Jonathan Morgan, CEO, OpenMarket – November 17, 2015
Your customer interactions have never been so fragmented. They’re talking to staff in your store, visiting your website, asking questions via email, logging into your mobile app and checking out your social media pages. Despite this complex network of engagement they expect you to deliver a consistently high-quality experience. Brand loyalty has also become less common because customers can find your competitors in a couple of clicks if you fail to delight them. In fact, 89% of consumers have switched brands because of a poor customer experience.
SMS can help you combat common frustrations so customers have more reasons to stay loyal. Here are four pain points you can fix with a smarter mobile service:
- WAIT TIMES
Nobody wants to wait on hold listening to canned music and looped customer service messages. It’s one of the most annoying experiences you can deliver. With SMS your customers can simply type ‘HELP’ into their phone and trigger a call from the next available customer service representative. This eliminates waiting times and means your customers can get on with their day until you’re ready to help them.
- CONTENT OVERLOAD
Information is more accessible than ever but your customers have never been more distracted. The sheer volume of content they’re exposed to makes it harder to get their attention. SMS cuts through the noise. No matter where your customers are or what they’re doing your message will pop up on their screen. It’s the perfect way to deliver short, easily consumed bites of information. Your customers will appreciate that you’re making it easy for them to access important information whether it’s an appointment reminder or a delivery update.
- INTERRUPTION
Your business could always use more customer feedback, and will sometimes need to speak with customers about a recent order, but phone calls are often inconvenient. This makes them a major source of customer frustration. Whether you’re calling during the day while they’re at work, or interrupting dinner with an evening call, it can be hard to find a time when customers want to speak with you. SMS updates allow customers to engage on their own time. A recent Harris Poll found that 64% of consumers would prefer to use texting as a customer service channel.
- POOR MOBILE EXPERIENCES
Mobile has become the primary communications channel yet many brands still treat it as an afterthought. This is partly because it can be challenging to ensure every online experience displays properly on different screen sizes and operating systems. SMS is inherently native to mobile, so you don’t run this risk. Whether your customers use an Android, iPhone, Windows or an older handset, your message will always fit on the screen and be easy to interact with.
SUMMARY
Happy customers become loyal customers, so it’s important to provide a seamless and consistently positive experience. In an increasingly mobile world, SMS has become a crucial part of delivering on these lofty customer expectations. When you need to know your message has been seen, or require a rapid response, it’s a smarter mobile service.
Download our free workbook to learn more about delivering a Smarter Mobile Service with SMS.