Get Started Using Apple Messages for Business and Boost Your Customer Service

Getting closer to your customers when they need you is now easier than ever with Apple Messages for Business.

You know that feeling when you have an urgent issue you want to resolve, and you’re endlessly waiting for an agent to answer your call? Or worse, you’re being transferred from one agent to another?

We’ve all been there, and therefore, it’s not surprising that only 8% of customers truly believe they are receiving the best customer experience. In fact, according to PWC, 86% of consumers would pay more for a better customer experience.

Here we highlight the benefits of Apple Messages for Business for boosting your customer service, and how to get started in five simple steps.

Having a strong online presence is crucial for brands if they want to survive in today’s competitive environment.

No matter where customers make their final purchase, 63% of shopping occasions begin online.

To respond to these shifts in consumer behavior, businesses have been transforming the way they interact with their customers by moving from traditional channels to digital ones.

A business’s online presence is no longer just its website and the keywords it uses to rank on search – it’s also how easy they make it for customers to contact them and complete their journey.

Apple recently rolled out its own form of business messaging called Apple Messages for Business (previously known as Apple Business Chat).

Now, not only can customers text your business, but they can also initiate a conversation through search and continue it on other Apple devices such as their iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac.

From search and support to payment and delivery – Apple Messages for Business enables you to provide customer service on a secure platform that’s familiar to all iOS users.

Now, you might be asking yourself – why should I cater to iOS users?

Well, Apple holds a 28.53% global market share of mobile devices – and in Q3-21, it led the US Smartphone market with a 58.45% market share.

And with 1.65 billion users, not having an Apple Messages for Business presence can lead to a lot of missed opportunities. Or worse, you could risk losing customers who prefer to shop exclusively from brands that offer their services on the channel.

All in all, communicating with customers through Apple Messages for Business helps you deliver a fully connected experience to a wider audience.

Assisting your customers can help them understand what they’re looking for and improve their overall digital experience with your brand. Here’s how communicating with customers through Apple Messages for Business can help:

First you need to consider the customer experience that you wish to provide, as this will guide the process you need to follow.

Once you have the answers, add them to a simple document that our team can share with you. If you are a little unsure, don’t worry – we can help you to map a customer journey that is just right for your business goals.

This document will serve as a guide for your implementation phase and will be sent to the Apple team so they can prepare to give you a unique user experience demo before you go live.

Log into the Apple Business Register with your Apple ID, preferably using your business email, by clicking on this link – Apple Business Register.

You then need to create a Messages for Business account for your business. After providing some basic info about your company, you will be asked to select a Messaging Platform to facilitate the Messages for Business channel. That’s when you need to select Infobip – we are an Apple authorized commercial messaging platform.

A few more clicks and your account will be submitted to Apple for review and approval. They will let you know when this is done.

The next step is to connect the Apple and Infobip platforms. All you need to do is click on the Test your Messaging Service Provider connection link and you will be directed to Infobip’s Portal where, once you log in, you will be able to add your Apple Messages for Business account as a regular communication resource (sender).

You are now connected! You can now explore all the opportunities to use Apple messaging through Infobip’s chatbot building and contact center solutions, and can send real messages to your test device.

To keep the focus on your business goals you can refer back to the user experience that you envisaged in your initial document. Maybe you could start with a chatbot to triage your customer queries – offering them a list of options, including transferring them to a live agent if the bot is unable to help.

Once everything is finalized, let our team know that you are ready. We will run through your customer flow with you to ensure it is optimum and will arrange a demo session with the Apple team.

Once Apple confirms that your experience is flawless, you will be ready to go live. Some final steps to ensure a successful launch:

You will now be live! But it’s not over – we will work with you to measure performance and constantly improve.

Thrive in today’s dynamic market by focusing on your customers and transforming your service with easy-to-start interactive conversations that make a real impact.