{"id":3377,"date":"2019-03-13T09:24:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T16:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/?page_id=3377"},"modified":"2019-03-13T09:24:36","modified_gmt":"2019-03-13T16:24:36","slug":"texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/","title":{"rendered":"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sending Text Messages Enables Customers to Interact with Lighting and Home Furnishing Store Associates to Get Answers Fast<\/em><\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES \u2013 March 13, 2019<\/strong> \u2013 Lamps Plus is introducing an initiative to offer enhanced service and convenience, allowing customers to send texts with questions to their local store to receive immediate answers from store sales associates. Available today, customers can send texts to any Lamps Plus store to ask about product availability, product details and other lighting and home furnishing questions to receive quick answers from a store associate.<\/p>\n

Lamps Plus<\/a> is the first U.S. retailer to offer customers the ability to interact directly with any of the company\u2019s stores through texting without requiring an additional app. (Lamps Plus has a mobile website instead of an app.)<\/p>\n

Customers can send a question from their phone\u2019s SMS app to any of the 37 Lamps Plus stores<\/a>. (Message and data rates may apply.) In each store, the store manager or assistant store manager carries a dedicated company iPhone\u00ae during store hours to respond to customers\u2019 texts. Texting a Lamps Plus store for guidance, like calling, is a free service.<\/p>\n

The local store can be reached by customers in store areas once they tap the \u201cCheck Store Availability\u201d option from every mobile product website page, leading to a page where a \u201cText Store for Availability\u201d prompt initiates an initial SMS message about that product. Customers can also find stores\u2019 text numbers on store pages, in customer marketing emails and inside printed catalogs.<\/p>\n

The most frequently sent customer texts are about product availability, sizes, colors and other design features. Customers can also send photos to ask about adding products to their home\u2019s interior design or they can request product photos and videos from the store. Products can be reserved through text for pick-up in-store.<\/p>\n

Developed by Lamps Plus and tested since late December 2018, the innovative option has grown to thousands of customer texts to stores per week. While the frequency and volume of text message conversations has doubled from the number of store calls, the amount of calls has remained the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe consider customer-to-store texting to be important for the future of brick-and-mortar customer service. Customers have shown they want the convenience of reaching their local Lamps Plus store through texting. While we prioritize all in-bound store phone calls, texting adds another level of ease for customers to get answers and details through one-to-one interaction,\u201d said Dennis Swanson, founder and CEO of Lamps Plus. \u201cOur store employees receive hundreds of online training sessions per year and are knowledgeable about the products we carry and what other customers are asking so they are the perfect resource to answer customers\u2019 questions through texting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texting responses from store employees can include photos of products or parts of products, like switches or chandelier bulbs, depending on customer requests. A product\u2019s functionality or a three-dimensional view can be shared by the store associate through video. Unlike a call, customers can respond to the store\u2019s text at their convenience.<\/p>\n

Typically, text message conversations last for several exchanges before ending, often with a customer making a product reservation or a transition to a phone call for a purchase. Lamps Plus only accepts purchases by phone call \u2013 credit card information is not accepted over SMS because of security concerns with that platform.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome retailers offer the ability for customers to text customer service representatives in a call center and similarly, we offer online chat with our center. That\u2019s a good option to get information but doesn\u2019t offer the same experience as connecting with a sales associate in a nearby store to get insight about a product that is in front of the employee responding to the text,\u201d said Terre Wellington, Senior Vice President of Store Operations, Internet and Human Resources, Lamps Plus. \u201cWe also see customers not only getting product answers but developing an initial sales relationship with the store associate that can carry into a store visit.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lamps Plus uses customer mobile numbers only for text conversations with the store. Customers can opt out of text communications with a request.<\/p>\n

The innovative texting stores feature was recently recognized by the eTail Best-in-Class Awards 2019<\/a>, which named Lamps Plus the Best Omnichannel Retailer.<\/p>\n

Lamps Plus has already been at the forefront of store innovation. The company was among the first retailers to offer in-store online kiosks for customers, bringing the online catalog into store locations in 2003.<\/p>\n

Media Contact:\u00a0PR@LampsPlus.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sending Text Messages Enables Customers to Interact with Lighting and Home Furnishing Store Associates to Get Answers Fast LOS ANGELES \u2013 March 13, 2019 \u2013 Lamps Plus is introducing an initiative to offer enhanced service and convenience, allowing customers to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3377","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\nTexting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores - Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores - Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Sending Text Messages Enables Customers to Interact with Lighting and Home Furnishing Store Associates to Get Answers Fast LOS ANGELES \u2013 March 13, 2019 \u2013 Lamps Plus is introducing an initiative to offer enhanced service and convenience, allowing customers to...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\\\/\",\"name\":\"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores - Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-13T16:24:36+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/\",\"name\":\"Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus\",\"description\":\"Read our latest blog posts, explore helpful how-to articles, tips and more here at the LAMP PLUS Info Center.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.lampsplus.com\\\/ideas-and-advice\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores - Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores - Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus","og_description":"Sending Text Messages Enables Customers to Interact with Lighting and Home Furnishing Store Associates to Get Answers Fast LOS ANGELES \u2013 March 13, 2019 \u2013 Lamps Plus is introducing an initiative to offer enhanced service and convenience, allowing customers to...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/","og_site_name":"Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/","url":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/","name":"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores - Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-03-13T16:24:36+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/texting-as-the-future-of-retail-lamps-plus-offers-customers-the-ability-to-text-stores\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Texting as the Future of Retail \u2013 Lamps Plus Offers Customers the Ability to Text Stores"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/","name":"Ideas & Advice | Lamps Plus","description":"Read our latest blog posts, explore helpful how-to articles, tips and more here at the LAMP PLUS Info Center.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3377","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3377"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3377\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lampsplus.com\/ideas-and-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3377"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}