For every one phone call we make, we send five texts. And yet, most businesses still don’t have a call center texting strategy for customers. The reality is, according to recent surveys, U.S. consumers prefer companies that offer messaging as a communication channel.
In recent years, over 48.7 million people chose to receive business texts. Almost two-thirds of respondents say they’d switch to a company that offered text messaging as a communication channel. And, 45% of potential clients would choose a product or brand after receiving an SMS. It’s the preferred channel, with 90% of customers preferring text messages over direct phone calls.
Not to mention, offering a texting channel with your customers will help improve your customer experience. How? Texting creates a more streamlined and personal communication with your customer. And, it directly impacts their impression of your brand. It’s faster, convenient, and personal. And, if you text your customers, they will be happy to text you back. As many as 95% of text messages are read and responded to within just 3 minutes of being received.
Incorporate texting to your call center omnichannel solution to eliminate friction with customers while meeting customer expectations.
Everyone wants call center texting
It doesn’t matter the age or demographic — call center texting is a preferred communication channel for just about…everybody. OpenMarket found that millennials prefer two-way texting as a way to connect with brands and companies. In fact, 72% of millennials say they text at least 10 times per day, and 83% open text messages within 90 seconds of receiving them.
And, the generation most comfortable with the idea of texting is Gen Z, with 83% requesting more texts. The study also found that appointment reminders are the most popular form of text that users would like to receive from brands. Around four out of five Generation X customers said they’d prefer text over other channels for these reminders.
Why is it so popular? Because texting is easy.
Place yourself in the shoes of a customer. Texting doesn’t interrupt what you’re doing and it operates on your time.
If you still prefer jumping on a call with a call center, you find that that real-time connection is often slowed by waiting on hold. And, once you reach an agent, there’s no guarantee it will be the right agent or the right department. If you have to call back later, odds are you won’t get to speak to the same agent as before. So, you’re left retelling your problem each time you reach out.
But, with texting a business, you don’t have to worry about drafting out a few formal paragraphs in an email to contact customer service. You don’t have to search through your overstuffed email inbox to find your order details. When you text a business, you just send a single keyword and you receive the info or answers you’re looking for on the first contact. A text-first approach is the future for customer communications.
Customers Don’t Want to Chat with Robots — They Want to Talk with You!
Call center texting is an easy and effective way to build personalized touch with your customers. Sure, the occasional automated text sent out to give a customer an order update or appointment reminder is fine. But, business texting is also a powerful opportunity to connect with customers in a human way. Don’t only rely only on bots to text with your customers.
Create a group of agents during each shift who are responsible for texting with customers. Train them on call center texting etiquette and how to create a personalized tone in their conversations. And, use customer messaging history to make each customer feel known. If possible, route customers to the same agent they’ve communicated with in the past to show you’re committed to resolving any issue accurately in the shortest amount of time.
Improve your Call Center Texting Service and Improve your Business
Great customer service isn’t exclusive to the Zappos and Southwest Airlines of the world. Any brand can create a customer-centric customer experience strategy. Any company that works to meet customer expectations is bound to excel in retaining loyal customers.
Customers today are speaking out loud and clear: they want to be able to text you. Open your call center texting channel for affordable, simple, personal, and efficient communication with your customers.
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We originally published this article on November 1, 2018 and updated it on February 9, 2022.