A wide variety of IT solutions now offer SMS functionality to their users, for advanced communications with their end customers. But did you know about the entire range of applications that SMS offers? Here are some of the ways our customers are using SMS to add better customer engagement to their IT solutions.
Many IT providers have realised the potential of integrating SMS functionality into their solutions, so their customers can have more engaging conversations with their audiences – but few have realised just how many ways it can help.
SMS is a great way for IT providers to offer customers an easy, convenient, and efficient means of engagement with their customers. SMS also enjoys an open rate of 95% (source), meaning that the chances of the message being read, and a subsequent action taking place is much higher.
Compare this to email which has a much lower open rate of 19.81% (source), and SMS starts to become the obvious choice for IT service providers.
In many circumstances, individuals also prefer to have interactions via SMS. 44 percent of people with mobile devices would rather complete a customer service journey through SMS, rather than speak to an agent (source), and 77 percent of the millennial demographic (people aged 18-34), who are seen as a key driver for growth in the use of digital services over the next decade, had a much better perception of providers who offered SMS support for than those that didn’t (source).
What are the different ways that SMS can help?
SMS has an almost limitless array of applications when integrated with IT providers solutions, but here are just some of the ways that Esendex’s customers have used SMS to better connect with their audiences:
Appointment booking reminders
Reducing appointment no shows is a great way to reduce a business’s costs, and software solutions can help with this by integrating an SMS reminder functionality. In some cases, using an SMS appointment reminder system has reduced no shows from 23% to 6% (source)!
Business continuity
Integrating SMS functionality into your software is a great way to get a system back online quickly in the event of an outage. If the worst happens, predefined SMS messages will automatically be fired to specific contacts. The high open rate of SMS, coupled with the fact that 90% of SMS are read within 3 minutes (source), means that teams can get to work faster when outages occur.
Call centre communications
SMS is a great way for IT service providers to supply call centres with a more convenient way to have interactions with their customers. IT providers can integrate SMS Chat interactions, or use SMS to provide confirmations of interactions with IVR systems, or with an agent.
Remote staff rostering
IT providers can provide ways for their users to connect with staff as well as customers. By integrating SMS functionality into staff management solutions, shift planners can send simple text updates to staff, without the need to make a call. Two-way SMS enables responses, making this an easy, cost-effective and fair way of filling vacant shifts.
Customer feedback
Software solutions that allow users to conduct after-sales surveys with their customers help to provide a better service. The way it works it simple. After the customer has received their product/service, the IT solution user sends them an SMS Survey from within the solution. The end customer would then answer a set of questions, with the answers being used to improve service.
Like to know more?
If you’re interested to know more about how SMS can be integrated within your IT solution please get in contact with our team today on 0345 356 5758 or email us at [email protected].
