When a contact has been waiting for a response from your agents for a certain amount of time, Textline will send an automated message to the customer to reiterate that their message is still in the queue and will be answered shortly. Still in the Queue messages are important because they keep customers engaged and prevent them from abandoning the message thread or getting frustrated by a delayed response.
This automation type comes in handy when customer service agents are particularly busy. For example, say your agent replied to an inbound message saying, “I’ll be with you shortly,” but they still haven’t had a chance to reply. This automation provides another touch point with customers.
Let’s dive into setting up this useful Automation in Textline’s platform.
In the Automations window, click New Automation.
Select Build From Scratch.
Name your Automation and choose your Department.
Select the Message Sent by Agent Automation type and confirm the Automation is set to the correct Department.
This signals to Textline that you want the action to be initiated after an agent’s initial message and specifies the Department.
Next, select Add Condition and choose Last outbound message sent from the drop down menu.
Conditions are rules that the Automation must follow. The amount of time you chose will indicate to Textline how long to wait to send the Still in the Queue message after the initial greeting from the agent.
It’s most beneficial to send messages at short intervals to ensure the customer stays updated and engaged while waiting.
Select Add Condition again to specify which hours of the day you’d like Still in the Queue messages to be sent.
For example, if you only want Still in the Queue messages to be sent during business hours, choose Current time is from the dropdown menu. Then, select your business’ operating hours.
From the Action section, choose Send a message and type your message.
You can personalize the message with variables. Learn more about those here.
Preview your Automation.
Double-check your Automation by reviewing conditions and proofreading your message.
Press Create Automation and keep your contacts engaged!
Need ideas to build your own Still in the Queue messages? Check out these five examples to get started!
<div class="automation-step-wrapper"><span class="recipe-content-step-wrapper-2">1</span><div class="automation-step-bubble">Hi [Name], thanks for your patience. Our agents are working with other customers and will be with you as soon as possible.</div></div>
<div class="automation-step-wrapper"><span class="recipe-content-step-wrapper-2">2</span><div class="automation-step-bubble">Your message is still in the queue. A representative will be with you shortly.</div></div>
<div class="automation-step-wrapper"><span class="recipe-content-step-wrapper-2">3</span><div class="automation-step-bubble">[Name], we’re working to get to your message as quickly as possible. Please stay tuned and an agent will be with you soon. </div></div>
<div class="automation-step-wrapper"><span class="recipe-content-step-wrapper-2">4</span><div class="automation-step-bubble">Hi [Name]! Thanks for being patient and sticking with us. We’ll be with you very soon! </div></div>
<div class="automation-step-wrapper"><span class="recipe-content-step-wrapper-2">5</span><div class="automation-step-bubble">Thanks for your patience. [Company] values your time and appreciates your message. A representative will get back to you momentarily.</div></div>
Keep your contacts up to date and engaged with Still in the Queue messages. You can set them up on Textline today. Request a demo to see the Textline platform and more Automations in action.
