Communication is the key to providing excellent customer service, what you say is important but so is the way it is communicated to the customer. Have you explored using SMS for your business?
Since the explosion of social media in recent years there are now so many different ways for a business to communicate instantly with their customers. Sending a tweet or updating your facebook is a great way to get a promotional message out to your followers in real time, but it’s hard to track who has or hasn’t seen it and it can also lack personality.
SMS is personal and can boost engagement with your customers using a medium they are not only comfortable with using, but is also easily accessible to them 24/7. Not only will this add value to the relationship but will also help you to establish yourself as a trusted brand.
You can read and reply to SMS at a time and pace convenient for you – unlike a phone call which always seems to happen at the worst time.
If you are sending direct to the customer’s handset, there are a few things to consider to ensure your message is well received, but with the right strategy in place, SMS will succeed as one of your most integral tools for customer service.
Whether you are confirming an appointment, notifying a package dispatch or simply following up a sale; use these tips to get the best results.
Personalise
If you’re sending a bulk message, it can be easy to forget that each one will be read individually. By simply adding the recipient’s name (an easy tool in your FireText account) you can instantly engage with them and gain trust.
Allow replies
Communication is a two-way thing. Give customers the chance to reply in a way that’s quick and convenient for them. If they need to respond and can do it there and then, they will thank you for it – especially if it replaces a long wait on hold to customer services.
Give them an opt-out
Your customers are the ones that ultimately decide how they want to be contacted; giving them the chance to say ‘no thanks’ will prove far more beneficial in the long run. I think you’d be surprised at just how little opt-outs you’ll get, but it certainly doesn’t do any harm to include it.
SMS has been around for over 20 years and is holding its own as one of the most popular ways of communicating. With that in mind, it should be a favourite when communicating with customers – after all the customer is always right! 😉