If you haven’t thought about implementing a business SMS solution for your business- you should- as it’s predicted that in the next five years texting a business for assistance will be as prevalent as placing a phone call.
A.I. Bots responding to Business SMS messages is not science fiction- it’s already being used today in business communications.
You are probably already receiving text messages with coupons or appointment reminders, but what if SMS messaging becomes intelligent and learnable similar to advanced IVR A.I. technology today? What if you can send a text message to a business asking for support on how to place a conference call and you receive a reply back with a video tutorial on how to place a conference call? Or maybe you want to speak to Joe in Accounting and suddenly you’re connected with Joe directly, skipping lengthy Auto Attendants and eliminating hold times. This is not business SMS of the future‐this technology in its simplest form is available now.
Skyswitch, a private label communications provider, has recently developed ‘Sallie,’ an A.I. SMS directory Bot to help route and respond to SMS messages. Think of Sallie as a super Auto Attendant for cell phone users. Sallie sends SMS (text) and MMS (pictures & video) replies based on pre-programmed keywords. And since Sallie is built on A.I. technology, the Bot will become smarter as it gains experience.
How it Works
When a text message is sent to a business number, Sallie engages with that customer by intelligently responding with relevant information from the company directory and Auto Attendant and taking appropriate actions based on the response received. For example, if the system recognizes that the customer texting has previously spoken with Joe in Accounting, Sallie can send an SMS autoreply asking, “You’ve reached the SMS support of Company XYZ. It looks like you have talked to Joe in the past, would you like to talk to him now?” If the customer responses with Sallie the system utilizes call control to connect Joe and the customer.
Sallie can also respond to inquiries about hours of operation, driving directions, special events, and more‐ the possibilities are endless. Future API development releases will allow Sallie to connect with IVR and CRM systems to reply with specific account-related information.
What Types of Companies Would Benefit from an SMS Directory Bot?
Since the possibilities are limitless, any company- no matter how large or small- can benefit from implementing an SMS directory bot. Below are some examples of how companies are using Skyswitch’s directory bot today:
- Companies with an Auto Attendant
- Ex- Responding to Hours of Operations, driving directions (sending a link to google maps), daily menu specials, events, balance inquiries (available in future releases), company directories, & more.
- Businesses with multiple locations
- Ex- User texts their zip code and bot replies with directions to the nearest location.
- Businesses that are subject to external conditions
- Ex- User texts keyword, “update” and SMS Bot replies with current ski conditions.
- Businesses with shifting inventory
- Ex- businesses can keep inquiring customers informed of new or limited products or services.
- Businesses with daily specials
- Ex- Resturants can text daily menu specials to inquiring SMS users.
- Business with outdoor advertising
- Ex- Real Estate Brokers use the SMS Bot to text replies with videos, pictures, direct link to a website, pricing information, scheduling, etc.
- Businesses that place classified ads
- ex- Rather than manually replying to email or phone call inquiries regarding if a product is still available, the SMS Bot can send auto replies with inventory statuses.
- As you can see, the sky is the limit with SMS bot technology. We encourage you to become an early adapter of this technology to set yourself apart from the competition. ACC Telecom is a certified reseller of Skyswitch’s SMS Directory Bot and communications solutions. Contact ACC Telecom today at 410-995-0101 for your free consultation.