4 reasons why your customers want SMS messaging

Importance of SMS Customer Service

“We’re sorry, but we’re experiencing unusually high call volumes. Please hold. Your call is important to us.” Everybody who’s tried to interact with a business over the phone, for whatever reason has at some point heard this oh-so-frustrating phrase, or at least something similar to it. And yet businesses are still hesitant to change the game a little by using a channel as simple as SMS messaging. Many have the incorrect belief that this form of communication is old fashioned or that their customers don’t want to be messaged. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A recent survey suggests that more than 64 percent of people believe that businesses should use SMS, and even chatbots, more often to communicate with customers and 70 percent see it as an effective form of commercial interaction. And here are just four reasons why.

SMS messaging is convenient

Convenience is the number one reason that customers appreciate SMS messaging as a marketing tool. Imagine you need a haircut. There’s no need to phone through several times in the hopes of getting through. A simple SMS can book your appointment. The hair salon can then confirm your booking via SMS and send you a reminder via SMS a few hours before. Now doesn’t that epitomize convenience?

SMS messaging is also an incredibly efficient form of communication. How many people leave their homes without their mobile phone? Having your customers read your promotional SMS or your SMS alert of a change of policy, for example, is immediate and it’s almost always guaranteed. It’s also convenient for the customer too. They don’t have to scroll through hundreds of emails or get bothered by annoying sales people.

SMS Messaging is relevant

SMS marketing is positive because of its opt-in, opt-out functionality. This means that those who are receiving your SMSes are doing so because they want to know what’s going on. It’s also really easy for you to create targeted messages based on their behavior and demographics. And, personalized communication is always going to be more successful than the generic stuff – because the content is going to be relevant to your customers. SMS messaging about the latest prices on hair cuts, for example, may win you the business. Personalization also minimizes the risk of your customers perceiving your messages as spam.

SMS is interactive

SMS messaging is not just a one-way street. This platform offers your business the opportunity to both send and receive messages to- and from- your customers. Think back to that haircut example. That interaction only serves to increase the level of engagement of the customer with your business because it’s convenient and it’s on their terms. There are several types of interactive options for your SMS campaigns. You could issue a survey, run contests, receive feedback on service, or even just generate engaging polls. And what about using SMS messaging as part of your customer service offering? The majority of people are more likely to text for customer service than to call or use other channels.

It’s green

People are evermore conscious of their environmental impact. A great way to help this is by marketing through mobile coupons – a simple SMS message with all the promotional information in it. And with the added benefit of two-way SMS messaging, customers can simply respond with a text back to the business to redeem their discount. There’s no unnecessary packaging or printing and the environmental impact is negligible.
As a business owner, if you’re looking for an extremely efficient way of communicating with your customers, then look no further than SMS. Read our latest article on why any size business should be using bulk SMS and find out how SMS can transform your business-to-customer relationship.