Insights

Text Messaging Improves Call Center Interaction for Customers

Jan 28, 2016

Several studies claim that when it comes to communication channels between businesses and their customers, texting is quickly becoming the preferred choice. Not only is text the most convenient way to connect, it’s the highest rated contact method for customer satisfaction out of all other customer communication channels. And text messages have an incredible open rate of 98%.

Blogger Andrew Prokop, who covers unified communications for No Jitter, reported these findings in a recent article titled How Text Messaging is Changing the Customer Experience. And then he raised the obvious challenge. With most call centers using only voice to deal with customer questions and concerns, Prokop says this clear disconnect between consumer behavior and voice-focused call centers could result in lost customers and poor customer service statistics.

Including a text solution in a business’ customer service repertoire should be a no-brainer for any company today. Further, Prokop recommends that companies who want to open their call centers to texting should do so over a Toll-Free Number.

At Somos, we agree. Text enabling a Toll-Free Number leverages a company’s recognizable identity. Having one number to call or text is certainly convenient, which is the whole point. And while saving on long distance fees is not an issue in play here, texting is definitely friendlier to mobile phone calling plans.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Recent studies show consumers prefer to text over talk when communicating to businesses 

• Companies need bring texting into the call center to avoid a customer disconnect

• Text enabling a Toll-Free Number opens a new line of communication on a trusted channel