What it means
SMS has a 98% open rate — far higher than email — making it the most reliable channel for time-sensitive messages like delivery exceptions or restock alerts.
SMS customer support works through an SMS gateway or CPaaS (communications platform as a service) provider — such as Twilio, Postscript, or Attentive — that gives a business a dedicated phone number capable of sending and receiving text messages programmatically. Inbound SMS support handles questions customers text in: order status requests, return initiations, product questions. An AI agent can parse these messages and respond automatically, pulling order data from the OMS. Outbound SMS handles proactive notifications: shipping confirmation, out-for-delivery alerts, delivery confirmation, and post-purchase follow-ups. For ecommerce, the highest-value SMS support use case is proactive shipping exception alerts — notifying a customer before they have to reach out about a delay dramatically reduces inbound ticket volume and improves CSAT. SMS support requires explicit opt-in consent from customers and compliance with TCPA regulations in the US, meaning customers must agree to receive texts before the business can contact them.
Why it matters
Customers often miss email notifications but almost always see a text. SMS-based order updates and exception alerts reduce the single largest category of ecommerce support tickets — 'where is my order' — by getting ahead of customer anxiety before it turns into a contact event.
How Bookbag helps
Inbound SMS AI agent
Bookbag receives inbound SMS messages from customers, routes them through the AI agent for automatic resolution, and escalates to the omnichannel inbox if a human is needed.
Proactive shipping SMS
Bookbag triggers SMS notifications at key Shopify order events — fulfillment, out for delivery, delivered, and exception — keeping customers informed without human effort.
Two-way SMS history in the inbox
All SMS exchanges appear in Bookbag's unified inbox alongside chat and email threads, so agents always have the full customer communication history in one place.
Frequently Asked Questions
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