SMS: Key to Reducing Increasing Strain on Contact Centres?

Guest Blog by Nick Millward, Vice President Europe at mGage

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Contact CentreInsights

Published: June 1, 2020

Guest Blogger

The current situation is impacting industries across all sectors and causing organisations of all sizes to reconsider their business processes and communication strategies. Social distancing and the growing number of people working from home are putting extreme strain on most brands, particularly those working within the travel and retail sectors, with many struggling to cope with the ever-increasing call volumes.

With no confirmed end in sight, businesses need to look at alternative communication methods that allow them to ease the strain on contact centres, without compromising on customer experience.

At times like these, with more people working from home, businesses have a responsibility to effectively and efficiently communicate with their customers, contacts and staff. With so much uncertainty, brands can help to alleviate the disruption and soften the impact with SMS messaging, to ensure that critical broadcast messages reach as many people as possible, in the most accessible way.

Adaptation of communication is crucial to stay connected

Nick Millward
Nick Millward

Mobile messaging is a form of communication that many people know how to use regardless of their demographic and the immediacy that it offers is critical for messages delivered within a crisis. With 98% of messages being read within two minutes, SMS messaging is an ideal choice for efficient and reliable delivery of key updates.

Here are a few ways in which contact centres can utilise SMS messaging in their current communication strategies to help keep business operations running smoothly and efficiently during this difficult period:

Reduce the strain with messaging options

If there’s one thing that consumers value most it’s their time and during this exceptional period customers are looking to get the answers to their questions in a quick, efficient and accessible way. By providing an option that allows them to enter their mobile number online, businesses that are experiencing tremendous strain on contact centres such as travel organisations, are able to text customers back to ask how they can help with their inquiry. This offers a significant reduction on the load of call centres, without compromising on the customer service expected.

Ease waiting times and more convenience to customers

Messaging can be used to enhance customer service by offering an alternative form of contact when call volumes are high. With chat functionality, SMS messaging provides a system in which live agents are able to deal with a vast range of customer enquiries through text messaging. Not only that but it offers customers a way to reach businesses quicker when reaching out for an urgent issue, with research showing that enquiries are generally picked up in less than 30 seconds and resolved in less than a minute – making resolution times significantly lower than traditional service channels.

It also has a place for non-urgent enquiries, in which customers have the capability to message a brand with a non-time-sensitive query and can chat back and forth at a time that is convenient to them – even if this messaging spans over a few days – as it gives the customer a chance to respond and ask for further information when they have time to follow up on the request.

Automation enables operational efficiency

Today’s customers require quick and timely responses to their inquiries, particularly in times of uncertainty. By implementing an automated chatbot, brands have the capability to easily answer routine customer service inquiries or issues swiftly – thereby reducing incoming call volumes and human interaction. With smartphone users having access to a variety of channels including SMS, Rich Communication Services (RCS), Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and more, businesses no longer operate on a set time as customer engagement is a constant – making chatbots critical to support this level of engagement, particularly out of hours.

Reduce incoming call volumes with call back request

It’s true that people hate waiting and with over 60 percent of customers feeling that being on hold for over a minute is too long, businesses need to look at solutions that don’t result in costly recruitment and higher agent idle time in periods of low call volumes. By adopting call-back technology, customers are able to text businesses to arrange a call back at a time that suits them – mitigating call abandonment and long waiting times.

Communication is critical

There is no denying the importance of communication during periods of crisis. The reach of mobile messaging makes it a great channel for interaction during this time. By utilising some of the solutions mentioned above, businesses who may be struggling with exceptionally high call volumes are able to lighten the load and offer alternatives to customers – ensuring that they receive the highest standards of service possible, in the most comprehensible way.

These solutions allow brands to stay truly connected to their customers informing them of any changes as they occur. With utilities, grocery and retail companies already implementing SMS, voice and in-app push messaging solutions provided by mGage now more than ever, customers are coming to realise that although the current situation may have changed their usual habits and forms of communications, these organisations are still available online and still very much accessible for any queries that they may have.

Continuing to deliver a good customer experience for all is key during these challenging times and even as the situation improves, mobile messaging will remain an essential and cost-effective solution that increases customer satisfaction, reduces spikes in call volumes and offers increased productivity and efficiency of business operations worldwide.

 

Guest Blog by Nick Millward, Vice President Europe at mGage

 

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