ApproveThis + Emotive: How to Automate Approvals for Faster eCommerce Decisions

When Approval Workflows Meet Customer Conversations

Let’s get real – most eCommerce teams spend more time chasing down approvals than actually talking to customers. You’ve got refunds waiting on manager sign-offs, marketing copy stuck in legal review, and urgent order exceptions buried under 17 "Reply All" email threads. Meanwhile, your Emotive texts are piling up with real people who expect real-time responses.

That’s where ApproveThis comes in. We’re the missing link between your Emotive conversations and the actual humans who need to greenlight decisions. Connect the two through Zapier, and you’ve got a system where:

• High-priority support tickets automatically route to department heads
• Approved discounts get applied before the customer changes their mind
• Inventory exceptions trigger purchase orders without manual data entry

Why This Combo Works (When Others Don’t)

Emotive excels at scaling 1:1 text conversations – until you hit a decision that requires internal input. Most teams either:

Option 1: Make customers wait while you play approval tag over Slack/email
Option 2: Give junior staff too much spending authority (hello, $10k accidental discounts)

ApproveThis fixes this by handling the approval logic behind your Emotive workflows. Example: When a VIP customer texts about a bulk order, Emotive can:

1. Create a deal record
2. Trigger an approval workflow checking inventory levels and profit margins
3. Auto-send custom terms via text once approved

Bonus: Approvers only need ApproveThis access – no extra Emotive seats required. Perfect for involving external partners or execs who shouldn’t have full system access.

Three Ways This Integration Beats Manual Processes

1. Turn Support Tickets into Approved Actions (Without the Wait)

Scenario: A customer texts about a defective $2,500 product. Your support team needs engineering approval before authorizing a return.

Old way: Copy/paste ticket details into an email → Wait 2 days → Customer gets annoyed → Chargeback risk increases
New way: Emotive triggers an ApproveThis workflow → Engineers review specs in-system → Approved return processed within 2 hours

Key features making this work:

• Approval thresholds: Auto-approve returns under $500 to resolve 60% of cases instantly
• Calculated fields: Flag high-value items needing extra scrutiny

2. Sync Order Approvals Across Teams That Hate Talking to Each Other

Example: Sales promises custom packaging for a big account. Production needs to confirm feasibility before committing.

How it flows:
1. Sales updates deal in Emotive
2. ApproveThis pings production lead with specs
3. If approved, customer gets confirmation text
4. If denied, sales receives alternate options to propose

This avoids the classic “Why wasn’t I looped in?!” email chain. Approval groups ensure design, logistics, and legal all review when needed – but don’t hold up simple requests.

3. Automate Post-Approval Actions (So Humans Can Handle Exceptions)

Best for: Replenishing inventory after large orders, scheduling post-purchase follow-ups, or triggering affiliate payouts.

Real-world case: A beauty brand uses this to:
- Auto-approve influencer gift boxes under $200
- Require CMO sign-off on bigger sends
- Immediately text influencers tracking info once shipped

They processed 73% more collaborations last quarter without adding staff. The secret sauce? ApproveThis’ conditional logic combined with Emotive’s personalization at scale.

Setting This Up Without Losing Your Mind

If you’ve ever tried getting IT to build custom integrations, you’ll appreciate this:

Step 1: Create a Zapier account (free tier works)
Step 2: Connect Emotive and ApproveThis as apps
Step 3: Pick your trigger – like “New High-Priority Ticket” in Emotive
Step 4: Set action to “Create Approval Request” in ApproveThis
Step 5: Test with a real $50 return instead of a $50,000 order (trust us)

Pro tip: Use ApproveThis’ vacation delegation so approvers out sick don’t bottleneck your CX team.

Who Actually Benefits from This?

Customer Support Teams

Stop telling customers “I need to check with my manager.” Set approval rules for:
- Partial refunds over 15%
- Replacement orders requiring warehouse checks
- Escalations to specialist teams (like IoT device troubleshooting)

Sales & Account Management

Close deals faster with pre-approved:
- Custom pricing tiers
- Expedited shipping exceptions
- Add-on service packages

Example: A B2B SaaS company auto-approves 1-year contract renewals under $25k, freeing AE time for upsells.

Operations & Finance

Finally get ahead of:
- Vendor purchase approvals
- Inventory buy decisions during shortages
- Event sponsorship requests

One client reduced PO processing time from 48 hours to 19 minutes. No, that’s not a typo.

The Fine Print (That Actually Matters)

This isn’t about replacing human judgment – it’s about eliminating busywork so your team can focus where they’re needed. A few notes:

Do:
- Start with 2-3 high-impact approval types
- Use calculated fields to auto-approve routine requests
- Set escalation rules for overdue approvals

Don’t:
- Try automating every decision day one
- Forget to notify requesters via Emotive when approved
- Skip testing thresholds with historical data

Ready to Stop Being a Human Routing Bot?

Your Emotive texts deserve faster responses. Your approvers deserve less inbox clutter. And you? You deserve a system where “I need approval” doesn’t mean “Everyone panic!”

Get started with ApproveThis and connect it to Emotive in under an hour. Or book a demo to see how other eCommerce teams cut approval delays by 84%.

Pro tip: The first 10 readers to mention this article get a free workflow audit. Because nobody should pay full price for a system that stops “Let me check with…” from killing deals.