Using SMS for Customer Service
Using SMS for customer service makes communication with customers instant, constant, and simple for everything from event marketing to reward points.
A good relationship with customers can make or break a company’s reputation. Businesses must be willing to listen and respond to their customers’ concerns, questions, and even criticisms if they hope to compete with other companies in the industry and become a favorite.
Instant Customer Service with SMS
Most people have a cell phone, and the vast majority of those regularly use it to send and receive text messages. That means that customers likely have their phones with them most of the time — whether they’re shopping, attending an event, or driving past a sign.
Using SMS means that these customers can report a problem or ask a question at any time. Whatever service or person is responding to these messages can reply as soon as they receive the query, allowing the customer and company to have a full, two-way conversation about the issue.
All of this can happen as soon as the issue arises, taking away any opportunity the customer would have to stew in their anger or change their mind about purchasing from, using, or otherwise employing the company in question.
Constant Customer Service with SMS
Not only can customer service over SMS text message happen at any time, but it can continue to happen over time. It’s not just a matter of the company being immediately informed that something is wrong. It’s also a matter of responding to the customer’s concerns. In many cases, this can mean checking in later on to let the customer know how you addressed their concern or making sure nothing else has arisen.
This could mean having a direct conversation with a customer as they walk through your store, texting a customer a week after they’ve received your product, or even texting a voucher or discount code to make up for a past problem. All record of your communication with each customer is saved so it can be referred to later.
Simple Customer Service with SMS
Using SMS for customer service is also simple. As we’ve mentioned, most people are familiar with the use of SMS text messaging to send and receive messages. This makes the process a familiar one. It can be made even simpler with short codes, or shorter phone numbers that are easier to remember.
This takes out the hassle of training customers to use a new or different platform, such as a specific web form. It can be done with any type of cell phone and from anywhere covered by cell service.
This method can also be simpler for the company, as their ability to gather feedback isn’t hindered by their website crashing, power outages, or many other common problems. What the customer has to say also doesn’t have to fit into the blanks of a pre-made form.