Two-way SMS communication is slowly becoming a strong part of the strategy to reach efficient customer service.
It may sound a bit surprising. Why?
Imagine we play a word association game. I come up with the phrase “customer service”. What’s your answer to that? Correct me, but I bet it would be somehow related to a telephone.
Obviously, there’s nothing strange about it. The telephone is still the most frequently used way of customer service.
But, the idea of this article is to make you aware that two-way SMS text messaging can be a great alternative to standard phone customer service.
I’ll name 4 main advantages of this way of communication. Let’s go!
1. Make your customer service more diverse
I know, making every customer happy is a huge challenge. Variety of personalities, variety of preferences.
This is why you should welcome diversity in your customer service. Applying new methods of contact can only result in a high opinion about your business and the strong position on the market.
Introducing two-way SMS communication is a perfect example of such activity.
Not everyone is a fan of solving problems through the phone. Call recordings, long procedures, misunderstandings, interrupting each other while speaking – of course, it’s not regular, but it all can happen.
SMS communication is a solution directed especially to customers who prefer not to solve issues through the phone. You are open to meet their personal needs.
Quite a simple way to gain customer satisfaction and loyalty, isn’t it?
2. Provide great conditions for both sides of the conversation
The phrase “two-way SMS communication” speaks for itself. The presence of a part “two-way” is no coincidence.
It’s because it works well for both – a customer and an agent.
Customers always go first, so let’s start with them.
Some random things may happen while speaking through the phone – for example, it can be chaotic, we may focus on several different issues at the same time.
While unfocused, we may talk with the stream of consciousness (cheers, James Joyce), problems are overlapping, it may be hard to draw clear conclusions.
And that’s fine, it’s just human nature. Sometimes it’s just better for a customer to write down his thoughts in SMS. This is how he can form a comprehensive question for the agent.
This is when your customer service comes into action. Well-qualified agents are more likely to respond quickly and professionally to written messages.
This is a win-win situation. Why?
The customer receives exactly what he wants every time he decides to contact through SMS, while the agent is always well-prepared to provide a constructive answer.
You can also increase the productivity of your customer service, as solving issues through two-way SMS communication is quick and efficient at the same time.
3. Avoid keeping your customers on hold
OK, but we don’t live in a fairy tale. Even if your agents are well-prepared, there might be some random situations in which they won’t be able to provide service immediately.
Imagine this kind of situation with the telephone – a customer listens to background music, hears the recorded message that he needs to wait, etc.
In other words, he can just waste his time on the phone line.
With two-way SMS communication, he’s much more likely to receive a personal message straight away.
An agent can quickly write about the difficulties, so the customer can understand them, go back to other things, and come back later.
The flow of information through SMS can be much more efficient.
4. Let your customers solve their problems from everywhere
Sometimes it’s difficult to find enough time and space for a phone call. The additional feature of two-way SMS communication eliminates this problem.
A customer can contact your service even while being at some meeting, in the public transport, in some waiting room, etc. Text messages enable privacy in such situations.
It’s a quick and flexible way of communication. But, it’s not a landmark discovery. Many of us prefer contact with friends through Messenger rather than calling them every single time.
Now, it’s just more frequently moved to customer service. And it does its job perfectly.
Two-way SMS communication marks its territory
As you can see, there are situations when contact through written messages can be a great addition to classic phone calls.
But, to make it clear, there’s no chance that SMS will totally absorb telephone communication any time soon.
This analysis is made to make you aware that two-way SMS communication can be a great alternative to your customer service.
Try it yourself or reach for external providers. For example, Channels is a data-driven phone system that has two-way SMS communication along with many other features in their offer.
Do you want to learn more about two-way SMS communication? Leave a comment below.
Author Bio
My name is Tadeusz Olewicz. I’m a Marketing Specialist at Channels. My main job is to provide you with interesting and reliable content about ways to improve your customer service and sales.
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