The Right Way to Use Contact Center SMS

Posted by Ahmed Macklai on November, 9 2019 8:29 pm

Are you looking to integrate a more fully-featured contact center SMS solution into your customer service approach? If so, you’re not alone; this is a common strategy among many of today’s most successful centers. Consumers live with their phones close at hand, so it only makes sense to make your services available in a format that is easily accessed via mobile.

Contact center SMS is a tricky medium, though. It can either work out beautifully - helping your agents to reach and assist more clients and consumers - or it can be a complete waste of money and time. Here, we’ll give you some pointers on approaching contact center SMS the right way.

Understand the Importance of Your SMS Solution

Obviously, the traditional phone call will always be the backbone of contact centers. This is the avenue the majority of callers prefer to use and the default for when there is no other option but to speak to a live agent to resolve an issue. However, focusing entirely on your telephony is not only unwise, but it also handicaps your center’s ability to provide excellent service to every consumers that needs it.

These days, offering an multichannel approach to customer service is the best way to do business. This way, no customer - no matter what their preferences or abilities - is left behind. When your contact center can respond to inquiries and requests via any channel, it opens up a wider range of customer service possibilities - and boosts your CSAT score tremendously.

Why, then, do so many call centers neglect the SMS medium? It is the most commonly-used form of communication worldwide, overcoming disabilities and challenges that traditional telephone calls present and giving people who have phone anxiety a chance to have meaningful exchanges without the mental and emotional exertion.

What’s more, studies have shown that around 95% or more of consumers who regularly use their mobile phones will open a newly-received message within three minutes of receiving it. This makes SMS an extremely effective yet noninvasive way of reaching your consumers - and a worthwhile investment of money and time for your center.

Building Better Service via Text

Another important advantage of integrating SMS into your customer service approach is that the use of an SMS solution can shorten traditional wait times. It does this in two ways. First, the consumer using the text messaging feature can provide their own self-service using it, typically shortening their wait times and conducting their exchange with the customer service representative on their schedule.

Secondly, more people using text messaging services to interact with customer service reps mean fewer people on the phone lines, which frees up those spots and shortens wait times for everyone. It’s a win-win situation for deliver better, prompter service.

Business Compatibility

You may be wondering if contact center SMS is truly compatible with the type of business your facility runs. The answer is not a hard and fast yes or no; it will largely depend on what type of service you provide. However, most modernized centers enjoy a major boost in the quality of service they provide and customer satisfaction by improving their SMS solution.

Some industries that see great benefits in using contact center SMS include insurance, debt collection, medical, sales, and more. Wherever there are dates, amounts, times, or other small pieces of information that consumers might need reminders of, SMS messaging is an excellent way to do just that.

Your SMS solution can also be integrated into an overall system that combines text messaging, email, and traditional phone calling seamlessly. An example might be that a consumer receives a reminder via text message to pay a bill, renew a policy, or meet some other requirement. If they do not respond or take related action, the message is prompted to be sent once more. If that message is subsequently ignored, it may trigger an email reminder. Failure to respond to this message will prompt the automatic addition of the person’s contact information to a call queue, so that a live agent can attempt to make contact. All of this happens without additional effort by your agents, keeping them free to serve other consumers in the meantime.

Getting Consumers On Board with SMS

Not every consumer wants to receive messages from your center. Some would prefer to be contacted a different way, many of which by phone or email if you have reason to contact them. However, you will undoubtedly notice a trend that the more aware your consumers are of your SMS option, the more likely they are to choose it as their preferred method of contact.

If you find that you’re having a hard time getting consumers to sign up for SMS updates, offer a small incentive. It doesn’t have to involve a loss for your company; it could be a free ebook or similar giveaway item> Just as long as it entices your consumer to join your messaging list, it is enough.

Select the Right Contact Center SMS Technology

When it comes to any kind of technology, you have choices - and making the right one is imperative in creating success for your facility.

The technology you use to create and deploy contact center SMS messages and interactions should be easy to use and streamlined for simplicity. It should also offer the features your agents need to extend additional support to consumers if necessary. That combination of power and grace will make it quick and easy for your agents to provide excellent service through a channel that isn’t traditionally known for it.

When you need the best in contact center SMS technology, trust the industry experts at ChaseData. We have the tools and technology you need to give your users the best possible experience. Plus, we can help you make the decisions you’ll need to make to tailor your SMS solution to your center’s needs. Give us a call today to learn more!

Recent Posts