Any business owner worth their salt knows the importance of polite and efficient customer communications. If you’re wondering how messaging apps could help supercharge your customer communication strategy, look at our introductory guide below.
The rise of messaging
A growing pool of savvy customer relations professionals are using messaging apps to reach consumers. According to recent stats, the number of mobile users accessing messaging apps surpassed 3 billion in 2021, a figure set to hit 3.51 billion by 2025. With so many consumers readily available on messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and Whatsapp, businesses are starting to realise their many benefits, including efficiency, low cost, and accessibility.
An increasing number of customers also expect businesses to be responsive on their preferred platforms. Recent figures suggest more than 66% of consumers feel more confident about a brand if they’re available on apps such as Facebook messenger, while 55% feel more personally connected to the brand. Clearly, messaging can help to create better customer experiences, boost your reputation, and ultimately enhance profits. But how? Well, the following factors all demonstrate why messaging is so vital:
1. You’re reachable from anywhere at any time
Before messaging platforms existed, most customer service communications took place over the phone or via email. With phone calls, customers are forced to get in touch during specific opening hours and often spend time twiddling their thumbs on hold. Faced with this prospect, it’s no wonder 76% of consumers dislike talking to businesses on the phone! To make matters worse, 1 in 4 consumers won’t listen to a voicemail from an unknown number, making it much more difficult for company representatives to resolve customer problems.
While email makes life a little easier for busy people or those in different time zones, sending emails back and forth can be highly inefficient, especially if the customer checks their inbox infrequently. With messaging platforms, customers can get in touch whenever and wherever they like and receive speedy responses. Plus, messaging apps save customers from going to the trouble of finding your website and email address, ensuring your business remains competitive.
2. Get fast responses
Messaging apps significantly improve response times and improve the flow of your customer service operations. Did you know, for example, that 9 out of 10 SMS messages are opened within three minutes of receipt? Or the open rate for messaging platforms is 98%, compared to only 20% for email? Even more eye-opening is that the reply rate for messages stands at 45%, compared to a mere 5% for email. In short, messaging platforms help you secure the answers you need from customers – fast.
3. Messaging saves you time
Messaging significantly reduces the administrative burden on you and your colleagues. By reducing the number of messages you receive and eliminating the need for distracting phone calls, messaging platforms help to improve employee efficiency (and make the workday less stressful!). Messaging platforms also facilitate two-way communication and allow for multi-tasking, meaning you can resolve issues quickly, in real-time, and without sacrificing other tasks.
Looking to up your messaging game? Get Fuzey
Fuzey works to centralise all your customer enquiries in one space, allowing you to never let a lead fall through the cracks, and deliver premium levels of customer service. To find out more, get in touch at [email protected] or book a demo today.
