When it comes to customer service, speed and convenience are everything. It’s no surprise that many customers now prefer texting, with 71% saying they want the ability to text a business back. SYNQ’s Text for help solution makes that possible. Shoppers can request help with a quick text, and associates can manage conversations in real time through a unified platform.

What is Text for help?

Text for help connects customers directly to the associate who can help. Whether it's finding a product, checking store hours, or requesting assistance, customers can text a keyword that is then routed intelligently for help. Associates can see and respond in real time through the same systems they already use. This eliminates the need for lineups, phone calls, or tracking down help, creating a smoother process for everyone. Plus, associates can manage several conversations at once, freeing up labor.

How Text for help enhances the in-store experience

Text for help makes getting in-store assistance quick and easy. Here’s how it improves the shopping experience:

• Reduced friction: Customers can text for help without waiting in line or tracking down help.

• Uninterrupted shopping: Shoppers can keep browsing while waiting for a response.

• Increased efficiency: Associates can manage multiple requests simultaneously.

• Remote support: Ideal for customers who prefer not to engage in face-to-face interactions.

• Personalized assistance: Associates can provide relevant support by tailoring responses.

By streamlining communication, Text for help ensures customers get the help they need with minimal disruption.

Understanding shopper trends

Every Text for help interaction offers insight into shopping behaviour, service patterns, bottlenecks, and more. With text message open rates at 98%, retailers can trust the data reflects real engagement. This information allows retailers to:

• Track common requests and adjust inventory, layout, or promotions accordingly.

• Identify recurring service issues and address them proactively.

• Evaluate service performance through response times, satisfaction, and engagement.

These insights help retailers fine-tune operations and improve the in-store experience.

Take advantage of advancing AI capabilities

AI presents an exciting opportunity to further advance customer assistance through Text for help. More and more people are interacting with AI chat bots every day. Whether it’s Microsoft’s Copilot, Open AI’s ChatGPT, Google’s Gemini, or Anthropic’s Claude, this modality for interacting with technology is becoming more familiar.  

As these tools continue to improve, they will be able to offer more customers assistance autonomously. With the rich data being generated from Text for help queries, retailers can gain an understanding of where to invest in AI tools that can manage many of the most common requests. This allows associates to focus on the highest value tasks while AI can become another team member helping customers around the clock.

Adapting to changing consumer expectations

Shoppers want quick, easy ways to get help, and texting is becoming the way to deliver that. With Text for help, retailers can provide real-time, personalized support while streamlining operations and gaining actionable insights. It’s a simple way to stay responsive and keep up with what today’s shoppers expect.