Overview

Amazon provides several communication tools for technicians who fulfill Selling Services appointments, allowing them to contact customers through chat, call, and email options. Understanding how and when each communication channel becomes available is essential for technicians who want to deliver a smooth customer experience and resolve appointment-related questions efficiently.

Key Points / What Sellers Need to Know

• Multiple contact methods available — Technicians can reach customers through three channels: chat, phone calls, and email, each with different activation windows tied to the appointment timeline.
• Chat requires sending an ETA first — The chat option only becomes available after the technician sends an estimated time of arrival to the customer, which triggers an SMS with a chat link.
• Call window spans 48 hours — The phone call option activates 24 hours before a scheduled appointment and remains active until 24 hours after the appointment is completed.
• Push notifications keep customers informed — Customers using the Amazon mobile shopping app receive push notifications for each technician message, helping reduce missed communications.
• Email handled through Buyer-Seller Messaging — Email responses to customers are managed through Amazon's Buyer-Seller Messaging (BSM) system within Seller Central.

How Each Communication Channel Works

The Selling Services app gives technicians a dedicated communication page with a contact link that presents the available options. For chat, the process begins when the technician sends an ETA notification to the customer. This triggers an SMS to the customer containing a link that opens a chat window either in the Amazon shopping app or in a web browser. Once opened, both parties can exchange messages in real time. If the technician misses a customer reply, a push notification alerts them and links directly back to the chat window. Chat typically becomes available four to six hours before the appointment when the ETA is sent, and it remains active until the appointment is completed.

For phone calls, the system uses a masked number to protect both the technician's and the customer's personal phone numbers. When the technician selects the call option, their phone dials the customer through this masked relay. This option has the widest availability window, activating a full 24 hours before the appointment and staying active for 24 hours after completion. Email communication is handled through Amazon's Buyer-Seller Messaging system, which keeps all correspondence within the Seller Central platform for record-keeping and compliance purposes.