Open Commerce ROADS vs. Twilio Zipwhip (discontinued)

Zipwhip is well suited for many scenarios. Not only do we save money and time with integrations with other programs we have, but we can follow up with a client regarding a trip, should we need further information. A client makes an online reservation and we receive a notification. While we have most of the trip details, the number portion for the drop-off location is missing, so we can reach out directly to the client via Zipwhip and request this information. All aspects of the booking can be done online and with texting and without emails or calls, which is often what many clients who book online prefer. Zipwhip has improved its images/ photos which is fantastic as we use this to send vehicle images to clients, which helps secure bookings. Our employees also use it to send us images of receipts, vehicle engine warning lights that may come on, and other issues (such as a client who may have left a mess in a vehicle). We're also able to send clients documents too, which is great. Obviously, if we have a client with an issue or who is upset, texting is not the best platform on which to address their issues, but it helps us to assess the situation/ issue and gather information before we call the client in person.

Incentivized

• API to allow triggered text messaging.
• Tied to a direct phone number that people can also call.
• Easy to track a conversation in a thread.

Incentivized

• I would like the quick-use app that pulls from the taskbar to be able to hold more characters- It can only do 250 while the main screen can do 600.
• The ability to send video through this program would significantly enhance its functionality for us.

Incentivized

It was very easy for users to use, straight forward, and user friendly. The desktop app is very basic but easy to reply to an incoming text, but the user had to know to allow Chrome notifications to see new incoming text via the web browser, which is how they mainly used it.

Incentivized

Swift response time, multiple people have been willing to help with any issue, really anything you could be looking for from a service standpoint, they offer.

Incentivized

Zipwhip is just a little bit more user-friendly than AliveChat because it allows you to text people on more scale. AliveChat has a great website chat function, but its texting platform is a little more clunky than Zipwhip. Zipwhip is a little more expensive but definitely the better product.

Incentivized

• Less confusing worker experience for our customers
• Less back and forth communication
• Less need for documentation about things communicated over text

Incentivized