Will Facebook's Businesses on Messenger Be a Game-Changer for Retail?

Is Facebook on its way to reinventing the way retailers communicate with customers?

It sure looks like it. During its F8 conference yesterday, Facebook announced that it would be opening up its Messenger platform to developers and businesses, enabling them to create apps that can run on the service.

Facebook also revealed that it would soon give retailers the ability to chat with customers through the Messenger app, so they can send receipts, pictures, and shipping information (with maps) to shoppers. Merchants can have real-time conversations with customers, so they can assist them quickly with issues such as order errors or changes. They’ll also be able to know when their messages are sent, delivered, and seen.

How it works

AdAge explains the program quite well in its article on Businesses on Messenger. When shoppers place an order with an online store and are signed into Facebook on the same browser, they will receive a prompt asking if they’d like to receive their order details and shipping updates via Facebook Messenger.

Once they complete the order, a conversation thread with the retailer will appear on Messenger, containing the order details and shipping information. The thread will also display a map that customers can use to track their order.

In addition, shoppers can make changes to their order through the same thread. So if they’d like to add to or modify their purchase, the retailer on the other end can update their order through the Messenger app itself.

What’s more, merchants will be able to use Messenger to keep in touch with their customers even after the transaction. If they want to, say, notify a customer that their item is back in stock or that they’re having a sale, they can reach that person directly through Facebook’s Messenger app.

A welcome change?

While it’s too early to tell whether Businesses on Messenger will be a huge hit, chances are good that both retailers and consumers will embrace the service.

The struggle many retailers have communicating with shoppers across multiple devices or platforms could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to the fact that the Facebook Messenger app works great on desktop and mobile devices, and enables users to switch seamlessly across different channels.

Online shoppers are likely to appreciate the service as well, as many consumers are all too familiar with how unwieldy online ordering and tracking can be.

Typically, the current process goes like this: After placing an online order, you get an email confirming your purchase and then, sometime after that, you receive another message notifying you that your order has been shipped. If you’re lucky, the process stops there; however, in some cases, tracking information is provided in yet another email.

That’s a lot of emails for just one order, and it makes modifying orders or tracking packages cumbersome for users. At the moment, if you want to know where your order is and when it’s arriving, you have to go to your inbox and dig up the specific email that contains the tracking info you need.

Businesses on Messenger addresses this issue by placing all that order and tracking information in one thread. It also allows users to update their orders from the app, so they don’t have to hunt down the right email or person to fix the issue for them.

Coming soon

Everlane and zulily are the first two companies to try out Businesses on Messenger, and, reportedly, they will launch the service within the coming weeks.

In the meantime, retailers interested in the program can sign up for more details on the official Businesses on Messenger website here.

What do you think of Facebook's new Businesses on Messenger program? Tell us in the comments.

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