OpenMarket – February 21, 2019
How mobile innovations will create all-new opportunities to show empathy.
Mobile is having a moment. A perfect storm of innovation is radically changing the way businesses and consumers communicate.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – means we can automate workflows and get messages out faster
Natural Language Processing (NLP) – means computers can now tackle the task of reading and writing messages
Rich Communication Services (RCS) – is redefining what we can deliver with a mobile message
All these technologies help brands reduce friction and create flow. They hold the potential to reverse the traditional customer experience equation – so you can achieve better, more empathetic customer service at a lower cost.
It’s a new wave of mobile innovation that will create opportunities for brands to demonstrate empathy to customers – whether you have thousands of them or millions.
Empathy 2.0
We all know there’s never been a channel of communication as ubiquitous, immediate and far reaching as mobile messaging. It gives brands the power to reach customers in their moments of need.
But now, NLP-powered two-way messaging allows customers to reach out to brands when they need them – no matter what the time of day or night.
Here’s an example:
Customer: I can’t make my appointment tomorrow. Can I change it?
Business: Hi Amy, sure. Your haircut is booked in at 15:30. What time would you like instead? We have 16.00 and 17.30 left tomorrow.
Customer: That doesn’t suit. How about Wednesday afternoon?
Business: We have 14:00, 15:20, 16:25.
Customer: 15:20 would be perfect.
Business: That’s all booked, see you then.
These messages are constructed in real-time via machine-learning algorithms and natural language processing. This means businesses can be there for customer’s at any time.
In the example above, the AI is being fed information via a CRM and appointment software. So when a customer has a question the ‘bot’ can provide an instant, personalised reply.
Now factor in RCS, which gives customers an even richer, app-like experience. One of our partners – Virgin Trains – is using it to give customers up-to-the-minute travel news so they can avoid traffic and find faster routes to their chosen destination. These customers don’t have to download or open an app to access this information. It’s right there in their messaging inbox.
These are just a few ways how the next wave of mobile messaging innovation will help businesses become more empathetic. Because that’s what customers really want when they engage a business.
They want simplicity. They want you to be there when they need you. They want solutions to irritating problems before they even knew they have them.
Join us at Mobile World Congress
We want to showcase some of the businesses putting technology at the heart of their customer engagement strategy. That’s why we’re attending Mobile World Congress Barcelona on 25-28 February 2019.
We’ll introduce some of our customers, like Virgin Trains – the first UK company to launch a commercial RCS campaign. They’ll discuss what they’ve learned so far and what they’re planning next.
We’ll also have experts on hand to explain how we’re using RCS, NLP and AI – and what we’ve got on the roadmap.
Visit us at MWC to meet some of the businesses leading the charge.
Want to see everything we have in store for MWC? Let’s go