Many businesses are recognising the benefits that text messaging, or ‘SMS’, can bring to customer service. Its potential depends on how it’s used, but it can be a powerful addition to any customer service strategy. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways that businesses are harnessing the power of text messaging to improve customer service.
What are the Benefits of Text Messaging Customer Service?
The convenience of text messaging is one of its biggest benefits. Wherever your customer is, and whatever device they may be using, they can always access their messages. A further advantage is the instantaneous nature of text messages. Whether customers are sending out queries or businesses are responding, SMS messages travel back and forth with lightning speed.
Text messaging for customer service can also provide a more personal approach to customer service. Businesses can pass on personalized messages to individual customers to show that they care and demonstrate the value they place on them. And, of course, it’s more discreet than other methods – customers can have conversations with a business without having to speak out loud in a public setting.
Ways to Use Text Messaging for Customer Service
Lead Generation
Nowadays, businesses are using SMS messages to encourage engagement with their brands. They’ll send out messages that encourage customers to sign up for newsletters, join loyalty schemes, or take advantage of offers.
Customer Support
SMS messages are being increasingly used for customer support. Businesses can send out troubleshooting guidance, with helpful step-by-step instructions for performing various tasks. To save customers time, businesses can also provide links to webpages or pre-recorded playback messages containing helpful information.
Surveys
Businesses are Shifting many of their customer surveys onto SMS. It enables them to collect customer feedback quickly – it’s much easier for customers to respond to a short series of questions on their phones, than it is to fill out a long survey.
Shipping Notifications
SMS notifications are great tools for informing customers when they’re orders have been dispatched. It’s a much more reliable way of informing customers of their order’s progress than relying on emails, as customers are much more likely to read and respond to texts.
The Potential Pitfalls
Texting customer service has the potential to cause problems. Customers may be reluctant to provide private information such as banking details over text. At best, SMS messages will be seen as an effective but limited customer service tool.
Tips For Sending text Messages
Text messages should always be concise and relevant. Customers respond better when receptive and transparent, so messages should always provide helpful information in a direct and easy to read manner.
Businesses should keep their use of text messaging within the confines of their existing customer service strategy. Regular outbound campaigns should only be carried out where appropriate, and never to the point where customers feel harried.
Text messaging is an effective tool for customer service, and its convenience, speed and discretion makes it a useful addition to any customer service strategy. With its potential drawbacks, businesses should always approach SMS messaging with caution and use it as part of a customer service plan that looks at the bigger picture.
