Every lasting customer relationship begins with meaningful communication. Yet customers no longer settle for delayed responses or generic messages. They want authentic and immediate conversations.

Without the right systems to support that level of engagement, even the most dedicated business leaders risk falling behind.

The best communication tool doesn’t just help you reach customers faster but also communicate with purpose.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the best customer communication tools and how they help you connect better. You'll also find why an SMS marketing platform is becoming the go-to choice for engaging customers in real time.

How Do You Keep Up With Customer Expectations?

According to PwC, even when consumers love a product or brand, 17% will walk away after just one bad experience, and 59% will leave after several poor ones.

This means your brand should consistently meet or exceed expectations for each touchpoint, whether it’s a chat conversation, a support call, or a text message.

The key to keeping up with rising expectations lies in understanding your customers and making communication effortless for them.

Customers expect convenience, immediate responses, and seamless hand-offs between communication channels. Building that consistency calls for the right balance of technology and human touch.

Consistency across platforms is equally important. When customers reach out through social media, live chat, or SMS, they expect the same tone, responsiveness, and attention to detail.

You need customer communication tools that unify multiple channels, while still maintaining authentic and empathetic responses from your customer service team. It helps unify those interactions so that no information is lost between departments.

Your team can also gather and interpret actionable insights from every exchange, which creates a smoother, more predictable experience for your customers.

Types of Customer Communication Tools (+ 20 Platforms to Try)

Businesses are no longer limited to phone calls or emails. A modern customer communication strategy spans multiple communication channels.

Here are common types of customer communication platforms, and which platforms are best for each category:

SMS and Text-Based Communication Tools

SMS tools focus on fast, direct communication with customers through personalized, two-way texting. They’re used for marketing, service updates, and feedback collection.

1. TextUs

TextUs is an SMS marketing platform that stands out because it turns texting into a true customer communication channel rather than a one-way marketing tool. 

Every feature is designed to help teams connect faster, personalize interactions, and manage customer communication.

TextUs Key Features

• Real-time two-way texting through shared inboxes, mobile app, and Chrome extension
• Automated SMS drip campaigns that schedule personalized follow-ups and keep leads engaged
• Custom SMS keyword triggers to capture intent and launch workflows automatically
• Unlimited campaign capacity for sending personalized bulk text messages with high throughput and reliability
• Rich media and branded links to share visuals, PDFs, or shortened URLs
• Built-in SMS templates and quick-reply suggestions
• Advanced analytics dashboards that track delivery rates, engagement levels, and response performance in real time
• Flexible customer relationship management (CRM) integrations that sync contacts, log messages, and centralize customer interactions
• Automated opt-in/opt-out controls with text messaging compliance management
• Role-based permissions, message audit trails, and encryption features

TextUs is purpose-built to make business text messaging a high-performing channel. Book a demo today and see how it can boost your communication strategy from ordinary to exceptional!

2. MessageMedia

MessageMedia is a business SMS and messaging service by Sinch that allows you to send and receive bulk text messages. Its platform provides you with a dedicated virtual mobile number for your business to build a consistent sender identity.

MessageMedia also offers a single shared inbox so your team can manage inbound replies. Its multi-channel approach lets you integrate messaging from channels like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

It also has features to boost engagement, such as personalized merge fields for tailoring messages, and mobile landing web pages where you can include a link to give SMS campaigns more depth.

3. SlickText

SlickText is an SMS marketing and communication platform designed for marketing outreach and one-on-one support. Core features include mass texting, where you can send personalized messages to thousands of contacts at once.

It supports two-way text messaging and provides automated workflows. Its segmentation tools can target audiences based on behavior or profile data, and rich media support.

SlickText also provides you with a shared inbox for private customer conversations, tagging and status features, and integration with CRMs and other systems via API and webhooks.

Video Communication Tools

Video tools make customer interactions more personal and are often used for consultations, demos, and virtual meetings.

4. Zoom

Zoom is a cloud-based video communication platform that offers high-quality video and audio conferencing for individuals and teams.

Its main features include HD video meetings, screen sharing, and meeting recording for future playback. You can collaborate in real time through interactive whiteboards, annotation tools, and polling features to improve customer engagement during sessions.

The platform also supports breakout rooms, which allow hosts to divide participants into smaller discussion groups. This is a feature widely used in training, education, and workshops.

Zoom integrates with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, and productivity tools like Slack for scheduling and notifications. It also includes virtual backgrounds, noise suppression, and real-time transcription for accessibility.

5. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform within Microsoft 365 that provides video conferencing, group meetings, and live events. It supports screen sharing, file sharing, meeting recordings, and live captions powered by Microsoft’s AI.

Teams integrates with Microsoft’s ecosystem, including Outlook, Word, and SharePoint, to make sure participants can access and collaborate on shared documents during meetings.

Other features include Together Mode, which places participants in a shared virtual environment, breakout rooms, and custom meeting layouts.

6. Google Meet

Google Meet is Google’s secure, browser-based video conferencing platform built into the Google Workspace suite. It supports HD video calls, screen sharing, and live captioning powered by Google AI.

Participants can join meetings from their browsers without installing additional software, which makes setup quick and accessible.

The platform integrates with Google Calendar for scheduling, Docs, Slides, and Gmail for in-meeting collaboration. It includes features like noise cancellation, adaptive layouts, and real-time video adjustments for low-light conditions.

AI-Powered Chatbot Platforms

Chatbots powered with artificial intelligence can handle repetitive questions, automate follow-ups, and provide 24/7 availability. This reduces workload and improves response time.

7. Intercom

Intercom is an AI-powered customer communication platform that combines live chat, automation, and intelligent routing to simplify customer interactions across various channels.

Its Fin AI Agent is designed to handle complex queries 24/7 by training on your knowledge base, FAQs, and internal documents, and then deploying across channels.

Intercom also offers a visual workflow builder that lets teams design conversation paths, automate follow-ups, and route complex questions to human agents.

Other features include AI-suggested replies, real-time analytics, and multi-channel messaging across websites, in-app chat, email, and social platforms.

8. Chatbase

Chatbase is a no-code platform built to enable organizations to create custom AI chatbots trained on data, such as documents, web pages, PDFs, and knowledge bases.

The platform emphasizes ease of use, as you don’t need programming skills to get started. You can embed chatbots on your site in minutes to manage and automate parts of your client communications and support flows.

The platform supports multiple channels (web widget, Slack, WhatsApp, Instagram) and offers analytics that track usage, message volume, and performance of the chatbot.

9. Drift

Drift is an AI-powered chatbot platform by Salesloft designed to help you engage website visitors in real time, qualify leads automatically, and accelerate the sales process through conversational AI.

The platform's chatbots use natural language processing (NLP) to understand intent, personalize responses, and adapt conversations based on user behavior.

This makes it a valuable tool for marketing, sales, and customer support teams aiming to improve engagement and reduce response times.

Drift focuses on revenue generation through chat automation. The AI can identify high-value prospects, qualify them using predefined criteria, and instantly route them to the right sales representative.

Live Chat Software

Live chat tools are designed for real-time communication between businesses and customers. They’re great for providing instant support, answering pre-sale questions, and resolving quick website inquiries.

10. Zendesk

Zendesk is a customer service platform with a ticketing system and multi-channel support. The Zendesk Chat feature allows you to engage website visitors in real time and convert conversations into support tickets when necessary.

This help desk software provides pre-built dashboards and reporting tools to monitor service metrics and team performance for better visibility into customer interactions.

11. Tidio

Tidio is a live chat and customer engagement platform that combines live chat, chatbots, and a shared inbox for multichannel messaging. It’s commonly used among ecommerce and small businesses to convert website visitors and handle support chats in real time.

You can respond to chats via Tidio’s web app or mobile app. Beyond that, it includes an AI chatbot called Lyro and a visual chatbot workflow builder to automate FAQs, qualify leads, or collect contact info.

Tidio also supports integrations with email and Facebook Messenger, so all customer messages funnel into one place. Its unified inbox can aggregate website chat, Messenger, Instagram, and email inquiries, which is handy for small support teams.

12. Freshdesk

Freshdesk offers an integrated live chat experience as part of its broader help desk ecosystem. 

Powered by Freddy AI, the platform’s built-in Freshchat module enables real-time conversations, proactive engagement through chat widgets, and automated responses for common queries.

This customer service software has an interface centered around a ticket inbox that can be filtered and automated. You can collaborate through private notes, and “split” or “link” tickets if multiple issues are involved.

Email Communication Platforms

Email communication tools simplify how you send, manage, and track email correspondence, from customer support and newsletters to automated workflows.

13. Help Scout

Help Scout is a customer communication platform that provides a unified shared inbox where your team can manage support emails, and you can assign conversations.

It has a knowledge base for self-service articles and a live chat widget (Beacon) that can deliver instant answers from your knowledge base.

The platform offers tagging, workflow automation, and collision detection to prevent duplicate replies. It integrates with CRMs and content management systems (CMS), which allows teams to display customer information and history alongside messages for better context.

14. Twilio

Twilio is a developer-focused communication platform that offers APIs for SMS, voice, WhatsApp, video, and email. Among its products, SendGrid serves as Twilio’s dedicated email delivery service, providing you with tools to send transactional and marketing emails.

SendGrid allows you to manage email templates, track delivery performance, and automate communication through an API or web interface.

Features include list management, basic analytics, and deliverability monitoring to help make sure messages reach recipients as intended.

However, some users have mentioned that initial setup and advanced configurations can present a steep learning curve, particularly for those unfamiliar with Twilio’s broader API environment.

If you’re comparing Twilio to other SMS platforms and want to see how it stacks up in terms of usability and marketing performance, check out our full breakdown here:

Recommending reading

SimpleTexting vs Twilio: Which Platform Makes Texting Easier?

Twilio vs ClickSend: Which Is the Best SMS Gateway Provider?

TextMagic vs Twilio: Which Offers More Reliable Messaging?

15. Mailchimp

Mailchimp is an email marketing and automation platform designed to help teams create, send, and analyze bulk email campaigns. 

Its key email-related features include a library of email templates, a drag-and-drop campaign builder, and automations that trigger messages based on user behavior.

Beyond basic email, Mailchimp supports audience segmentation and personalization. You can build targeted segments based on subscriber behavior or tags, and send tailored messages accordingly.

While Mailchimp focuses on email, it has expanded into multi-channel capabilities. These include SMS and social posts, though its main strength remains email communication. Some users note limits on monthly sends and fewer advanced features available on lower-tier plans.

Social Media Communication Tools

Social media communication tools help you connect, engage, and build relationships with your audience across multiple platforms.

16. Hootsuite

Hootsuite is a social-media management platform that allows you to schedule, publish, monitor, and analyze posts across more than 20 networks from one dashboard.

Key features include content scheduling, brand-mention monitoring, multi-network publishing, and analytics that help track campaign performance and audience engagement.

The platform offers a centralized view so marketers don’t have to switch between networks. It includes tools for employee advocacy, influencer management, and post-optimization with built-in AI for caption suggestions and trend-based content.

17. Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a full-featured social-media management and communication tool used by brands to engage with customers, publish content, and draw insights from social behaviour.

Its features include a unified social inbox that aggregates messages and mentions, publishing workflows with scheduling and approvals, and social listening tools that track sentiment and topics across platforms.

For reporting and analytics, Sprout provides dashboards and exportable metrics to help marketing teams understand engagement trends and ROI. It integrates with CRM and business-intelligence tools to link social interactions with broader business data.

18. Buffer

Buffer is a social media management tool focused on content scheduling, team collaboration, and post analytics, especially useful for small- to mid-sized teams.

Its main features include a content calendar, queue scheduling for multiple channels, and analytics to review post-performance. It also offers collaboration tools such as draft approvals and team-member permissions.

Buffer includes a free plan that allows scheduling across up to three social channels, which makes it accessible if you're getting started with social media management.

Phone and Call Center Software

Many businesses still rely on voice and phone support to resolve complex issues, guide sensitive conversations, or provide high-touch service. Modern phone and call center software combine traditional telephony with digital features.

19. Aircall

Aircall is a cloud-based phone and call center platform tailored for modern support and sales teams. It offers features such as interactive voice response (IVR), smart call routing, and integration with over 100 business tools.

The platform also includes real-time analytics dashboards and AI-driven insights such as call summaries and topic recognition. Managers can monitor team performance and trends in customer conversations.

20. RingCentral

RingCentral Contact Center (part of RingCentral’s broader cloud communications suite) provides an omnichannel contact centre platform that supports voice, SMS, chat, email, and social channels.

It features intelligent routing, proactive outreach, and workforce-management tools designed for high-volume customer interactions.

RingCentral supports AI-powered features like sentiment analysis, real-time coaching, and dashboards that pull data across channels, which makes it a fit for enterprises managing large, distributed teams. 

Is Texting Efficient for Customer Communication?

When it comes to building lasting relationships and trust, speed and accessibility matter. 

Texting is more effective in managing customer interactions in real time.

Studies consistently show that text messages have open rates above 98% and are read within minutes. This gives you an unmatched channel for delivering updates, support, and marketing messages.

SMS marketing also fits naturally into your customer communication strategy, serving as the perfect bridge between multiple communication channels such as live chat, social, and email.

When integrated with customer relationship management software, SMS conversations can be logged, tracked, and analyzed just like emails or tickets. This allows your customer service team to gain full context for every interaction.

Whether used for sending reminders, confirming appointments, or resolving customer requests, texting offers convenience for customers and efficiency for teams.

Discover how TextUs can transform your outreach through smarter texting. Book a demo today!

What Makes TextUs the Best Customer Communication Platform

How you talk to your customers can make or break their trust in your brand. Customer expectations are climbing higher every year. 

That's why choosing the right tool for fast and personalized communication is essential for every successful business.

The best customer communication tool helps your service team respond instantly, manage customer inquiries, and maintain consistent engagement across various touchpoints. One solution stands out for transforming how you connect.

TextUs is SMS marketing software designed for real-time engagement. Here's why it stands out among other communication platforms:

Simplicity Meets Messaging Power

Where many customer communication software require heavy coding or IT setup, TextUs focuses on accessibility. It’s built for instant communication that allows your customer service team to connect with prospects or clients.

Through its shared inbox, support agents can view, assign, and respond to customer inquiries collaboratively. Messages sync across all devices through TextUs’s web, mobile, and Chrome apps for full mobility.

The platform’s campaign module also brings a marketing edge to everyday communication. You can broadcast SMS marketing campaigns, include short, trackable links, and run A/B testing to find what resonates best.

This combination of scale and personalization helps you build brand loyalty and customer trust through one-to-one conversations.

Automation and Integration Made Effortless

TextUs takes the complexity out of customer communication management software by delivering automation and system integration in a single, cohesive platform.

The tool’s built-in marketing automation features allow you to create Sequences, which are automated text campaigns that send a timed series of messages to leads, customers, or applicants. 

This setup helps your team maintain consistent communication without manually managing every follow-up.

You can also set up keyword automation, where specific customer responses trigger tailored messages or actions, such as enrolling a contact in a sequence or sending them relevant information.

TextUs also automates compliance essentials like SMS opt-out tracking and 10DLC registration to make sure campaigns stay safe and compliant. 

It integrates with CRM software and ATS systems to make sure SMS fits into your day-to-day processes across multiple communication channels.

Enterprise-Level Power Without Technical Hassle

TextUs offers enterprise-grade communication capabilities without requiring technical expertise. Teams that once relied on developer-heavy tools can now launch and manage powerful SMS campaigns.

The platform’s flexibility also extends to white-label functionality. If you're a SaaS company or a large organization, you can embed texting capabilities into your own platforms while maintaining brand control.

TextUs gives you a practical solution that scales easily and integrates with existing messaging apps and tools you already use. 

Whether you use it for client communications, support requests, or outreach automation, TextUs turns SMS into a dependable part of your customer communication strategy.

Insights That Drive Better Communication

TextUs doesn’t stop at sending messages. It also helps you learn from them. It includes visual dashboards and analytics that highlight delivery performance, reply rates, and campaign engagement.

Collecting customer feedback through texts or a link to a quick satisfaction poll can deliver valuable insights without overwhelming your customers.

When paired with analytics or social media monitoring, text-based feedback gives you a complete picture of customer sentiment across all channels.

Reliable Service and Personalized Support

TextUs delivers the dependability expected from premium customer communication tools. It maintains enterprise-level uptime standards and publishes a real-time system status page for transparency.

It also provides an eight-hour first-response guarantee during business hours and a proactive support model to help customers resolve queries quickly.

If you're managing mission-critical customer requests, TextUs’s reliability gives you peace of mind. Its dedicated account support and success teams ensure that your communication processes remain uninterrupted.

Premium Features at a Predictable Cost

TextUs follows a transparent subscription model tailored for growing businesses. It helps you manage costs without worrying about unexpected overages or pay-per-use spikes.

With its Essential and Plus plans at $299 per month, each package includes bundled user seats and a defined number of message credits per seat.

Both plans come with full access to automation, analytics, and campaign management features that other customer communication tools might charge extra for. 

The predictable cost structure, combined with its extensive functionality, makes TextUs a smart investment for any successful business.

Make Your Communication as Fast as Your Customers Expect—Try TextUs!

Among all the customer communication tools, TextUs stands out as it bridges the gap between businesses and customers through conversational texting.

When your audience feels heard and valued in real time, it transforms every text into an opportunity to build trust and lasting loyalty.

With TextUs, communication becomes effortless. It's two-way texting, automated campaigns, and CRM integrations that allow your team to manage thousands of conversations without losing the personal touch that customers appreciate most.

Now is the time to move beyond traditional communication and start creating real conversations. TextUs helps your business connect faster, respond smarter, and build relationships that last.

Book a demo with TextUs and start giving your customer service team the power to communicate faster!

FAQs About Customer Communication Tools

What's the difference between CCM and CRM?

Customer communication management (CCM) focuses on how you create, deliver, and manage messages across multiple communication channels such as email, SMS, chat, and social media.

Customer relationship management (CRM), on the other hand, centers on storing and analyzing customer data. It helps you understand the customer journey, track interactions, and tailor communication to improve relationships and decision-making.

When integrated, both work together to help you direct customers through more meaningful and efficient communication experiences.

What are the six tools used to communicate?

Global businesses rely on several customer communication tools to engage customers. The six most common are:

1. SMS and texting software: Instant, personalized communication (e.g., TextUs, EZ Texting, SimpleTexting)
2. Email platforms: Newsletters, updates, and transactional messages (e.g., Mailchimp, Help Scout, Twilio)
3. Live chat software: Real-time website support using chat tools (e.g., Zendesk, Tidio, Freshdesk)
4. Social media communication tools: Manage community engagement, comments, and messages across social networks (e.g., Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Buffer)
5. Video communication tools: Facilitate meetings, demos, and virtual consultations (e.g., Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet)
6. Phone and call center software: Provide voice-based customer support with routing, analytics, and CRM integration (e.g., Aircall, RingCentral)

Each of these plays a unique role in addressing customer pain points and improving overall customer satisfaction.

Which CCM tool is best?

The right CCM tool depends on your business objectives, team size, and preferred communication channels. If you rely on texting for day-to-day communications, TextUs stands out for its scalability and automation.

If you're focused on omnichannel support, you might prefer platforms like Zendesk or Freshdesk, which integrate chat, email, and phone support into one integrated platform.

Platforms that include detailed analytics and automation help handle multiple conversations, improve workforce management, and reduce repetitive tasks for support teams.

What are the five C's of communication?

The five C’s of communication are guiding principles that help you maintain clarity and professionalism in every message:

1. Clear: Make sure your message is easy to understand
2. Concise: Keep it short and focused
3. Concrete: Use specific details and examples
4. Correct: Check facts, grammar, and tone
5. Courteous: Maintain respect and professionalism at all times

When you apply these principles across your customer communication tools, every message builds customer trust, boosts customer experience, and reinforces your brand’s credibility.