Most companies enter December already juggling a lot. Deadlines tighten. Customers ask more questions. Staff availability changes every few hours. Communication gaps show up fast because the usual mix of quick desk check-ins and in-person conversations simply do not happen at the same pace.
A few challenges repeat every holiday season.
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Shorter hours and rotating shifts delay call and email responses
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Remote workers miss updates that would usually float around the office
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Customer inquiries spike, especially about orders, scheduling, and service changes
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Field teams struggle to stay aligned with the office staff
These gaps slow everyone down and turn simple tasks into stop-and-go projects. The good news is that faster, lighter communication can take the pressure off.
It keeps teams talking, keeps customers informed, and keeps the holiday rush from getting messy. This blog will show you how.
Business Chat vs. Email: Which Works Better When the Holidays Speed Up?
Before we talk about chat, let's talk about email (and why it probably shouldn't be your only way to communicate with customers). Email handles long messages, files, and anything that needs a record. It is reliable, familiar, and used by basically everyone. The problem? The holidays are not filled with long messages.
They are filled with tiny updates and quick decisions that cannot wait behind a crowded inbox, like:
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A shift change that needs approval
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A quick, time-sensitive question from a customer
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An update on a delivery status while someone is away from their desk
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And so much more
The good news is that business chat is the perfect way to handle it all! Text messages arrive instantly and are hard to overlook. They nudge decisions forward instead of letting them stall.
In short, it's mobile messaging that keeps teams moving when email starts to slow things down.
Business texting also feels natural for most people. Texting already fits into daily life, so using it at work removes extra steps and keeps conversations simple. Instead of sorting through a thread, teams exchange quick check-ins and stay aligned.
Now, let’s look at why this matters so much during the holidays...
Wondering if your communications are holiday-ready? This blog post will help you find out.
What Instant Messaging + SMS Can Do for You This Holiday Season
Instant messaging and SMS, especially from Simplicity VoIP, help teams stay responsive, organized, and calm during one of the most unpredictable months of the year. Here's how.
1) Keep Internal Communication Steady Through December
Internal communication is often the first thing to wobble when teams are stretched thin. A message sits in someone’s inbox too long. A shift update gets buried. A reminder never gets forwarded.
Business chat gives teams one shared place for holiday updates that everyone can see in real time, like:
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Holiday hour reminders
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Shift changes and coverage updates
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Status checks for deliveries or service calls
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Notifications about incoming customer issues
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Quick teamwide updates for both office and remote staff
This becomes especially useful when half the team is in the office and half is not. Information moves at the same speed for everyone, which helps the entire team stay aligned. No one has to hope they get important updates. Everything that's needed for the team's productivity and success is right there in the chat stream, ready to reference or forward.
2) Help Customer Conversations Stay Fast and Friendly
Customers expect quick answers during the holidays. Most want information about shipping, availability, scheduling, or service changes. If they do not hear back, they try again, which adds more work for the team.
Business chat and SMS help keep customer communication consistent and responsive. Messages reach people immediately and fit the short format customers prefer for simple questions. Teams can also share a business number rather than relying on personal phones, which keeps conversations organized (and way more secure).
Not to mention that texting remains one of the most reliable ways to reach people on mobile devices. Separate industry research shows that customers respond more quickly to text reminders, especially for scheduling and order updates.
Want a deeper dive into the benefits of VoIP + business SMS in your day-to-day workflows (and get a free template or two)? Check out our blog on the subject.
3) Keep Team Communication Flowing (and Stress Free) Across Multiple Locations
Holiday schedules tend to scatter people. Someone might be traveling. Someone else might be working half days. Another person might be jumping between job sites. Business chat keeps communication steady without requiring everyone to be in the same place.
The ability to switch between devices is also a major advantage. A team member can start a conversation on a desktop in the morning, respond from a phone during lunch, and finish the update from a laptop at home in the evening. No messages get lost along the way, and no one needs to dig through multiple apps to find the latest update.
This leads to:
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Faster decision-making
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Clearer updates when plans change
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Fewer missed messages during busy hours
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Easier coordination between office staff and field teams
In short, it helps everyone who needs to be connected stay that way, even under shifting schedules. Especially if that business chat tool is SMSPlus.
SMSPlus: The Tool That Brings All These Benefits Together
SMSPlus is Simplicity’s business texting platform that blends all the best parts of instant messaging and SMS into one clean, shared dashboard. Think about it as your team’s holiday communication headquarters, giving you:
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Easy access from any device
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Shared inboxes that keep customer conversations organized
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Fast two-way communication
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Clear conversation history that prevents confusion
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Smooth handoff between staff during shift changes or days off
It is built for businesses that need reliable messaging during their busiest season. Teams that try it often wonder how they managed previous years without it.
3 Use Cases That Prove the Value of SMSPlus This Season
The best way to understand SMSPlus is to look at real holiday pressure points. These situations happen every year, and they are exactly where fast, shared messaging makes a difference with staff and customer relationships.
A retail team managing last-minute order questions.
Customers want to know about holiday shipping windows. Staff rotate throughout the week. With SMSPlus, messages are answered promptly because every team member can see and respond from the same shared inbox.
A field services company balancing on-site jobs and office updates.
Technicians need fast updates about cancellations or rescheduled appointments. Sending short texts via SMSPlus keeps everyone aligned without interrupting their work.
A healthcare practice handling appointment reminders.
Holiday schedules create gaps if patients miss messages. SMS reminders increase clarity while reducing call volume for office staff.
In each case, Simplicity's business chat cuts through the uncertainty of the holiday season, making communication steady and predictable.
Get Ready Before the Holiday Rush with Simplicity VoIP
The busiest time of the year is almost here. Setting up Business Chat now gives teams time to get comfortable before the holiday pace hits full speed. Smooth communication makes everything easier. Customer service improves. Internal coordination becomes simpler. Holiday productivity stays high even when staff numbers dip.
Simplicity’s SMSPlus provides a reliable platform that keeps conversations moving from any device. It is a practical solution for businesses that want to stay responsive during one of the most unpredictable seasons.
When you are ready to take the next step, reach out for a quote today! We'd be happy to assist you.
