Yes, Customers Want Your Text
Text messaging is everywhere — 97% of Americans text each week. But what about text messaging with businesses? Do people really want to text with companies? More than half of people wish they could talk with a business using text. Many large businesses like Home Depot and Starbucks have already set this expectation and changed consumer habits, so your business needs to offer the same convenience to prospects and customers if it’s going to keep up.
If your company hasn't hopped on the texting bandwagon yet, there is time. Here's a breakdown of what text messaging can do for your customer experience and revenue.
What Are The General Benefits Of Text Messaging For Customer Service?
First, texting gives you immediate customer access. It allows you to solve any customer service issues right away and answer questions or address concerns. Your customers are already texting; you should be, too.
Also, texting makes it a lot easier for customers to connect with you and ask questions, respond to your queries or get updates on their order or service.
Additionally, texting is convenient for both parties—your business and your customer. As a business, you can hire companies to take care of text responses on your behalf, so you don't have to worry about handling that part of your customer service. And customers take their phones with them everywhere, so they can easily respond and be reached no matter where they are. They can also answer quickly when they're ready, and you don't have to wait for a return phone call.
Which Businesses Use Text Messaging Already?
As mentioned, almost all of the U.S. population texts weekly. And 98% of texts from businesses are being opened, which is why some companies are opening up texting as a customer service option.
One example in the home services field is the laundry service HappyNest, which places a phone number on its website that customers are welcome to text. In the healthcare field, 85% of hospitals—and nearly that many physicians' offices—use texting to communicate with patients. In e-commerce, Uncommon Goods uses live text messaging to inform customers when products are back in stock. In retail, Ann Taylor allows its customers to sign up for text updates.
However, only 39% of businesses use text in their marketing strategy.
How Do We Know Customers Love Text Messaging?
People like to text. Nearly 75% of Millennials and Gen Zers say they would prefer to text than talk over the phone. And studies show that texting is popular no matter people's age, even with the Silent Generation and Baby Boomers. The extreme popularity of texting isn't going anywhere, and its popularity will likely continue to grow.
And people specifically love texting if it's not a computer that they are talking to since AI can only give you so much in response. It can't offer a human-to-human interaction. Having a real person on the other end makes texting even more desirable.
How Can You Implement Text Messaging Today?
Using text messaging for your business can increase your conversion rate by 40% when combined with call services, save you time and money, and offer customers a more accurate and direct form of communication. So, you must be wondering how to get started.
You can easily establish a customer service desk via text that will help at all hours, any day of the week, using an outsourced service. These services can have qualified agents available to speak in English or Spanish, as well. Once you put a texting number on your website, the resulting data can be sent to your CRM or your inbox for tracking.
How Can Your Business Use Text Messaging?
When you offer text messaging, customers can do things like create appointments, have questions answered, or get an update on their order or service over text. Customer support texting is a big opportunity—68% of businesses expect it to take off. Rather than relying solely on automated chatbots or phone support to help your customers, adding texting gives another quick and efficient option that many people prefer.
If you don't want to worry about the rules and regulations behind texting, like how late you can send a text or whether a contact has opted in, it's best to outsource the service. Nexa can help you implement and manage your human-powered text messaging program. Contact us today to see how we can work together to make your business grow.
