Using Text Messages for Customer Service and Technical Support

SMS is more than just a quick way to send messages to other people. It’s an entire platform that can locate new customers, generate new revenue streams, and ensure high-quality customer service experience. By using text messages to follow up with customers and address their needs, your business keeps end-user satisfaction high.

Using SMS as a method of customer service and technical support means keeping your clients, customers, and users both educated and happy.

The Benefits of Integrating an SMS Platform into Customer Service and Technical Support

  • Supporting customer and client requests.
  • Providing resources for product assembly and installation.
  • Offering step-by-step instructions for automated support.
  • Replying to short-form support inquiries.
  • Alerting customers when their support request has been addressed.

How to Use SMS for Customer Service and Technical Support

SMS messages allow your business to efficiently support and service customers and product users. Gone are the days of waiting on hold for a distant support representative. Through text messaging, customer service is more accessible than ever. Here are just a few of the ways SMS messaging can be used to support and service your customers and clients.

  • Promoting best practices.Using text messages to promote best practices is a proactive way to support the client.  Letting customers know important updates and changes through SMS messaging can help them use a product correctly.
  • Offering automated replies to common support inquiries. A high number of support questions are the same for many products.  Instead of fielding each question individually, SMS triggers can be put in place that automate replies to the most common questions.  This provides near-immediate support to clients while reducing the support burden on your staff.
  • Providing step-by-step instructions. Guiding users or customers through a process is easy with text messaging.  From recipes to assembly instructions, sending a coordinated series of SMS messages that walk a client through an activity is a great way to support customer requests.
  • Notifying customers when a support request has been completed. Oftentimes support requests take a few minutes (or hours or days) to complete.  Rather than leaving customers waiting for answers, text messages regarding ticket status keep them informed of the status of their support request.
  • Notifying support personnel of a new ticket.  Time is of the essence when offering technical support.  Locating the right technician to address an issue can often cost valuable minutes or hours.  Text messaging makes it easy to deliver support requests to the right resources, ensuring a timely resolution for the client.
  • Scheduling service requests. Regularly scheduled service is key to keeping equipment like cars and trucks running well.   Scheduling maintenance with customers via text messaging is convenient and easy for everyone involved.
  • Confirming that an issue has been resolved to the client’s satisfaction. Follow-up surveys or inquiries by text message give customers a chance to voice their level of satisfaction with how an issue was handled.

Text Message Alerts Increased Antivirus Software User Updates

One of the leading antivirus software providers in the world was facing a crisis in confidence. An increased number of viruses and bugs were infecting computers around the world as the holiday season approached. While the software was made to protect against these types of intrusions, the customer support line was full of callers complaining that the company’s antivirus software wasn’t offering security against the wave of new malware and infections. After careful research, the company learned that many of the security patches issued to protect against new viruses weren’t installed by end-users. Blaming the customer for a product’s failure wouldn’t work, but without the updates the software wouldn’t offer adequate protection. They needed to educate customers about using their antivirus software correctly. Here is how they did it.

The support team pulled mobile phone information from the customer database and were excited to find that there was a phone record for most every customer in recent years. The purchasing portal required a phone number at checkout and many of the numbers were able to receive text messages. Once the number list had been compiled, the support team began issuing a text message alert each time a new virus was discovered. Within the message was a link to the latest antivirus update and a suggestion that the new update would enhance the protection offered on the customer’s computer. The team took great care not to suggest that the customer was at fault for the software not working.

The campaign worked perfectly. The messages were opened by 93% of recipients and the software updates were installed 300% as often. Call to the support line complaining of a lack of protection declined and customer satisfaction polling showed an immediate increase in client happiness.

Leveraging SMS Service for Customer Service and Technical Support

If your business is to thrive, you must find meaningful ways to stay in touch with clients and customers. One of the most powerful ways to do so is through enhanced customer service and technical support. SMS messaging gives your team a way to keep connected to clients after the sale has been completed and ongoing support and service are needed.

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