SMS Messages / SMS Channel
What are SMS Messages / SMS Channel?
SMS or Short Message Service in the contact center refers to real-time, text-based conversations between a customer and agent using a mobile telephone, fax machine, and/or IP address. In Upstream Works solutions, SMS messages are handled along with chats in the chat gadget for easy multi-contact handling.
SMS lets customers reach an organization from almost any mobile phone, using a channel they already know. Conversations are asynchronous: a customer can send a message, put the phone away and reply later. That makes SMS well suited to appointment reminders, delivery updates, quick questions and follow-ups, and it gives customers an alternative to waiting on hold.
In the contact center, SMS is often handled in the same workspace as web chat, because the skills and workflow are similar. Agents can manage several text conversations at once, which affects how staffing and concurrency are planned. Organizations typically measure SMS by response time, resolution, customer satisfaction and how many conversations it diverts from voice. Rules on consent and opt-out generally apply to outbound texting, so those requirements need to be managed carefully.
Related: Chat messages / Chat channel, Unified Digital Messaging, Channel, Totalix.