Enterprise Teams

Posted on Max Fortis

Key Takeaways

  • The expectation gap is your opportunity. 91% of support teams say customer expectations have increased, yet Forrester found CX quality hit an all-time low in 2024. Businesses that invest in the right tools can significantly improve satisfaction and build lasting brand loyalty.
  • A single platform beats a patchwork of add-ons. The best enterprise solutions unify ticketing systems, AI, omnichannel support, and data in one place—reducing complexity and giving support agents easy access to the context they need.
  • Agentic AI delivers real financial returns. Unlike basic chatbots, agentic AI can handle end-to-end requests autonomously, driving down cost per contact and freeing your support team to focus on complex, high-value interactions.
  • Omnichannel support is no longer optional. Today’s customers expect to connect across multiple channels—SMS, WhatsApp, chat, and more—without repeating themselves. Meeting shoppers where they are is foundational to a great shopping journey.
  • Data and analytics are your competitive edge. Platforms that integrate data, real time reporting, and conversation analytics give you deeper insights to optimize every step of the support experience—from reducing shipping delays to improving agent coaching.

eCommerce customer service software is the technology ecosystem that enables brands to resolve shopper inquiries, manage returns, and provide product support.

This guide is for customer experience leaders at enterprise organizations who manage high interaction volumes and need a safe, reliable partner to scale their operations.

eCommerce customer service takes more than a team of hardworking agents. It takes a deliberate technology strategy to turn customer needs into fast resolutions. We will outline the essential features, implementation steps, and evaluation criteria you need to choose the right platform for your company.

Why eCommerce customer service software matters

eCommerce customer service software directly impacts your revenue and retention by resolving shopper friction before it leads to cart abandonment. It allows your company to meet modern demand while optimizing operational expenses and strengthening brand loyalty across every touchpoint.

Shopper expectations continue to rise—and most businesses are falling behind. 91% of support teams report that customer expectations have increased over the past year. Yet, rather than meeting those expectations, overall CX quality is getting worse: Forrester’s 2024 US Customer Experience Index found that CX quality among US brands fell to an all-time low for the third consecutive year, with 39% of brands declining in quality.

In fact, only 3% of companies are currently customer-obsessed—meaning the vast majority are leaving a clear opening for competitors willing to invest.

For every eCommerce business, from enterprise retailers to small businesses scaling fast, that gap between online shoppers’ rising expectations and declining delivery is the single greatest opportunity to capture loyalty and grow revenue through better customer support.

Core features of customer service software for eCommerce businesses

Conversational commerce for customer service

The best eCommerce customer service platforms combine customer relationship management, ticketing systems, analytics, and conversational engagement into a single platform. These functional areas give your customer service agents the context they need to resolve customer issues quickly and deliver a seamless experience.

Five must-have features define a modern enterprise stack for businesses:

  1. Customer Relationship Management to store historical data and personalize every interaction.
  2. Ticketing systems to organize, prioritize, and track customer inquiries across support channels.
  3. Agentic AI to autonomously automate rote tasks, handle routine customer queries, and guide human agents in real time.
  4. Omnichannel support to communicate with customers across their preferred channels—SMS, chat, WhatsApp, email, and phone support—through one unified interface.
  5. Integrations with commerce platforms and external systems to keep data synced and give agents easy access to order history.

Agentic AI And AI Agents

Conversational AI uses artificial intelligence to interpret natural language and execute specific tasks on behalf of the customer. Agentic AI takes this a step further by making contextual decisions and persisting through multi-step processes without human intervention—enabling your customer service team to handle far more customer needs with the same headcount.

Agentic AI adapts to your workflows instead of forcing you into rigid templates.

For example, an AI Agent can locate an order, process a return, and issue a refund independently—resolving customer issues end-to-end without escalating to a human agent.

This is where businesses stand to save real money: fewer repetitive tasks means your human agents can focus on the complex, high-empathy conversations that require a human touch.

If you want to see this in action, request a Quiq demo to observe how our model-agnostic platform lets you orchestrate custom AI solutions safely and transparently.

Omnichannel support and business messaging

Omnichannel support unifies communications from SMS, WhatsApp, Apple Messages for Business, and other channels into a single agent interface for your business. This ensures that conversation history never breaks when a customer switches channels—a critical feature for maintaining trust throughout the shopping journey.

As an added benefit, messaging is a more efficient and affordable form of customer engagement than traditional phone support. Asynchronous messaging allows customers to pause and resume conversations as their schedule permits, while intelligent queues and automated routing rules direct messages to the most appropriate agent based on topic and priority.

For eCommerce businesses handling high volumes, connecting customers across multiple channels through a single platform dramatically reduces operational overhead.

Knowledge base and self-service

A knowledge base is a centralized library of articles and frequently asked questions that gives shoppers easy access to answers without contacting support.

A well-organized self-service portal reduces inbound ticket volume and improves satisfaction by letting customers resolve simple issues on their own schedule.

Structure your articles with clear headings and concise answers. Optimize your knowledge base for search by including natural language terms your customers actually use.

Agentic AI can use this content to provide real-time autosuggest answers to shoppers during chat interactions—turning a static resource into a dynamic support tool. Self service done well is one of the highest-ROI investments a team can make, but ongoing knowledge base management is critical.

Ticketing, workflow automation, and agent productivity

Workflow automation removes repetitive manual tasks from your agents so they can focus on resolving complex issues. Automated routing rules assign incoming tickets based on agent skill and current capacity, ensuring every customer inquiry reaches the right person quickly.

Asynchronous digital channels allow customer service agents to handle multiple conversations at once—significantly improving efficiency without sacrificing quality. You can configure escalation triggers and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure high-priority customers receive immediate attention when an AI Agent transfers a complex case to a human.

For enterprises managing large care teams, this kind of automation is essential to scaling customer support and meeting customer demands without proportionally increasing headcount.

Analytics, reporting, and data

Analytics software tracks customer behavior and agent performance to help your company identify operational bottlenecks and surface deeper insights into your CX. You need clear, real time visibility into your data to make informed decisions.

Key metrics to track include CSAT scores, average handle time, and automated resolution rates.

Enterprise platforms deliver customizable dashboards and export options to analyze this data across your support channels. Linking your analytics to external data sources—including your CRM and ecommerce platform—provides a complete view of the customer journey and helps you identify where customers are dropping off or experiencing friction.

More data, used well, translates directly into more money saved and more sales retained.

Quality management and conversation analysis

Quality management tools evaluate support interactions to ensure customer service agents adhere to brand standards and regulatory requirements.

AI-driven quality scoring evaluates conversations at scale, replacing slow and inconsistent manual sampling with automated insights.

For example, Quiq’s Conversation Analyst reviews 100 percent of your customer interactions to identify trends in sentiment and service quality. You can establish automated sampling rules to replace manual reviews, giving supervisors actionable insights for coaching and performance improvement—without adding headcount to your management layer.

Collecting and acting on customer feedback

When it comes to eCommerce customer service, customer feedback highlights exactly where your support experience succeeds or fails. You must collect this data consistently to refine your automated and human workflows.

Use in-conversation triggers to capture feedback while the experience is fresh. Collect customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score data immediately after an issue is resolved. Use these insights to drive workflow changes, improve AI accuracy, and demonstrate the ROI of your customer support investment to leadership.

Using customer data to personalize support

Personalized support relies on instantly accessible customer data. Shoppers expect you to know who they are, what they purchased, and what support they’ve already received.

Sync your customer service software with your main CRM platform so agents can access order history, loyalty status, and prior interactions without switching tools. This allows you to personalize automated messages and deliver a customer experience that feels genuinely attentive rather than transactional.

You must also detail privacy and compliance steps within your organization to protect consumer data and adhere to global security regulations.

Aligning your customer service team with eCommerce goals

Your service team should understand how their daily actions impact broader ecommerce metrics like conversion rates, retention, and brand loyalty. Alignment begins with clear communication and role definition.

Define specific roles for AI supervisors and traditional agents or management. Provide comprehensive training on how to use AI tools as assistants rather than viewing them as replacements. Track productivity KPIs in your reporting, like cost per contact to measure the financial impact of your team and make the case for continued investment in automation and tooling.

Meeting customer expectations in eCommerce

Customers expect fast responses, easy access to information, and the ability to communicate on their preferred channels. Meeting these expectations requires a proactive approach to customer service.

Send proactive notifications for shipping updates or appointment reminders before the customer has to ask. Communicate your policies for returns and refunds clearly through automated updates.

Shipping delays are one of the most common drivers of inbound inquiries—an automated text message sent at the moment a delay is detected prevents frustration and reduces ticket volume before it spikes. For businesses using 3PL providers, that delay data lives in a third-party system, making a direct integration between your 3PL and customer service platform essential to triggering those notifications in real time.

Proactive communication is one of the fastest ways to improve customer satisfaction without adding agents.

Implementation roadmap for eCommerce businesses

A successful software implementation requires careful planning and a phased approach. Don’t attempt to launch every channel and feature simultaneously.

Propose a phased rollout that begins with a single use case. Run a pilot test with limited support channels like SMS or web chat. Focus heavily on change management and agent onboarding so your staff understands how to operate the new tools confidently.

For both small businesses and large enterprises, a disciplined rollout reduces risk and accelerates time to value.

Integrations and technical considerations

Digital_Conversations_Pricing_Integrations_Business_Messaging_Channels

Customer service software must connect with the tools your team already uses to be effective.

Pre-built integrations reduce deployment time and technical debt, and they make it far easier for support agents to access the data they need without leaving their primary workflow.

List required integrations for your commerce platforms and CRM systems. Use APIs and webhooks to connect proprietary internal databases. Advise your IT team to enforce single sign-on and conduct thorough security checks prior to deployment.

When evaluating solutions, your company should prioritize vendors who offer native integrations over those requiring expensive add-ons.

Migration of customer data and messages

Data migration moves your historical customer records from your old platform to your new system. This process must be handled carefully to prevent data loss and protect the continuity of your customer experience.

Use a comprehensive data mapping checklist to align old fields with the new software architecture.

Preserving chat conversation history is critical—returning customers should never have to repeat themselves to a support agent. Test data integrity thoroughly after migration before you go live, and run a parallel period if possible to catch discrepancies before they affect real customers.

Pricing, ROI, and Total Cost Of Ownership (TCO)

Enterprise software pricing models vary, but they typically include licensing fees, usage costs, and professional services. You must look beyond the initial price tag to understand the total cost of ownership.

Compare pricing models that charge per agent against those that charge per interaction. Be cautious of platforms that layer core functionality behind add-ons—what looks affordable at first can become significantly more expensive at scale. Agentic AI, on the other hand, drastically reduces your cost per contact over time.

For example, one of the nation’s largest medspas achieved a 5.2x return on investment in less than six months by routing leads through agentic AI.

How to evaluate and choose the right platform

Selecting the right platform requires a rigorous evaluation of the vendor’s technology and their approach to partnership. Your company needs a solution that scales with your ambition and integrates cleanly with your existing stack.

Provide your team with an evaluation checklist that prioritizes model-agnostic AI and deep integration capabilities.

Create a vendor comparison table to evaluate legacy solutions against AI-native platforms. Include specific RFP questions asking vendors how they verify AI claims, prevent hallucinations, and ensure their automation can handle the full range of customer requests your business receives.

Case studies and use cases

Real-world examples prove the financial and operational benefit of businesses using AI in the enterprise sector. High-volume brands use these tools to achieve massive efficiency gains and improve both customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.

Case in point:

  • Spirit Airlines achieved a 40% automated resolution rate by implementing an AI agent across its digital messaging channels.
  • Brinks Home reduced its call volume by 30% in three years and increased its Net Promoter Score by over 90 points.

Brian Lunseth from Brinks Home noted that these improvements led to an 18 percent increase in customer satisfaction scores in just 12 months—a direct result of deploying the right eCommerce customer service tools and empowering support agents to focus on what they do best.

Getting started with Quiq for eCommerce customer support

Don’t just respond; resolve. Quiq is the trusted agentic AI partner that turns customer needs into reliable resolutions. We combine your brand intelligence with transparent AI systems to deliver a customer experience your shoppers will remember.

Our platform supports conversational and agentic AI, robust reporting, and omnichannel support across web chat, SMS, WhatsApp, and more—giving your care team a single platform to manage all inquiries in real time.

If you are ready to scale your customer experience without losing control, request a Quiq demo today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How does agentic AI differ from a standard chatbot?

Traditional chatbots follow rigid, predefined conversation flows and often fail when asked complex questions. Agentic AI understands multi-part customer requests, makes contextual decisions, and independently takes action across external systems to resolve customer issues—making it far more effective for enterprise ecommerce support.

Can we keep our existing CRM if we implement a new customer service platform?

Yes. Modern solutions integrate directly with popular CRM systems like Salesforce, Oracle, and Zendesk. This allows your support team to sync data bi-directionally and manage conversations directly from your existing interfaces—no need to rebuild from scratch.

How does customer service software support sales and revenue growth?

Customer service software plays a direct role in sales performance by reducing churn, recovering abandoned carts, and building the loyalty that drives repeat purchases. When your company uses reporting tools to identify friction points in the customer journey, you can proactively address issues before they impact conversion. Businesses that invest in a high-quality service experience consistently see stronger retention and higher customer lifetime value—making customer service a revenue driver, not just a cost center.

What reporting capabilities should enterprise teams look for in a customer service platform?

Enterprise customer service platforms should offer real-time reporting dashboards, customizable KPI tracking, and the ability to export data for deeper analysis. The most valuable reporting tools go beyond basic ticket counts—they surface trends in service quality, agent performance, and customer sentiment across every channel.

Look for platforms that integrate reporting directly to your CRM and commerce systems so your company can make fully informed decisions. Strong reporting is also essential for demonstrating the ROI of your customer service investment to leadership and aligning your team around shared goals.

Asynchronous Messaging: How to Use it to Deliver Exceptional Customer Service

Posted on Michael Hartsog

Key Takeaways

  • Asynchronous messaging lets people send and respond to messages on their own schedule without needing to be online at the same time.
  • Asynchronous messaging helps teams minimize context switching and stay focused by eliminating the pressure to respond immediately.
  • Async communication works especially well across time zones, ensuring progress continues even when schedules don’t overlap.
  • It’s ideal for feedback, updates, documentation, and questions that don’t require a real-time discussion.
  • Asynchronous messaging works best with clear communication. Setting response-time norms ensures async messaging stays efficient and avoids unnecessary delays.

Messaging is good. Asynchronous messaging is better.

Let’s face it. Customers have little tolerance for inconveniences of any kind. Whether that’s waiting around for a response, repeating information, or finding an immediate solution to their problem.

Customer service teams aim to serve, so having the available channels to give customers the exact experience they want is crucial to increasing customer satisfaction.

What is asynchronous messaging?

Asynchronous Messaging is a communication method where two parties don’t need to be present or active at the same time for the conversation to continue. Messages are sent and received on each person’s own schedule, allowing for flexible, delayed responses like email, SMS, or chat systems, where replies can come minutes or hours later.

What does asynchronous messaging actually look like? Imagine you’re the customer. You’re busy but need help returning a pair of boots (that just aren’t your style) that your well-meaning dad bought you for your birthday. A completely random example…

You reach out to the live chat service on the eCommerce website to initiate the return, but you’re interrupted midway through the conversation. There’s an immediate work problem that needs your attention. The kids are fighting. The sky is falling. Whatever it may be, you have to start the process all over again.

Frustrating, right? It’s just a simple return!

Well, asynchronous messaging (sometimes called async messaging or asynchronous chat) takes the stress out of that conversation. It doesn’t require both parties to be present at the same time to complete the interaction. You can simply jump back in once you’ve taken care of life’s responsibilities. This is asynchronous messaging at its best.

SMS/text messages, WhatsApp, and Facebook Chat are all prime examples of asynchronous messaging in action. Conversations can start, stop, and resume whenever either person is available.

Synchronous vs Asynchronous Conversations

At the other end of the spectrum is synchronous messaging. It’s typically a live, one-to-one chat between a customer and a customer service representative.

What makes it so different? There’s usually a clear beginning and end to a synchronous chat. A customer reaches out with a specific question or to find a solution to their problem, and the conversation ends once those needs are met.

Think of it like a typical phone interaction—just using messaging instead of voice. And since synchronous messaging is so similar to phone interactions, it often comes with the same drawbacks.

  • Customers have to wait for a live agent.
  • If the agent can’t answer a question, the customer has to be rerouted.
  • Agents can only serve one person at a time.
  • Complex problems take up more of your agents’ time.
  • If a customer gets interrupted, the chat ends without a resolution.

Think of asynchronous messaging somewhere between live chat and email. Customers typically expect a quick,—but not instant, —response. This flexibility allows your team to deliver exceptional customer service atin a time that works for the customer and your team.

But that’s not the only benefit. Here are seven benefits of adding asynchronous messaging to your customer service arsenal.

  1. Customers can fit you into their busy days. Life is busy. We’re always multitasking. There are too many distractions—it’s a lot. Asynchronous messaging gives customers the flexibility to fit you into their schedules. They don’t have to block time out of their day for a lengthy live chat or wait for business hours to get someone on the phone. Instead, they can get their support requests taken care of on their own time, at their own pace.
  2. Less wait time. Since agents can jump in and out of multiple conversations—as many as 30 at a time—customers spend less time “on hold” waiting to connect with a live agent. And that is really important to customers. Zendesk reports that over 60% say getting their issues resolved quickly is the most important aspect of good customer service. With asynchronous messaging, customers can get answers while going about their day.
  3. No repeated information. One of the things that frustrates customers the most is having to repeat their problem. No matter whether they get disconnected from a live chat or transferred to multiple people before they get an answer to their problem, repeating themselves almost always leads to a bad experience. With asynchronous messaging and a conversational platform behind it, customers (and agents) can pick up the conversation right where they left off. There’s no information lost between sessions. Their conversation history is available for agents to reference at any time.
  4. Resolve problems in less time. While asynchronous messaging potentially drags out conversations (depending on how quickly your customers respond), agents often spend less working time per interaction. Quiq clients can reduce work time by 25–40% when converting calls to messaging. This is because agents can quickly address those frequently asked questions that don’t necessarily require a phone call (think password reset process and hours of operation). Simple problems get solved faster, while more complex problems have the breathing room to come to a thorough resolution.
  5. Prioritize customer requests. During peak times, when your team is truly overwhelmed, asynchronous messaging helps your agents triage customer requests. Collect customer information, sentiment, and problem upfront to determine how quickly the problem needs to be addressed. A customer service agent can immediately help an angry customer with a simple problem and close out the ticket quickly. A neutral person with a more complex question can wait a little longer for your agents to figure out the right response.
  6. Asynchronous messaging agent efficiency customer engagement performance channels sms facebook instagram whatsapp conversationsMeet support demands with fewer agents. Much like phone calls, synchronous messaging requires one agent per customer interaction. To meet demand and avoid long wait times, you need a higher volume of staff members at all times. This also means that you likely have to hire extra team members to support peak times. Asynchronous messaging can help with that. Since your support team can take part in multiple conversations at once, you can serve more customers with fewer agents. This is particularly helpful now when baseline support ticket requests have gone up 20% since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Zendesk.
  7. Get more opportunities to initiate a conversation. Since conversations are more flexible, customers are more likely to engage with customer service reps at different stages within the the customer lifecycle. Customers don’t have to set aside big chunks of time for conversations and your team will have more context to help serve them better. From starting a conversation from Maps with Apple Messages for Business or using Facebook Messenger to ask about size options, there’s ample opportunity to serve customers and increase revenue.

How to Make the Most Out of Asynchronous Messaging

Messaging as a whole has significantly grown in popularity since the pandemic began, and it has done so at a faster rate than any other channel. Support tickets coming in from messaging channels rose by 48%, compared to a 15% increase from live chat.

If you haven’t embraced asynchronous messaging yet, we have a few best practices to shape your approach and help you get started.

  • Design your asynchronous messaging strategy around your agents waiting for the customer—not the other way around. While it gives your agents the ability to manage multiple conversations, the benefit should really be for the customers’ flexibility. If you use asynchronous chat to spread your team too thin, the experience can end up feeling like email, which no one likes.
  • One way to improve response times and decrease the time agents spend per interaction? Use a chatbot to welcome customers and collect pertinent information beforehand. This way, customers get served quickly, and agents can spend their time problem-solving instead of gathering information.
  • Want to stand out? Don’t treat messaging like email. In 2020, Zendesk reported that it takes more than 11 hours, on average, to close messaging tickets. That’s compared to 30 minutes for voice and live chat and 11.5 hours for email or web form tickets.
    While messaging gives your team more flexibility to respond, customers still expect a response time in under 5 minutes. Try staffing it as you would with voice and live chat to start. Then, adjust as your team becomes more efficient and you invest in other ways to streamline service.
  • Remember to track actual work time. Overall, asynchronous messaging will have high-resolution times since you can resolve issues in two minutes, two hours, or two days. Giving customers the freedom to respond at their own convenience can superficially elevate those numbers. But remember: if a customer is responsible for the delay, a two-day conversation can result in a lower work time and a higher customer satisfaction rate. So take resolution times with a grain of salt. A conversational platform like Quiq can help you measure actual work time.

Start Using Asynchronous Messaging to Deliver Stellar CX

With customers flocking to messaging channels, it’s a great time for your customer service team to adopt asynchronous messaging. The best way to set your team up for success? With an Agentic AI platform, like Quiq.

Turn any messaging channel into an asynchronous experience. With Quiq, you can:

  • Manage conversations across multiple channels
  • Serve customers based on sentiment
  • Increase agent efficiency and boost customer satisfaction

Sign up for a Quiq demo and see how it can help you deploy asynchronous messaging and elevate your customer service.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is asynchronous messaging?

Asynchronous messaging is a communication method where messages are sent and received without requiring both parties to be present or active at the same time. It allows people to respond on their own schedule.

How is asynchronous messaging different from synchronous messaging?

Synchronous messaging requires real-time interaction (like phone calls or live chat), while asynchronous messaging supports delayed responses (like email or Slack messages).

What are common examples of asynchronous messaging?

Email, SMS/texting, project management comments, voicemail, collaborative tools like Slack or Teams, and ticketing systems all use asynchronous communication.

Why is asynchronous messaging important for teams?

It helps reduce interruptions, supports global or distributed teams across time zones, and allows people to respond more thoughtfully rather than immediately.

When should I use asynchronous messaging instead of synchronous communication?

Use it for non-urgent questions, feedback, updates, documentation, or anything that doesn’t require an immediate back-and-forth discussion.

Does asynchronous messaging hurt productivity?

Not when managed well, it’s often more productive. It reduces context switching, allows deep work, and creates a written record of decisions and conversations.

Can asynchronous messaging work for customer support or sales?

Yes. Many support and sales workflows now use async channels like email, in-product messaging, or chat with delayed response, offering flexibility for both reps and customers.

Are there downsides to asynchronous messaging?

If expectations aren’t clear, delays can happen. It’s helpful to set response-time norms so communication stays efficient.

How does asynchronous messaging improve documentation?

Everything is written, searchable, and trackable, making it easier for teams to revisit decisions, share knowledge, and onboard new members.

Can asynchronous and synchronous messaging be used together?

Absolutely. Many teams blend both asynchronous for everyday communication and synchronous methods (meetings, calls) for urgent or complex discussions.

Global Hospitality Brand Achieves Zero Agent Turnover with Quiq’s Messaging Solution

Posted on Mike Zinne

A leader in the hospitality industry faced high agent turnover within its customer service voice team, which significantly impacted efficiency and service quality. However, after leveraging the digital messaging capabilities within Quiq’s AI Contact Center, the company achieved zero turnover within its digital messaging team.

This case study explores how Quiq empowered their agents with tools for multitasking, stress reduction, and improved communication. And I’ll share how messaging transformed their workflows and helped them build a stronger, more sustainable customer support structure.

The challenges: High agent turnover and inadequate support

With a worldwide reputation of delivering top-tier customer experiences, this hospitality brand faces the immense task of offering prompt, effective customer support to keep up with the thousands of daily accommodations bookings. Prior to adopting Quiq’s messaging and AI Contact Center solution, the company grappled with high turnover rates among their customer service voice agents.

Their team identified an urgent need to rethink their approach and align with the expectations of over 60% of consumers who prefer automated, self-service options for basic customer service tasks.

Voice-based customer service came with several limitations that hindered operational efficiency and agent and customer satisfaction:

  • High agent turnover: Traditional voice support required agents to manage emotionally charged, high-pressure real-time conversations, leading to burnout and high turnover rates. This constant churn created strain on the customer experience, HR resources, and team stability.
  • Inefficiency: Voice agents could handle only one customer request at a time, which led to backlogs and long wait times during peak periods.
  • Stressful work environment: Phone interactions were stressful, often requiring agents to immediately respond while managing customer emotions, noise, and interruptions.
  • Operational costs: Hiring and training new agents increased costs, and the company struggled to establish a consistent, experienced customer service team.

Recognizing these challenges, the company sought a solution that could support their agents while meeting customers’ increasing demand for efficient and convenient digital communication options.

The solution: Quiq’s innovative messaging platform

In collaboration with Quiq, the global hospitality brand introduced messaging channels to their customer service operations—including SMS, Apple Messaging for Business, and WhatsApp.

Key features:

  • Multitasking for agents: Quiq’s messaging platform allowed agents to manage multiple customer inquiries simultaneously, significantly increasing efficiency.
  • Message drafting and grammar support: Quiq provided tools, including a built-in grammar checker and response templates, ensuring clear, professional communication.
  • Reduced pressure: Messaging allowed agents to thoughtfully respond to customer concerns at their own pace, rather than in a real-time pressured environment.
  • Enhanced customer experience: By incorporating asynchronous communication, customers could resolve inquiries at their convenience, without needing to stay on hold.
  • Rich media capabilities: The ability to send and receive images and documents (like receipts or confirmations) via messaging enabled faster and more accurate resolutions.

The implementation process also included robust agent training programs, workflow adjustments, and collaborative feedback loops to ensure success from day one.

Astounding results and key takeaways

Quiq’s platform led to immediate and significant results. I’ll go through them one by one.

1. Dramatic reduction in agent turnover

The most remarkable outcome was achieving zero agent turnover within the digital messaging team. This stands in stark contrast to the consistently high turnover rates seen on the voice team previously. By eliminating many of the stressors associated with phone-based customer service, agents reported significantly higher job satisfaction and engagement.

Here’s what agents had to say about the switch to messaging:

  • “With messaging, we can craft thoughtful, professional responses without the pressure of real-time voice interactions. It’s a game-changer for reducing stress and making our work more enjoyable.”
  • “I find messaging much less stressful than phone calls—it gives me time to carefully understand customer concerns and provide the best solutions.”

2. Improved efficiency

Messaging facilitated multitasking, enabling agents to handle multiple customer conversations simultaneously. This drastically reduced wait times and allowed the company to manage peak volumes without needing to massively scale up hiring.

  • Agents could manage 3–5 conversations at once versus only one through voice.
  • Response times decreased by significant margins, enabling quicker resolutions during high-demand periods.

3. Enhanced productivity and service quality

Quiq’s suite of agent tools, from grammar-checking to automated response suggestions, ensured that agents could deliver polished, accurate communication every time—even when typing fast.

The platform’s ability to track customer interaction history also gave agents valuable context, leading to higher first-contact resolution (FCR) and time-to-resolution (TTR) rates.

4. Elevated customer satisfaction

Customer surveys indicated a noticeable improvement in their service experience. Messaging allowed them to communicate at their own pace, providing flexibility and convenience that voice channels couldn’t match.

The company’s CSAT results include:

  • 75% of customers preferred messaging to calls for its ease of use and convenience.
  • Response times improved by 40%, reducing customer frustration. (After all, happier agents equal happier customers).

Overall business impact

From an operational perspective, messaging proved more cost-effective and scalable compared to voice. By enabling agents to handle higher volumes of queries with fewer resources, the company saw significant cost savings while maintaining high service standards.

Results recap:

  • Zero agent turnover within the digital messaging team.
  • Agents are able to handle 3–5 conversations at once (compared to only one with voice interactions).
  • Significant decrease in response times during peak periods.
  • Improved service quality and customer satisfaction.

What’s next?

Through its partnership with Quiq, this global hospitality leader found a solution that revolutionized its approach to customer service. The introduction of digital messaging channels not only eliminated agent turnover, but also improved operational efficiency and enhanced the customer experience.

Looking ahead, the company plans to further expand its digital service offering by integrating additional messaging channels and exploring AI-driven enhancements to support their teams.

Top 3 Things to Know About Apple Messages for Business

Posted on Max Fortis

Key Takeaways

  • Apple Messages for Business offers a native, seamless channel. It allows customers to message a business directly via the iOS/macOS Messages app – accessible from Maps, Search, Safari, Siri, or within your app.
  • It supports rich, interactive experiences. Beyond plain text, you can send images, links, lists, schedule appointments, accept payments via Apple Pay, use augmented reality, and more.
  • It enables both automated and human-powered interactions. You must have live agents available, but you can also layer in AI agents to handle common tasks to provide 24/7 service.
  • There are strategic advantages to adoption. Use Message Suggest to shift traffic from calls to messaging, enhance your brand presence in Apple’s ecosystem, and reduce friction by meeting customers in a familiar channel.

How much do you know about Apple Messages for Business?

We know what you’re thinking. Not *another* messaging platform.

But hear us out. Business Messages is one of the most organic messaging experiences you can offer your customers.

There’s no denying that Apple knows how to create a great customer experience. From their Genius Bars to their MacBook packaging, there’s care and attention paid to every small detail.

And that extends to their Business Messages feature. We’re answering three basic questions to help you discover what it is and how to use it to improve your customer experience below.

What is Apple Messages for Business?

Apple Messages for Business allows users to connect with your business through Apple’s native Messaging app on their iOS- or macOS-enabled devices. With more than 1 billion iPhone users, you have a simple way to connect with your customers.

When you enable Apple Messages for Business, users get one-on-one access to your representatives directly in Maps, Safari, Search, Siri, Spotlight, and even within your iOS app. All they have to do is click the messaging icon, and they’re taken to their messaging apps.

Your customers don’t need to navigate through an automated phone tree, search for an email address on your website, or download an app—they can simply open up the Messages app and start chatting with a customer service representative right away.

What can you do with Apple Messages for Business?

Besides enabling customers to connect with you as easily as they do with their favorite people, Apple Messages for Business offers a variety of features you can leverage to improve your customer experience.

Rich messaging

So much more than a text. Rich messaging allows you to send images, links, share a location, read receipts and more.

Send a rich link that displays website information from within the message. Customers can verify it’s the information they’re looking for before tapping the link, and they’re provided an easy way to get back to the conversation after they’ve visited the site.

Retailers can use messaging to send product images, insurance companies can ask for pictures of car damage, or you can share nearby brick-and-mortar locations.

Appointment scheduling

Let customers schedule appointments right from within messaging. Customers can see if it conflicts with their schedule, automatically add the appointment to their iCal, and get reminders to ensure they don’t miss it.

Augmented reality

Help customers decide if a product fits in their home. Using their iPhone camera and augmented reality, customers can visualize a product in their homes.

List picker

Simplify customer choice by letting them pick from a pre-populated list. Use it to help them pick locations, item size, color, or service.

pay to chat apple pay

Accept payments with Apple Pay

Eliminate abandoned carts by completing sales right within Messages. You can send payment requests with Apple Pay and make it so much easier for customers to complete a transaction. No more entering in extra information, and no getting up from the couch to get your credit card… Just instant gratification.

Collect (secure) customer information

What’s one thing customers hate most about customer service? Having to repeat themselves and give out their information to multiple people. Apple Business Chat removes this obstacle by providing the customer information you need. Plus, messages are long-lived. No matter when a customer reaches out, their previous conversation will live in the messaging platform so you can pick up right where you left off. Just like messaging a friend.

What are the benefits of using Apple Messages for Business?

Apple Messages for Business provides many opportunities to delight customers while still streamlining your customer support process. Benefits of Apple Messages for Business include:

  1. The ability to encourage messaging with Message Suggest.
  2. Delivery of a seamless customer experience.
  3. Incorporation of both live agents and chatbots.

Encourage messaging with Message Suggest

Typically, customers can message you by tapping a messaging icon. But you can boost messages and reduce your call volumes with Apple Message Suggest. Customers can tap on your business phone number from anywhere within iOS or macOS, including websites, social media, business directories, etc., and they’ll be given the option to message instead of call.

Adding Message Suggest can help reduce call volume and drive traffic to messaging, which is often more efficient and cost-effective.

Deliver a seamless customer experience

Think of Apple Messages for Business as an extension of your brand experience. You control your business contact info the user sees when they search your name, including logo, contact information, and more.

You can even customize the call-to-action text for Apple Suggest. Instead of the standard, “Why call when you can message?”, consider a simple “Text us” or an encouraging “Get faster service when you send a text.”

Incorporate both live agents and chatbots

One of the requirements for having an Apple Messages for Business account is having live agents available to respond to customer inquiries. But that doesn’t mean you have to have someone at the ready at all times. You can still use AI agents at specific points of the interaction to ensure instant service at all times.

Use bots to:

  • Welcome customers
  • Automate the checkout process
  • Gather customer information
  • Troubleshoot simple customer issues
  • Collect feedback

Since messaging can happen at any time, you can use bots to service customer questions 24/7, such as:

  • Checking order statuses
  • Canceling an order
  • Scheduling appointments
  • Confirming account balances

You can still utilize bots to help you deliver the best experience to your customers while tapping in live agents to provide that one-on-one support.

Take a deep dive into Apple Messages for Business.

We’ve just scratched the surface on what you can do with Apple Messages for Business to surprise and delight your customers. By giving customers a way to connect with your business that they know, love, and use daily, you’re creating a comfortable and inviting experience for them. P.S. To use Apple Messages for Business, you’re required to use a messaging service provider like Quiq.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Apple Messages for Business?

It’s a native iOS and macOS feature that lets customers message your business directly through Apple’s Messages app – from Maps, Safari, Siri, or your app without needing to call or email.

What features does Apple Messages for Business offer?

Businesses can send rich messages, schedule appointments, collect secure customer information, enable augmented reality previews, and accept Apple Pay payments within chat.

How does Apple Messages for Business improve customer experience?

It streamlines support by removing friction – customers can start conversations instantly and pick up where they left off, similar to texting a friend.

Can Apple Messages for Business integrate live agents?

Yes. Companies must have human agents available, but can also automate common requests using AI agents to provide 24/7 support.

What are the main benefits for businesses?

It helps reduce call volumes with Message Suggest, builds trust through Apple’s secure ecosystem, and enhances brand perception with a seamless, familiar messaging experience.