There’s more to a loyal customer base than a great product. In today’s fast-paced world, an engaging customer experience can be as important as the product or service itself. And good communication can make the difference between a neutral customer and someone willing to advocate for your brand.
Customers demand an always-on experience, and text messaging is the preferred method of communication for many of them. According to Pew Research Center, 89% of consumers would prefer to interact with businesses via text messaging rather than a phone call.
With numbers that high, it’s clear that incorporating text messaging into the customer feedback process is one of the best ways to increase customer satisfaction. Here’s why your company can’t afford to ignore text messaging:
Making your brand accessible
Modern consumers demand engagement on their terms. While phone calls can feel disruptive, texts are easier for most customers to manage. Check your phone right now, and compare your unread text messages to your unheard voicemails. If your voice mailbox is feeling neglected but you’re all caught up on texts, you’re not alone: more than 95% of all text messages are read within just three minutes.
And customers who receive text messages are 7x more likely to respond to a text message than a voicemail. That makes text messaging one of the most effective methods of communication available: it’s less intrusive, easier to navigate, and takes less time for customers than phone calls.
Saving time on both ends
Texting can save time for customers, but it can also be a significant time saver for companies as well. Many of Kenect’s customers have been able to cut down phone call traffic by 31%, decrease hold time by 81%, and slash voicemails by 84%. That’s time sales teams aren’t on the phones; it’s also time that can be reallocated to more productive sales activities.
Add templated responses to business texting and sales teams can save even more time. Because many customers ask the same questions, templatizing the answers to frequently asked questions can provide both time savings and consistency in messaging that improves customer experience. And the faster a brand responds to a customer’s inquiry, the more likely they are to receive that customer’s business.
Versatility in texting
The versatile nature of texting makes it the ideal medium for multiple types of communication. Many of the same attributes that make emails and social media messages attractive are shared with text messages: they can include images, and attachments like service updates, warranty notices, and information about new products and services available, and on and on.
No matter what a business sends via text, the initial communication will always be brief, to-the-point, and easily accessible for customers. And, just like an email, a customer has the option to save reading the message and its attachment for a more convenient time. This offers both a wide range of ways to communicate, and a clear-cut expectation on both ends with regard to how much information is exchanged.
A customer’s preferred outreach method
Successful companies know that customer feedback is one of the most valuable ways to improve products and services. But most customers don’t want to have to make a phone call to make their issues known. And a customer who has to sit on hold to deliver feedback may leave the experience with an even greater negative sentiment for the company.
That’s what makes text messaging a better alternative. Customers with simple, quick feedback can leave it in just minutes, or even seconds — a better experience than having to find the time to make the call, navigate a phone tree, speak to a customer service representative, then to a manager, and then perhaps repeat the same scenario over and over until a resolution is reached. With text, there are no “levels” to feedback — there’s just the message.
Text messaging isn’t just a method for communicating with customers; it’s an opportunity to be more personal and direct than other forms of communication can provide. When a business takes the time to respond to a customer’s texts in a timely manner, they’re assuring the customer that both they and their time are valuable.
And a valued customer is a loyal customer. Growing companies know that customer retention is far less costly and time-consuming than customer acquisition; that makes delivering an engaging and frictionless text messaging experience an excellent retention tool. Integrate text messaging into the customer experience, and elevate your company’s customer experience.
Ready to get started? Kenect is the best way for any business to get up and running with business texting fast! You can learn more and schedule a personal demo here.