Using Messaging as a Means of Customer Communication

As you operate your businesses, you must continue to find ways to communicate better with customers. But how do we reach them when they’re less reachable than ever before? The answer may be found in text messaging and online chat.

Text Messaging

You might think texting is just for teens. It’s actually one of the best and easiest ways to reach your customers. According to the Pew Research Center, more than 80 percent of American adults text, making it the most common cell phone activity. The average American has their phone near them 22 hours a day. Because of the nature of texts, 96 percent of them get read within 4 minutes of being sent.

Think about the way you personally communicate. Chances are, when you want to reach out with a fact or two, you text someone quickly and move on. Texting has become the most preferred means of communication in the world today. It’s quick, private and extremely convenient. For the vast majority of cell phone users, text is their native language.

Many in our industry have been using texting to communicate with customers when an appointment is made. A picture of the tech that is coming can be sent along with a request to confirm the appointment. Once it’s taken place, another text goes out asking how things went and encouraging an online review.

Online Chat Services

If you’ve been to a website that offers to chat with a customer, then you know what this service is about. An online chat messaging service offers your customers the ability to get in contact with you at any time. It offers you a channel of communication that is quick, easy and fruitful for your business.

The process when someone is on your website is fairly simple. A notice comes up inviting them to ask more questions and interact. Once they request a chat, it comes up in front of a team member that can talk with the customer and get them through any issues. If there are further problems, the team member can then get an appointment scheduled, if needed. The customer feels the personal attention that is sometimes lacking in modern business.

The main drawback to this kind of communication is that you need to have someone or a group of people at your office responsible for managing chats. However, with the benefit of improved customer interaction, this can be overcome, knowing that more and repeat business will likely be headed your way as a result.

Better Customer Relations

Our end goal is more and better customer relationships. When you communicate with customers using the language and medium they use, you open yourself to more human interaction and eventually more customer satisfaction.