[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/#Article","articleBody":"Do a quick Google search for \u2018mobile customer service\u2019 and you\u2019ll see an onslaught of mobile carrier service URLs about their customer service, and how it is different and better than their competitors.\u00a0\nIt\u2019s a slight \u2013\u2013 if short lived \u2013\u2013\u00a0Google algorithm misunderstanding. Because mobile customer service isn\u2019t about the mobile carriers at all. It\u2019s about text message SMS, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, chatbots and more.\u00a0\nMobile customer service is about helping the 48% of US consumers that browse the web from mobile devices at any given moment.\u00a0\nWhat is mobile customer service?\nMobile customer service is a focus on customer service for the experience of a mobile device.\u00a0\nWhereas on desktop, customers may be able to more easily find FAQ sections or browse through what are often called a \u201cknowledge base,\u201d on mobile devices, screens on smaller and consumer attention much more diverted.\u00a0\nHere, help needs to be even easier to find, and more so to use. For this reason, mobile service is often adapting to various tools and platforms as consumers shift from a heavy preference on Facebook to Instagram to TikTok. Here, these platforms and their comments and messaging solutions become top of funnel ways into a mobile customer service funnel.\u00a0\nThe same is true with a preference toward text on a mobile device versus call or email. Brands must be ready to communicate with consumers, answering their questions no matter where or how they are asked.\nWhat are examples of mobile customer service?\nThere are a variety of mobile customer service examples, and they vary based on the method of communication and platform choice for the customer. Here are a few examples and how various brands use them.\u00a0\nFacebook: For many, Facebook comments are an easy way to ask a question related to a certain post, video, or ad on the platform. Some brands will answer these questions right there in the comments. Others will direct you to Facebook messages where answers can be more in depth. \nOnce in Facebook Messenger, the communication between brand and customer becomes 1:1, and brands can work with a customer to get their phone number (so as to text or call), or their email. The goal here is to send them more information, and to add their information to a CRM (customer relationship management) dashboard and store what is now first-party data. The same process above is often used for Instagram and other social media platforms.\u00a0\nText message: As consumers comfort with text increases, it is becoming the mobile customer service tool and platform of choice for brands. Tools like Postscript \u00a0allow you to send order confirmation, shipping confirmation, and delivery confirmation all via the phone. You can also put customers into a drip stream similar to email, where you answer questions and build brand affinity through text.\u00a0\nChatbots: Chatbots are incredible tools for mobile customer service. These tools allow customers to ask questions and be directed either to a rep, or if the question is a frequently asked one, go through a stream to get the information they need without having to rely on a customer service rep. \nThese tools save the brand time, and help customers get the information they want. The biggest key to making this product work is planning! If your bot stream and cadence isn\u2019t set up properly, it can annoy customers and turn them off from using your brand. Spend time on how your bot works. Think through a variety of scenarios, and make sure that your bot is putting the brand\u2019s best foot forward.\u00a0\nWhat are some of the best tools?\nMobile customer service tools are constantly changing, and are heavily reliant on other tools and platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Google, Shopify, and any new up-and-comers like TikTok.\u00a0\nThat said, there are service and retention tools that are keeping up with changes in consumer preferences, and make it easy for brands to keep track of all the work they are doing to keep customers engaged.\u00a0\nHere are three of the top mobile customer service tools:\nPostScript: PostScript is the leading mobile SMS provider, allowing any brand on Shopify to quickly integrate with the tool and begin using it to increase customer service and retention ASAP. Beyond that, they are building out SMS functionality similar to services provided by MailChimp or Klaviyo for email. Many of their customers see 35% open rates and engagement to the SMS messages, versus 2% on email.\u00a0\nDrift: Drift is a chatbot tool used by hundreds of brands across the web. It is mobile responsive, and has a fantastic UX (user experience) for both consumers and brands. On the backend, you can set up a variety of scenarios and streams to answer questions, lead customers down preferred paths, and help everyone find the information they want as quickly as possible \u2013 no matter their device.\u00a0\nSlack: Slack is a messaging tool for brands, and while this tool isn\u2019t necessarily helpful on the front end of mobile customer service, it is for customer service managers and sales reps. You can use Slack to send notifications to employees based on customer conversations or actions, alerting the right people to any issues so they can be resolved immediately.\u00a0\nConclusion\nDon\u2019t let a Google search on mobile customer service stop you from pursuing this path. It\u2019s not just for the carrier providers, and isn\u2019t a way to differentiate anymore \u2013 it\u2019s a table stake \u2013 and a good one at that.\u00a0\nConsumers engage more and better with services and tools made for them on the device they\u2019ve used to find your brand. Whether that be Facebook or Instagram, text messaging, or a chatbot, your brand needs to be ready to get customers and potential customers what they need, when they need it.\u00a0\n \nWhen service is at the heart of your business, everyone wins. Discover the winning formula HERE.","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/#Article_Person","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/#Article_Person_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/Tracey-Wallace-150x150.jpg"},"name":"Tracey Wallace","sameAs":"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TraceWall","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/tracey-wallace\/"},"dateModified":"2021-07-31T14:34:03+00:00","datePublished":"2019-11-25T09:00:00+00:00","description":"Mobile customer service is designed to help consumers browsing the web from mobile devices at any moment, and businesses must plan for it.","headline":"Mobile customer service: SMS tools, chatbots, and global social platforms","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/#Article_ImageObject","height":"630","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/thumbnail-c77c974431166c9f6bf7373c8d34756b-1200x630.jpeg","width":"1200"},"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/","name":"Mobile customer service: SMS tools, chatbots, and global social platforms","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/","additionalType":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q1193236","description":"Relevant, timely information & analysis on commerce trends, both consumer-facing and B2B.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","height":"96","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","width":"500"},"name":"The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/a-call-for-a-better-experience\/id1479742201","https:\/\/twitter.com\/FutureOfCEC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/4844282","https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/feed\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/"},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/#Article"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2019","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"11","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/\/11\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"25","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/\/11\/\/25\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Mobile customer service: SMS tools, chatbots, and global social platforms","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2019\/11\/25\/what-is-mobile-customer-service\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]