Excellent phone service makes the heart grow fonder.
In recent years, many businesses have begun to offer a variety of convenient ways for customers to communicate with them, and they’re seeing increased sales and brand loyalty because of it. These options can range from phone calling to messaging through an app to providing unlimited texting which makes it possible for customers to connect with you anytime.
71% of business communications still happen via phone call, meaning the call experience has a significant impact on your customers’ overall view and experience of your company. While the classic phone call reigns supreme, customers are eager to embrace new ways of communicating that are quick, convenient, and painless.
Providing the option to move from calling to texting is a cost-effective, easy-to-implement way to wow your customers and get the ball rolling with sales.
What is Call to Text?
Call to text is a form of call deflection, which basically offers customers alternative digital channels for contacting your business.
Being placed on hold for long periods of time can massively increase customer irritation. Almost every popular sitcom has an episode dedicated to the frustrations of being on hold, and for good reason. This is a near-universal experience everyone can relate to and it’s something most of us expect when we call a customer service line. But what if your company could beat the average expectation?
Call to text provides the option for customers to move phone conversations to text mode. A customer can call one fixed line and be greeted with a series of alternative options for communicating with your team.
Basically, customers contacting your team by phone can choose to message your team directly rather than wait on hold to speak to a customer care team member.
How Call to Text Improves the Customer Experience
Call to text works to put the customer in control of their experience with your brand.
Not everyone has the patience to be put on hold for long periods of time, and many people actually prefer text communication over more traditional options like email or phone. Text conversations tend to be more immediate and straight to the point and have the added convenience of being conducted right from a smart phone. Plus, text conversations don’t require a large block of time or a quiet room; they can happen while your customers are on the go.
This comes down to empathy and truly understanding your customer needs. Do you know the typical lifestyle of your target audience? Do you understand which times of day are busiest for them? Do you know how they prefer to communicate and what’s likely to make it really easy for them to purchase from you? Gathering data on potential customers can help you to anticipate their needs and eliminate as many pain points as possible.
Customers can become frustrated if they’re required to wait for a long period of time just to ask a simple question. They have busy days too, and providing quick responses to their queries or concerns eliminates friction points that might block a sale or customer retention.
Some customers may have limited minutes on their cellular plan, meaning their phone bill could be impacted by wait times when they make a call. Being able to text from an iPhone or a text app can lower customer anxiety about having an increased phone bill.
Offering a text option also comes with the added benefit of being able to include more information than what could be included in a voice conversation. Team members can send picture messages of a product, or upsell by sharing key highlights of a new service as a final sign off to the conversation.
By placing the customer in control of their experience, your company also offers them a greater sense of dignity in a relatively vulnerable scenario. Oftentimes, customers can be made to feel that they are a burden, inconvenience, or just another number. By providing options that they can control, they become a co-driver of their overall experience.
And the best part? Happier customers and quicker messaging makes it easier to gather feedback on customer satisfaction over text.
