SMS messaging for contact centres

There is little that customers find more frustrating than being put on hold or sitting in a long phone queue only to be transferred to the next agent as soon as they get through. In fact, according to a recent study, 93% of customer service teams believe that customer expectations are higher than before.

And as for the call centre agents, they are often on the receiving end of very angry or irritated customers who want updates and answers, now. If only there was a solution that could provide a seamless workflow for agents, and a great service for customers.

Well, there is; SMS! Not only is SMS a cost-effective solution, but it can help improve internal processes and workflows, reduce time and money spent on administration, and it can provide customers with excellent customer service. Here’s how:

SMS for improved customer service

Customer service can make or break a deal, which is why it is so important for call centres to prioritize the customer experience. Using SMS, call centre agents can ensure their customers’ queries get answered without the need for lengthy phone calls.

SMS for improved productivity

Free up time and resources by SMS-enabling simple actions and minimising manual processes. For example, use automated SMSes to notify a customer when a ticket is resolved, handed over to another team, or if any further action is needed.

SMS for improved business processes

Now, this is where SMS proves the most innovative because with an SMS API you can SMS enable just about anything! Use it to monitor the productivity of your agents or to schedule calls with customers throughout the day.

Why SMS?

It’s easy to integrate – SMS can easily integrate with most CRM and ticketing systems. Once set up, automating communications based on actions or timeframes will improve your customer support and satisfaction.

It’s quick and reliable – SMS is sent via mobile network operators and does not rely on data to be sent or received. It’s simple and accessible – SMS is a simple channel that is familiar to all mobile users. And because it’s a native application on all handsets, anyone with a mobile phone has access to it.

SMS messaging isn’t just easy and familiar to your customers, it lowers the demand of time-consuming phone calls, and minimises manual processes, which means that agents can use their time more productively.

If you’d like some more practical tips on how to use SMS in your call centre, take a look at this article that outlines six ways SMS is being used by call centres.