People are all too familiar with the woes that come with customer support. It’s easy to see why 79% of Americans report feeling frustrated with the current options available for receiving assistance. Fortunately, text messaging provides a faster, more efficient solution that solves common customer support problems.
Consumers prefer SMS to other channels for customer support
A recent study found that 89% of people want a different option for customer support. The study states, “the majority of U.S. consumers would be likely to text with a live customer support agent”, and that “the same percentage would prefer texting instead of their current method of reaching customer support.”
Given text messaging’s ability to be prompt, clear, and flexible, it’s easy to see why 75% of people would prefer to use SMS over social media. The same goes for email—whereas most customer support systems take up to 24 hours to respond to queries, text messaging allows customer problems to be addressed well within the course of a day.
How SMS improves customer support
Text messaging fulfills the same need as phone calls for customer support. The difference is that communication is done over a series of back and forth text messages instead of over a phone call. Due to text messaging’s unique features, it has three advantages over other channels.
- Immediacy
- Clarity
- Flexibility
Text messaging is immediate because messages are sent and received right away. Most text messages are read and responded to within the first 90 seconds, so agents can view customer concerns right away. And unlike phone calls, customers don’t have to deal with long automated recordings and wait times before even starting to explain their issues. Text messages are also clear and easy to read. Dropped calls, bad connections, and noisy environments are never a problem with a text message! Lastly, text messaging allows customers to perform other tasks while waiting for a customer support representative to reply. By eliminating “on hold” time, it offers more flexibility than phone calls.
These days, there is no excuse for faulty, delayed communication. Text messaging is the most effective tool for helping people quickly and conveniently. You can use SMS to keep track of personal finance. Hospitals use it in their call centers. Schools use it to reach parents. Everywhere you turn, SMS is being recognized for its value. Why wait? Set up your own text messaging customer support today and contact us.