If thou desire to ameliorate response time, customer service, and brand reputation, thou must acquaint thyself with the art of Facebook auto reply.
Verily, Facebook auto reply is the panacea sought by every harried social media marketer or overwhelmed customer service agent. These automated responses not only keep thy customers well-informed and content but also ensure naught escapes thy notice, keeping thy team abreast of every social exchange.
Let us now delve into the realm of Facebook auto reply, discovering what it truly is, how and when to automate thy Facebook messages, and how to establish instant replies directly on Messenger or through a unified social media implement.
What is Facebook auto reply?
Facebook auto reply doth manifest as an automated missive thou canst establish on thy brand’s business Facebook page for those who message thee. ‘Tis a wondrous thing, triggered to send after certain actions be taken. For instance, if one doth inquire about thy store hours, thou canst have an auto reply fashioned with the answer ready to go.
The implementation of instant replies doth save thy team the time-consuming task of manually answering each inquiry. ‘Tis a marvel that ensures thou ne’er miss a missive and thereby can uplift response time, customer service, and brand reputation.
What canst thou use Facebook auto reply for?
There doth exist myriad scenarios where it doth make sense to have instant replies prepared on Facebook. Let us regale thee with the various ways to employ Facebook auto reply and how it canst benefit thy brand’s social presence and customer service.
Faster response times
Fair Facebook Messenger hath become a favored channel for customers seeking to communicate with brands. Followers do expect swift responses due to the instant nature of social media DMs. Although as a busy marketer or business owner, thou may wish to answer each message upon sight, time may sometimes elude thee.
This is where automated messages do serve a boon. For lo, auto replies ensure that thy followers and customers receive an immediate response to their queries or feedback. Being responsive doth help to raise thy average Facebook response time, visible to all who doth visit thy page.
Customer service inquiries
Social media hath established customer service as a fixture of our time. As such, sharpening thy responses and enhancing customer interactions over Facebook Messenger doth become a necessity.
One fine way to utilize Facebook auto replies is to aid customers in navigating common issues or frequently asked questions. Auto replies can prove invaluable when addressing customer service matters. ‘Tis paramount that thy team doth diligently manage each conversation and ensure the appropriate individuals doth receive the missives.
Building brand trust
In a survey conducted by Facebook, ’twas found that 74% of people do feel a stronger connection to a business when they can message them directly. Moreover, 66% do express a greater inclination to patronize a company they can contact via messaging.
Auto replies doth ensure that thy customers are acknowledged even in thine absence from the digital realm. Quick, reliable responses can aid in fostering trust amongst thy audience. However, care must be exercised when automating. Should thy auto-reply lack thought, it may come across as impersonal. There may even be moments when a customer doth require human interaction promptly, based on their circumstances. In such instances, a member of thy team must be readily available to avert any escalation.
Thus, ’tis beneficial to employ a social media inbox implement that doth facilitate effortless collaboration and message assignment within thy organization. This way, a member of thy team is ever aware and prepared to handle any manner of customer inquiry that doth alight in thy inbox.
5 sample automated responses for Facebook Messenger
Sufficient with the theoreticals! Should thou seek veritable examples of how and when to use auto replies, hark! Herein lie the various types of responses thou canst establish in Messenger. We shall also share instances of instant replies in action from businesses that have integrated them into their Facebook Messenger strategy.
1. Greetings
Should one be uninitiated in the automation of DMs, a prime instant message to commence with is a mere salutation. This form of automated message is triggered when a user doth commence a conversation with thee on Messenger. By acknowledging the receipt of their missive, thy customer shall not feel neglected.
Levi’s doth present a splendid example of this type of reply on its Facebook page. Atop the brand’s page, one finds a CTA button urging users to send them a message and impart how they can assist.
Tapping this button doth open a chat window, directing one to tap "Get started" to commence the conversation. Such a simple yet professional reply ensures customers feel acknowledged, even if thy team doth lack the time or bandwidth to reply forthwith. Should thou have no other automated messages prepared, a salutatory missive is an excellent point of embarkation.
2. Customer service
‘Tis no secret that Facebook hath ascended as a premier channel for customer service. Brands do possess diverse means to employ automated messages as a customer service tool.
Initially, thou canst set up a compendium of frequently asked questions for users to peruse ere engaging with a real person. An auto reply may also be utilized to guide individuals toward a more beneficial course shouldst thou wish to conduct customer service inquiries off the bounds of social media.
To imbue a modicum of personalization, thou canst craft common replies. Thus, though thy message be not wholly automated, it doth tread a script preserving consistency throughout thy organization.
Let us consider an example. Upon Sephora’s Facebook page, the brand doth promptly inform page visitors that they employ a virtual assistant.
Lest one initiateth a conversation, the brand doth swiftly respond with an automated message. Should the brand utilize a third-party platform, these messages may also be saved replies slightly tailored to address the particular person and circumstances.
This sample message doth excel in its personability and helpfulness. It doth not stray too far from script yet exudes a touch of humanity absent in a standard chatbot.
3. Frequently asked questions
Facebook auto replies do present a splendid opportunity to address thy customers’ commonly posed questions. The establishment of automated messages housing answers to these prevalent queries ensures customers receive the requisite information expeditiously. Moreover, it doth alleviate the tedium that accompanies the repetition of answering the same queries incessantly.
KLM’s Facebook page doth offer a stellar instance of this practice. The airline hath devised a virtual chat to answer common customer service inquiries and comments. KLM’s auto-reply format is a shining example of utilizing a Facebook chatbot to promptly respond to inquiries and sustain an engaging conversation.
Post tapping "Get started," the airline doth furnish an auto-reply, signaling that one is conversing with a virtual assistant and offering a selection of common queries.
Upon selecting a topic pertinent to one’s question or comment, further common queries shall be proffered.
Alternatively, one may input their question directly to receive the sought-after answer.
The utilization of a chatbot to address customers’ frequently asked questions doth save thy team the time otherwise spent reproducing responses. The chatbot doth serve as a filter by extending support ere the customer reaches someone within thy team.
4. Share information
The grocery emporium chain Aldi doth supply another exemplary instance of establishing a Facebook auto-reply that serves manifold purposes, from customer service to brand marketing.
Post clicking on the Message button on Aldi’s page, the chat window doth open, assisting one in commencing a conversation with several prompts available from which to choose.
Whilst these prompts do aid in answering frequently asked questions, they also do promote the brand. For instance, selecting "New Stores & Grand Openings" prompts an auto reply directing one to the brand’s Grand Openings page on its website. Such provision not only imparts useful information sought by the user but also engenders buzz surrounding fresh store inaugurations.
Most of Aldi’s auto replies do incorporate a link to its website, serving as a commendable means to drive traffic to the site and engage in commerce beyond the confines of social media.
Should thy team possess a specific customer service procedure or contact method that customers ought to follow—such as completing a form or emailing the company—then Facebook Messenger doth furnish a fine channel for communicating such instructions.
5. Away message
An away message may also be established to notify individuals of thy unavailability. Should one possess a modest business or lack a dedicated social team (solopreneurs, we acknowledge thee!), thine establishment may operate within specific hours, say 9 am to 5 pm.
In such a circumstance, thou shalt likely wish to establish an away message. A presence of an away message upon Facebook doth not merely set expectations with customers but also doth afford thee a reasonable time frame to respond.
Behold an exemplar of an away message from a fictitious real estate Facebook page created in times past.
Such a custom away message may be set up in thine automations upon Facebook. Let us elaborate upon how to achieve this, forthwith.
