In today’s hyper-competitive business environment, your company must stand out from the competition if you want to be successful. What is the best way to do that? Communication is at the top of the list when it comes to excellent customer service. When customers have urgent questions or technical issues that require quick resolutions, providing instant customer service is not only helpful, it’s expected. This level of service will also encourage customer loyalty and referrals through impeccable customer service. One customer who is thrilled with your customer service can result in nine referrals. An SMS message, often referred to as a text message, is most likely to be read. In fact, 98% of all texts are opened. SMS is a powerful, effective way to take your customer service to the next level and beat your competition.
The Power of SMS Messaging for Business
Did you know 4 billion people use SMS services? Combine that with the fact that 90% of customers read SMS messages in the first minute they ping their phones, and you’ve got instant engagement. That’s a drastic increase over the average email open rate of just 20% in the first minute after delivery.SMS is also an incredibly flexible platform.
Your messages can be customized specifically to address individual recipients or key groups of people on your subscriber list. As a bonus, customers don’t have to be connected to a data plan to receive incoming SMS messaging.
SMS Messaging Improves Your Customer Service
Adding another form of direct communication to your business makes you more accessible to your customers and allows you to generate more data about your services. Here are a few ways to get started.
- Ask for Customer Satisfaction Feedback
If a customer has a bad experience, usually only 1 of out 26 people will complain. Get ahead of issues by soliciting customer satisfaction feedback via SMS polls. Customers can submit feedback anonymously and easily, which helps businesses improve their customer service experience in the future.
- Allow Customers to Talk With a Business
This open line of communication allows customers to resolve a problem with a business quickly, in the format they prefer. Seventy-eight percent of customers would rather converse via text messaging than a phone call, when it comes to dispute resolution. The approach is both convenient and effective for businesses and customers.
- Send Appointment Reminders
With hectic day-to-day schedules, SMS alerts regarding meetings and appointments are appreciated by customers. Seventy-five percent of millennials would prefer a text message reminder versus a more traditional phone call or postcard. These alerts ensure a higher percentage of customers show up for scheduled appointments and receive the services they need, creating a positive impression of the business.
Surprisingly enough, the healthcare industry has taken to SMS for many of their scheduling needs. SMS messaging for healthcare improves the rate of successful appointment completions.
- Make Personal Information Updates Easy
The last thing a valued customer wants is to be called by the wrong name. Use SMS to bypass lengthy phone calls or tedious online forms. With a few simple texts, new phone numbers, name changes and addresses can easily be updated and businesses can provide better service.
- Share Promotional Codes
Customers are more likely to return if they receive ‘thank you’ offers, discount codes or exclusive sale notifications. In one study, sending these promotional offers via SMS led to a 16.3 percent redemption rate.
- Send Digital Receipts
Having proof of a transaction at your fingertips makes inquires and returns easier for everyone. A smooth transaction leads to a positive impression of a business’ customer service approach.
- Secure Password Resets
Verify changes to a user’s accountÑlike password resets– using SMS-based two-factor authentication. Skip annoying secret questions and avoid call center requests when a user forgets their password. Sending one-time passcodes [OTPs] during the reset process is quick, reliable, and a secure method that has become an industry standard.
Telesign Can Help Your Business
Are you ready to implement an SMS messaging system that will strengthen your customer service performance? Telesign’s easy-to-integrate SMS APIs engage customers through timely, personalized information in the form of SMS alerts, two-way communications, and other automated messages.Your developers can easily test and deploy our APIs with no contract commitments or minimum transaction thresholds. You’ll be able to sample firsthand the two-way communication between a business and customers through direct-to-carrier routes that provide the highest deliverability and conversion rates.Ready to learn more? We service more than 200 countries and territories in 87 languages. Contact us today or sign up for your free trial and try it for yourself!
