Apple Business Chat expands to Sprint customer service, now used by 44 companies

9to5 Staff | Jan 16 2019 - 11:33 am PT

Apple Business Chat was first introduced in 2018 and allows users to directly communicate with businesses via iMessage. The beta service has expanded with several new features and today, Sprint users can connect directly with an agent straight from their iOS device.

In March of last year, 9to5Mac went hands-on with Apple’s new Business Chat service and found it to be a good experience. Within minutes, our own Zac Hall was able to order flowers while speaking with an agent straight from iMessage — no phone calls or managing open Safari chat windows required.

Today’s press release outlines the streamlined experience:

Start a conversation in Apple Business Chat by visiting the ‘Contact Us’ page on Sprint.com, or search for a Sprint store using Siri, Safari or Apple Maps, then simply tap the Messages icon to send a message.

A conversation with Sprint agents will open instantly in the Messages app on iOS.

Apple Business Chat uses features from the My Sprint Mobile app for easy account authentication and access.

Users can take their time responding when it’s convenient.

Sprint chief digital officer, Rob Roy, described the move today.

More consumers are embracing quick and easy self-service and digital assistance versus calling customer service through an 800 line. Apple Business Chat is an amazing tool for our customers that makes communicating with Sprint fast, easy and stress-free

The service proves advantageous over standard business-customer chatrooms as Apple Pay and Calendar integration make planning and purchasing as simple as possible.

Sprint joins T-Mobile, DirectTV Now, dish and Vodafone as other network operators offering support for Apple Business Chat.

Full Press Release:

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Connecting with Sprint (NYSE: S) just got even easier with the availability of Apple Business Chat. More than 50 percent of customers engage with service providers through live chats or mobile apps,¹and now consumers can chat directly with Sprint 24/7 by sending a message through the Messages app on iPhone and iPad.²

“More consumers are embracing quick and easy self-service and digital assistance versus calling customer service through an 800 line,” said Rob Roy, Sprint chief digital officer. “Apple Business Chat is an amazing tool for our customers that makes communicating with Sprint fast, easy and stress-free.”

Sprint customers can use Apple Business Chat to message an agent, learn about Sprint plans and more, any time of the day. For added convenience they can chat with Sprint while looking up store information in Maps, Safari and with Siri. Customers can even start and stop a message any time and pick up right where they left off.

Here’s how it works:

Start a conversation in Apple Business Chat by visiting the ‘Contact Us’ page on Sprint.com, or search for a Sprint store using Siri, Safari or Apple Maps, then simply tap the Messages icon to send a message.
A conversation with Sprint agents will open instantly in the Messages app on iOS.
Apple Business Chat uses features from the My Sprint Mobile app for easy account authentication and access.
Users can take their time responding when it’s convenient.

Apple Business Chat is available in beta for consumers and businesses around the world and is built into iOS 11.3 and higher. For more information visit: apple.com/ios/business-chat.

Have you used Apple Business Chat yet with any businesses? If so, let us know your experience with it in the comments down below!