A faulty communication system can cost a lot of money by wasting both employee time and customer trust. “PwC surveyed 15,000 consumers and found that 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience, while 92% would leave a company entirely after two or three negative interactions.” Frequent downtime will cost money that could have been saved by implementing quality control protection. Having business operations running smoothly is critical to optimizing profitability.
Smartphones have revolutionized the way we communicate and have now become common necessities for people all over the world. Since the launch of the first Apple iPhone in 2007, many millennials have become early adopters of new modes of collaboration. This generation, born between 1981 and 1996, now makes up a large segment of the workforce.
Older generations also began to follow the example of millennials and adopted SMS later. “A Zipwhip survey found that 73% of consumers want more businesses to text them. Customers of all ages, from Baby Boomers to Gen Z, like ease, convenience and privacy offered by text messages. Businesses often get a better response rate with instant messaging because, unlike email or phone calls, people are more likely to send a short response rather than spend time formulating a response email or scheduling time to call you back.
SMS solves a unique problem for both consumers and call center agents. Imagine a scenario where a customer has a quick minor question and doesn’t need a detailed answer over the phone. The customer can be immediately recognized with an automated text. So a customer can be served much more quickly. For the customer, the main advantage is comfort. There’s no need to spend time in your day waiting to speak to an agent to get the same information.
Call center agents can serve multiple people at the same time through multiple text channels. They will have a record of all the details of a conversation to be able to consult the history at any time and avoid repeating the client to different agents. Agents will also be able to efficiently handle general questions, freeing up time for more complex queries. In fact, many call centers are creating AI-powered bots that can answer general SMS queries and, if necessary, turn the customer into a live agent.
Incorporating SMS into a call center gives the consumer even more ways to interact with your business. Serving customers across multiple channels offers more choice, delivers more satisfying experiences, improves productivity, and strengthens the relationship with your customer.
