Case Study: Yesterday’s Books achieves fast, cost-effective SMS order management during COVID-19 with SimpleTexting

How Yesterday’s Books Uses SimpleTexting to Accept Orders During COVID-19

Yesterday’s Books, the largest used bookstore in Central Valley with an inventory of over 100,000 titles, faced a sudden closure during California’s shelter-in-place order and needed a fast, low-cost way to keep taking orders without building an online store. The owner, Paula Kiss, turned to SimpleTexting to text-enable the store’s existing landline and use SMS as the primary channel for customer orders and communication.

Using SimpleTexting’s text-enabled landline, SMS inbox, and mobile/desktop apps, Paula follows up on website book requests by text, marks conversations closed, and uses notes to manage orders. The switch cut friction with customers—texts average a 60X faster response time than email and Paula reports about 90% of customers prefer texting—allowing Yesterday’s Books to process orders more quickly and cost-effectively while the store was closed.

Yesterday’s Books

Paula Kiss

Owner