Despite being one of the easiest and most common forms of communication in the world, many companies are still not using SMS to their advantage. Which is perplexing, because SMS messages have a much higher open rate than emails and other forms of messaging. It’s actually a great communication tool between businesses and customers, and here are some of the ways you can use it.
Appointment reminders
If you run a business where people need to make appointments, you’ll know how frustrating it is when people don’t show up. It wastes your professionals’ time and deprives other needy customers of an appointment. This is particularly prevalent in the medical field, but also extends out to other professional services.
With an SMS service integrated into your appointment system, you can send appointment reminders the day before. It’s great for reminding customers who may have forgotten, but customers can also respond with ‘No’ if they can’t make it. That frees up a spot to book somebody else in!
Increased security
If your business holds personal data, particularly financial information, you know how important security is. While some people find it frustrating, most people are glad when a business holding their personal details requires two-factor authentication. So, when customers try to log in, your SMS service can quickly send them a one-time password or code.
This extra layer of security gives you extra protection against hackers and gives customers more confidence in your security measures.
SMS Payment reminders
Nobody likes chasing payment from creditors. It’s a mundane task, and often it’s not that people are trying to avoid payment – it simply slipped their mind. A quick and easy SMS gives them the reminder they need, without wasting staff time on endless phone calls. With the right SMS system, the process can even be automated. If an invoice falls overdue, the SMS can be sent automatically. Let technology do the mundane work, and your accounts people can spend more time on work that matters!
Welcoming new customers
When a new customer creates an account with you, it’s a nice touch to send them a confirmation. Often, this occurs through email but there’s no reason you can’t send a text message too. It helps to build a connection with your new customer, even if it’s just a simple message of gratitude. Furthermore, you can use SMS automation to send them a new customer discount or special deal!
SMS allows more personalised messaging
The customer experience is all about communication. For many people, that means they have a particular way they’d like to deal with businesses, and they expect you to service that preference. So, if customers prefer to communicate via text, why not provide the option? You can go all-out and offer a SMS support service, where customers communicate with real staff via text. But even if you don’t want to go that far, you can use SMS keywords to trigger automated responses. This provides an overall more personalised experience for the customer.
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