How Can We Help You: 5 Strategies for Using Text Messages as a Customer Service Tool

June 21, 2015 8:00 pm by grouptexting

Customer service is an essential component of your company, whether you sell goods or offer services. One way to enhance your customer service is to offer easy ways to connect with your clients or customers. As mobile usage becomes more prevalent, and more people are turning to their phone to connect with businesses, offering text messaging as one avenue for customer service provides a way to be present in an area where people already are.

It is important to find ways to connect with and support your customers.

According to January 2014 data from Pew Internet, around 90 percent of American adults own a cell phone and 81 percent use it to send and receive texts. Additionally, 44 percent of people sleep near their phone to ensure they do not miss any messages or updates, and 67 percent check their phone for phantom messages. If you are looking for ways to use text messaging as a customer service tool, then try one of the following five strategies.

Send Out Reminders

People’s schedules are filled to the max, making it easy for them to forget about appointments. Therefore, one effective way to use your text message service is to send out reminders about upcoming appointments. This works very well because people can easily add the appointment to their calendars in their smartphones. Additionally, people check text messages faster and more often than email and voicemail.

In addition to appointment reminders, you can also choose to send out reminders for other events. For example, if you regularly host live events in your club or restaurant or manage a theater, you can share reminders about upcoming events to those who purchased tickets.

Allow Customers to Text Questions

According to a recent study published in eWeek, about 52 percent of consumers would prefer to text with a customer service representative about a problem rather than the current methods available. Additionally, around 47 percent said that being able to text would lead to a higher satisfaction rating. By offering this type of service, you are fulfilling the desires of your customer base.

Customers with questions or problems want the ability to just text the question.

If you choose to offer live texting customer support, you need to have dedicated agents who understand the SMS system and can easily engage and answer any questions or solve problems. You can also set up your texting system to have automated responses for certain keywords, which can be a good first line of customer support.

Text to Order System

An SMS system can also be used to make it easy for people to place orders, especially for restaurants. Instead of having to call or order online, people can text in their lunch order while at work, making it easy for them to just quickly come by and pick it up at a designated time. You can also include delivery options to make it even easier for people to order food, whether during a short lunch break at work or to be delivered home after a long day.

Delivery Updates

When you send a package to clients, you can offer them the opportunity to get delivery updates on the package via text message. This can include important information such as when the package leaves your facility, when it checks into different points along the way, and when it is delivered.

Keep customers informed on their package with text updates.

You can also update about any delays or problems, including whether you need additional information to fulfill the delivery. Because people check text messages so often, you can feel confident that your customers are well informed about the delivery process.

Send Updates About a Project

Text messaging can also enhance customer service for companies in the construction business, including plumbers and electricians. If you need to update one of your clients about a project, then you can send a text rather than calling or emailing. This makes it easy for your clients to receive the message at their convenience and get back to you if they have any questions, or if you need any additional information from them. This can also be used for other industries in which you are completing projects for a client, such as printing, advertising, automobile service, and more.

There are many different ways that you can use your text message service for more than just advertising and customer engagement. By offering text messages as another avenue of customer service, you can boost your customer retention, which in turn will improve your bottom line.

To learn more about why text messaging is worth the investment, read this helpful Group Texting blog post.