The behavior of consumers has evolved as their environments and behaviors have shifted “” and it’s up to brands to catch up. These days, many companies are stuck in old habits, trying to stick a round peg into a square hole. Case in point: Choosing to not operate a call center from the cloud won’t allow businesses to keep up with customers’ demands in real time.
Indeed, customers don’t want to be put on hold as live agents determine how and where they should be transferred. And they certainly do not want to drive to your retail location to resolve a simple issue; after all, this is the 21st century, so technology-averse businesses need to take advantage of the tools their customers have come to expect and demand.
You might be asking yourself where to start. Your best bet is to invest in a cloud contact center that will provide your business with more options for customer engagement “” and that includes two-way texting. If your business has not considered this support channel, here are four benefits that may sway you.
1. It’s Convenient
Some of the most common complaints consumers have with customer service departments are dealing with long wait times and multiple transfers. Of course, they don’t want to spend their limited free time with the phone pressed awkwardly against their ear as they get transferred from department to department. So why make them wait “” and escalate their frustration “” when there are other options for interaction?
Two-way text messaging is a much more convenient option for your customers because they can quickly type the issue they’re experiencing into their smartphone and then go about their day while waiting for a response. Unlike live support, they don’t have to be glued to their phone and re-explain the issue. Through two-way texting, your customers can get their issue resolved no matter their location.
2. It’s Immediate
Beyond convenience for your customers, an SMS support channel is also good for your company. According to Connect Mogul, more than 97 percent of text messages are opened, and 90 percent of those are read in less than three minutes of being received. This means your customers will receive the service they need almost immediately without interrupting their day.
Furthermore, it means companies can assist consumers more quickly and feel assured that the messages are being read. With two-way text messaging, your employees can easily hold conversations with multiple customers simultaneously and provide faster responses and more immediate service.
3. It’s Efficient
Another major benefit of employing an SMS support channel is that it offers greater efficiency for your live support agents. Instead of interacting one customer at a time, your employees can bounce from one conversation to another without any disruption or interference.
Moreover, your live agents will be able to more quickly and easily assess a customer’s issue before transferring them to the appropriate department for a resolution. Your employees will also be able to address more minor issues in the moment without having to escalate the issue to another department. Ultimately, this will free up your phone lines to address more pressing issues.
SMS Support Still Offers a Form of Human Touch
While your business can rely on traditional phone support and FAQ pages to resolve customer service issues, employing some form of SMS support is another surefire option that will allow you to better connect with your customers. After all, two-way text messaging can offer you a new way to quickly and efficiently resolve customer issues, while still providing a human touch.