The rise of Messaging in improving customer interaction

It’s time for brands to join the conversation

Our lives are more digital and more connected than ever before. People expect 24/7 access to whatever and whoever they want at the speed of now. The ability of brands to communicate with customers via their preferred communication channel has become imperative to provide a great customer experience.

The fastest growing communication channel is now Instant Messaging. In 2012 around 14.7 trillion IMs were sent this doubled to 28.2 trillion in the USA alone. One of the main reasons for this is ease of use and the mobile nature of the channel which can be accessed anywhere 24x7.

Move from Voice to Messaging

Connecting with the customers the way they want it, wherever and whenever they are is becoming more and more a competitive advantage for businesses.

With the meteoric rise of messaging apps, the way of interacting with customers is changing dramatically. Customers are gradually moving away from calling as their preferred communication method, with Live Chat and  messaging becoming the new tool to meet future demands.

Interactions with customers are now more digital and not so voice- based. In fact, digital interactions surpass voice nowadays. Text messaging is one of the digital channels contributing to that increase. According to  research[1],initially  16% of the companies have used IM channel for communication with their customers in 2013 and this number increased to almost 60% in 2017.

From real time to real life

What are the benefits of Messaging?

Entering  into and out of a conversation at the customers convenience, which saves precious time:

Traditional voice channels require a customer to give up a portion of their time in one go. Finding the space to deal with that in their day could be challenging. That is why features like messaging allow customers to ping off a message and revisit the chat when it’s a more appropriate time for them.

Customers are everywhere. If they are working, travelling, looking after the kids or in the middle of making tea they’ll have the flexibility to come and go from the conversation as they see fit without having to spend their time with a phone practically glued to their ear.

Other benefits of using Messaging system:

allows brands maintain a conversation even if a user switches between devices such as a tablet, laptop or desktop computer or cell phone (iMessage, Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, etc.);

• increases engagement opportunities with customers to drive up- sale and cross- sale[2];
• unlike Live Chat, Messaging options allow starting a conversation that always stays connected with the customer;
•  improves customer experience to drive loyalty and satisfaction;
• enables brands to more meaningful connection with customers;
•  moves the focus from real time to real life creating connection at any time and from any location;
• cost- effective;
• customer centric;

Messaging system are designed to better suit customers’ lifestyles

Which allows businesses to give customers the channel of choice:

? Text messaging (SMS)

? In-App, mobile and web messaging

? 3rd Party messaging integrations, including Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.

? Live chat for desktop, mobile and tablet

IVR Deflection is key

No customer likes to be held in a queue so it is important to deflect phone calls from callers already in the IVR by offering an option to switch to mobile messaging. Deflection can be configured at any stage of the IVR tree by sending a text message to the consumer.

IVR deflection is key as it basically allows the re-direction of calls to messaging which is a real plus and selling point of the messaging solution.  Integration with CRM is a real value add as it populates the customer’s records/account, and if not present begs question as to understand what the interaction was about and as such is difficult to measure the success of the solution. It also allows analysis of what needs automating/improving by way of service delivery in order to reduce the contact rates.

Texting can integrate with your CRM or other data source

Customer service conversations don’t exist in a vacuum—they are supported by data to help agents better understand the customer, their background, and their current problem.

There are many texting solutions that integrate with existing CRM, ticketing systems, or other data sources.

Something to consider

Messaging has a powerful impact on brand : consumer relationship and opens the door for longer lasting and more meaningful connections. With messaging consumers have the freedom to choose when and where to engage with you, starting a conversation that always stays connected.

Every brand should be messaging with their customers.

At 60K we’re constantly working to transform the way we interact with our clients’ customers and to provide the latest technology to help us to meet, and, where possible, exceed customer expectations. We are here to make your interactions with customers easier. www.60k.com

[1] Research conducted between 2013th and 2017th amongst international companies, working in sectors: Travel and Tourism, Retail, Telecommunication, Lifestyle and Leisure, Insurance, E-commerce.

[2] You might be interested to know that:

  - 90% of all smart phone owners use messaging Apps such as iMessage, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, etc.

 - The average open rate of text messages is 97% vs 22% for e-mail;

 - 90% of all text messages are read within 3 minutes after being received;