How To Use SMS Messaging To Improve Customer Experience

Creating a positive customer experience is a crucial endeavour in today’s consumer-driven world.

With recent research suggesting that 58% of customers are willing to pay more for a favourable consumer experience, businesses and contact centres need to begin looking at ways they can not only provide the highest level of customer service but also use the most efficient practices.

One of the most practical and productive ways to achieve both is through the implementation of SMS messaging to verify a commitment or check-in with a customer.

 

Why does the use of SMS messaging improve customer experience?

 

Nowadays, the true test of positive customer interaction is based on speed; how quickly a customer received their order, how fast the returns process was, how long it took to find what they were looking for on a website and capturing quick feedback on their experience.

A big factor that makes SMS messaging such an effective experience-boosting tool is the speed at which it enables a customer to interact with a brand. By giving customers the option to contact you directly, you are opening a conversation that can be automated or exception-driven and will hold the attention of a potential buyer as they interact back and forth.

Another benefit of SMS messaging in the context of the customer journey is that it allows businesses to personalise the overall experience. Consider how frequently we use our phones daily; by interacting directly with a customer through their device, you give your brand a personality while also acknowledging that you hear the customer and are responsive to their needs.

Furthermore, the use of SMS offers customers just what they are looking for: convenience. With SMS boasting an open rate of more than 90% (in comparison to a 10% email open rate), it is clear that this immediate means of communication enables customers to interact with a brand there and then and in the most convenient way – while providing a far more promising route towards driving sales.

 

 

How to improve customer experience through SMS

 

There are several key ways the use of SMS messaging can improve your customer experience and boost ROI in the process.

 

1. Improve your marketing strategies by harnessing the power of SMS

 

When it comes to the most effective tools to proactively promote your brand, mobile marketing is where it’s at. This is where the importance of SMS messaging as a marketing tool comes to the fore; it is one of the most effective ways to harness the directness and simplicity of SMS.

A carefully crafted text campaign can be utilised for both limited offers and high-profile promotions to great effect. The first step is to integrate your CRM database with a programmable SMS API and develop a customer journey of short, snappy text messages with an attractive offer and a clear call to action. You may soon be celebrating a significant hike in sales – not to mention a rich CRM database of customer engagement and feedback.

 

2. Build trust in your brand with every conversation

 

The key to building long-lasting trust is making and keeping great promises. With cloud-based messaging providing the ability to save customer text conversation histories, it is possible to interact with customers on a more personal level, knowledgeably approaching their queries and reacting accordingly. Combining the use of auto-replies and agent interaction allows businesses to keep on top of their commitments per customer but also progress a customer issue at a satisfactory pace while retaining their loyalty in the process.

 

3. Improve customer experience through peace of mind

 

There is nothing more frustrating as a customer than being left in the dark. Sending a text message off into the ether and waiting for hours – or even days – for a response that lets you know your query has been acknowledged. Avoid this and reassure your customers that they have been heard and they matter by initiating automatic text replies from your business operations.

Automated messages with generic responses can notify the customer of receipt of their message, as well as provide further instructions such as when their query may be dealt with. It is a simple action on the part of an organisation that allows the customer to relax in the knowledge that their issue is being addressed.

 

4. Promote call deflection and eliminate call waiting

 

An overburdened call centre struggling with a large volume of calls can implement call-deflection practices by pushing SMS channels as a core customer communication tool. For example, if a customer queue hits a certain wait time, provide an option for customers to be called back or send them an SMS message pointing to a website where they can schedule an appointment.

Similarly, an impatient customer may turn their back on a brand after countless calls about an issue that remains unresolved. For these reasons combined, the value of integrating SMS messaging into your everyday practices is undeniable.

 

 

How to incorporate SMS messaging into your business

 

The importance of connecting with your customers wherever they are and in a relevant way cannot be emphasised enough, particularly in today’s “always on” climate. Thankfully, Kaptea is on hand to deliver outstanding experiences for your customers, on any channel.

Kaptea Pronto ensures simple, quick and secure deployment of personalised bulk SMS messaging, which not only enables different types of agents to access and send messages but also allows you to measure performance thanks to its built-in analytics.

Improving each customer journey couldn’t be easier thanks to Pronto’s three-step process:

Step 1 – Start your campaign by crafting your customer journey messages.

Step 2 – Upload your contacts with a .csv file.

Step 3 – Schedule or immediately send and get ready for instant results.

Kaptea’s Pronto is simple to use and the engagement analytics provided can be game-changing for any organisation seeking to quickly implement an SMS strategy. To find out more, speak with a Kaptea agent today about how Twilio and Pronto can help you take your customer experience to the next level.

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