Product release notes March 2, 2022
Our latest product release expands the ability for businesses to enable automation communication with their customers across additional channels and a new ease-of-use tool for businesses when replying to customers manually.
Product updates include:
SMS conversation automation
Facebook Business (Messenger) automation
Google Local Profile (Messages) automation
Custom menus
Canned responses
As consumers increasingly prefer communicating with businesses using private messaging apps, Agentz has expanded its automated assistant capabilities to three new channels.
SMS Automation
Agentz has always included an SMS component in the form of auto-responses but now, full conversation automation has been enabled using SMS. Consumers can access SMS conversations in one of three ways:
1 – Missed calls continue to prompt an instant SMS reply to the caller letting them know that the business will get right back to them. Now, that missed call reply will include full conversational automation capabilities. Consumers can ask questions and receive responses, schedule appointments, view pictures and videos and send messages.
2 – Consumers can text a business to the number provided by Agentz either as a first-time message or when replying to a prior conversation thread.
3 – Businesses can leverage print media and QR codes to drive consumers to an automated SMS experience. Leveraging the power of a user already on a mobile device who has just scanned a QR code and then directing them to a conversation prompt facilitated by SMS automation, creates an easy way for businesses to drive more desired customer outcomes from print media and circular flyers.
Agentz users will now be able to communicate with their customers from additional channels using AI-driven experiences. “Seamless missed call to SMS automated conversation experiences has been a top request from our users and partners” said Kerry Baldwin, Head of Channel Partnerships. “In conjunction with SMS we have also launched our Facebook Messenger and Google Messages integrations giving businesses even more ways to leverage automation to capture customers. This is a real godsend for those understaffed SMBs who are having a difficult time responding to all of their customers live.”
Facebook Messenger Automation
Businesses can now enable the Agentz automated assistant through their Facebook business page’s Messenger feature. Without automation, businesses have to respond to each Messenger inquiry live. Automation improves response times and customer experience while alleviating the business of the need to monitor their messages 24/7.
Enabling the automated assistant through Facebook Messenger is as easy as submitting the Facebook page’s admin credentials within the Agentz dashboard, Facebook settings section. Upon connection, Messenger can immediately begin to communicate with customers.
Google Local Profile Automation
Businesses can now enable the Agentz automated assistant through their Google Local Profile page Messages app. As with the Facebook integration, integration is as easy as submitting the Google Local page login credentials through the Agentz dashboard, Google settings section. Google does have a review process that can take from 1 – 3 business days before the automated assistant is enabled through Messages.
Enabling the Agentz automated assistant through Google Messages solves two major business challenges:
1 – Google sends Messages inquiries to only one business phone number. By enabling Agentz, not only will the customer be instantly responded to, the alerts that Agentz sends to the business can be sent to multiple users, ensuring that if a customer needs live help, they have a greater chance of getting it quickly.
2 – Google Local Profile rankings are somewhat determined by consumer experience with the Messages app. Google favors businesses that reply quickly as well as the overall experience that consumers indicate when rating the conversation through Google’s ratings system. If a consumer rates the conversation well, the business listing ranking is preserved. Low ratings can result in lower rankings. Automated conversations provide instant response to all Messages inquiries. The ability for consumers to self-service, 24/7, ensures that they have a great experience.
Custom Menus
Chatbot and SMS bot menus can be customized, providing consumers with an experience that is most appropriate for that channel and enabling businesses to encourage specific actions.
Within the Agentz dashboard, settings section, the Menus by Channel section provides the ability to customize each menu including number of buttons, verbiage and outcome.
Canned Responses
This new feature enables businesses to set up commonly used responses, questions and phrases in their own response library so that they can reply more easily to customer messages within the Agentz app.
A number of common, canned responses are pre-loaded for immediate use and the business can edit or add additional responses at will.
Just another time saving enhancement for when conversations move from automation to live!
