Few technologies have the potential to transform the way humans work, shop, and interact with each other and our environment the way artificial intelligence (AI) does. While the long-term implications and uses of AI are still up in the air, savvy customer engagement platforms are applying it right now to transform digital customer engagement.
Here’s how four platforms are transforming customer engagement by integrating AI into messaging.
Improving efficiency
The platform Nimblr allows medical offices to integrate scheduling, billing, insurance questions, and other patient inquiries with patient records while maintaining HIPAA compliance. The platform’s AI agent, Holly, automates the most common workflows of medical office staff, freeing those staff members to interact in-person.
But Holly is more than just a simple scheduling app. The agent can take patients through an entire patient journey—from scheduling to follow-up instructions to billing and payments. And since the platform is available 24/7/365, patients can interact when it works best for them.
Finally, Holly’s personality means that patients still get a human-like interaction at the times they need it most. The patient journey shouldn’t suffer because of greater efficiency, and Holly’s Generative AI understands patient intentions and needs and responds in a way patients expect, even as it drives improved efficiency for the office.
Powering a contact center
Clerk Chat gives small businesses the ability to provide the same level of customer support that a much larger organization provides with a full contact center—all powered by AI behind the scenes.
With Clerk Chat’s AI, businesses of all sizes can give customers concierge-level service for any inquiry, in multiple languages, on their preferred channels. And because Clerk Chat integrates with popular existing apps such as Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, HubSpot, and Shopify, businesses enjoy a seamless way to track customer interactions.
Leveling up the messaging content and personalization
Attentive’s AI solution is one of the most robust in the customer engagement solution space. Trained on over 3,000 trillion datapoints and 110+ billion messages, the solution is one of the best at customizing and personalizing message content to improve follow-through and retention.
But Attentive AI doesn’t stop with generating customized images and message content. It can also customize message timing according to a customer’s most likely optimal send time. The system will help predict what deals are most appealing to which customers, generate subject lines most likely to get responses, and use the channels preferred by each customer.
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Simplifying marketing planning
One of the most time-consuming parts of a successful marketing campaign is the planning. Yotpo’s personal SMS AI assistant, Tailor, takes the guesswork and tedium out of the process by automating almost every part of planning a successful SMS campaign.
Tailor uses advanced insights from performance and customer data to generate optimal targeting, flow, and copy for maximum effectiveness. In addition, the system allows multi-channel campaign planning—which means no more tedious duplication across segments and channels! Yotpo SMS lets customers build campaigns and flows in a single setup.
Messaging channel optimization
One key to the success of these messaging platforms is the ability to meet the end user audience on the channel they prefer. While SMS and email remain popular, other channels such as MMS, RCS, and over-the-top messaging apps such as WhatsApp are making inroads in the messaging space.
SMS remains the most widely accessible channel for end users, which makes it the ideal avenue for AI-enabled messaging. According to Pew Research, 91% of adults in the US have smartphones, and all smartphones have SMS capabilities. Open rates for SMS remain high—still hovering around 98%–and because recipients have already opted in for messages, they tend to be highly engaged.
Of course, with Apple’s support of RCS messaging and the increasing use of apps such as WhatsApp, retailers and other organizations have new options for messaging. RCS offers significant advantages over traditional SMS, such as verified branding and multimedia messaging.
And let’s not forget classic voice, which is now being optimized with tools like smarter IVR systems and two-way media streaming, allows for the ultimate in direct communication, providing a great complement to asynchronous messaging.
Whatever channels gain the edge in the coming years, there’s no question that end users are interested in more “conversational” messaging. As more messaging platforms take advantage of all AI has to offer, conversations become more “human” and engaging, which can drive long-term retention, better customer satisfaction, and an improved bottom line.
Platforms can help their customers meet end users on the channels they prefer by building the analytical and data tools that give customers insights into their audiences’ preferences. Messaging is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, and what works for a small boutique retailer may not work for a local chain restaurant or a retailer with an online and brick-and-mortar presence. With AI tools and automations, platforms can make it easier for their customers to maximize efficiency and customer engagement.
At the foundation of every successful messaging platform is a messaging provider that offers the tools to ensure that messages get through to the end users reliably and efficiently. Bandwidth partners with companies such as Attentive, Yotpo, Nimblr, and Clerk Chat to ensure that their customers meet their goals and drive long-term success. With its extensive expertise and award-winning support, Bandwidth brings enterprise-level messaging service to platforms across all industries.
To learn more about Bandwidth’s messaging solutions, download our 2025 State of Messaging report, or contact our experts.
