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With the abundance of technology bachelor to companies that promise to streamline processes, increase productivity, and reduce costs within the contact eye, why do and then many companies cull to invest in instant messaging client service? The reply is unproblematic. Instant messaging for client service accomplishes all three of these things plus it's easy to implement.

The master reason virtually companies plow to instant messaging for customer service is to provide their customers with a ameliorate experience, only at that place are other, less obvious, benefits that instant messaging provides. In this post, we'll take a closer look at instant messaging for customer service and why more companies are turning to this method of communication to achieve more than than amend conversations with their customers.

What is Instant Messaging

Instant messaging is a blazon of communication that allows two or more people to transfer text in real time over an net or cellular connection. It's a dandy way for shoppers and service representatives to correspond quickly with brusque, deliberate messages. Dissimilar other communication types, instant messaging apps assistance consumers receive answers in seconds without having to come across in person or speak over the telephone.

At the turn of the century, people used instant messaging platforms such as AOL Instant Messaging (AOL) to transfer information. IM is the standard for coincidental communication everywhere today, although the practice has only been mainstream in public social club since the 1990s.

Today's technology lets people transport shorter, more than personal messages that are easy to read and digest. Likewise known as text messaging or business organization messaging, this fashion of communication is quickly condign the norm for sales teams and customer service agents.

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The Benefits of Instant Messaging for Customer Service

The way we communicate has evolved and instant messaging has emerged at the top of the food concatenation. In fact, "four out of 5 consumers send mobile messages at to the lowest degree daily, while nearly half also utilise Facebook Messenger and a further third utilize other messaging apps daily." (Client Preference for Messaging, Marketplace Strategies International)

The loftier adoption of messaging makes information technology an obvious selection for consumers to reach businesses. Using instant messaging for customer service has been a no-brainer for consumers for a while. Customers who seek to utilize the same fast, easy, and convenient way to contact companies, every bit they use to contact family unit and friends, have been trying to appoint via instant messaging for some fourth dimension. Companies, while quickly adopting the exercise, have taken longer to realize their customers preference for instant messaging. Here are iii benefits of instant messaging for customer service to assist your business that yous should prompt you to deed right away:

1. Streamline processes

Agent labor is the biggest expense for a contact eye, therefore time efficiency is ane of the biggest challenges. Requiring agents to do things like cutting and paste information from 1 system to another, gather simple information before receiving a phone call, or respond bones questions that could be handled without the aid of a live conversation, are tasks that can exist avoided.

Quiq Messaging has features that help contact centers reduce "fourth dimension wasters" such as these. Hither are a few common scenarios you lot'll find in a contact center and how instant messaging can streamline the processes:

  • Gathering basic information
    • Quiq's web chat has the ability to present your customer with a short form to get together information like name, order number or electronic mail. Before the agent even accepts the call they are armed with data to search your internal database and get together valuable client information. Quiq Messaging has the ability to integrate with a CRM system so that your amanuensis can view customer data aslope the conversation with the customer to provide a amend customer feel.
  • Answering common questions
    • Agents can avoid the task of repeatedly typing out your return policy or performing a re-create/paste to share the terms of your guarantee. Unremarkably asked questions tin can be easily answered through pre-congenital snippets. This feature allows Quiq clients to shop answers to oftentimes asked questions that agents tin access with a few short keystrokes.
  • Scheduling an appointment
    • Quiq'south Messaging platform enables agents to automatically transport a list of available time slots that customers can pick from with a quick tap. This feature saves our clients the tedious back and forth usually required when trying to coordinate things similar delivery times or service appointments.
  • Understanding what the customer is trying to describe
    • Quiq clients have plant that customers tin hands transport videos and images to ameliorate explicate their issue since consumers are able to quickly take a photo, screenshot or video with their phone or tablet and attach during the conversation. This feature has helped reduce handle time since agents can come across what the customers meet and are meliorate equipped to assistance the customer to resolution.

2. Increment the productivity of your agents

In addition to streamlining processes that allow your agents to accomplish tasks more apace, messaging enables your agents to do more tasks. No hocus pocus or smoke and mirrors hither. The asynchronous nature of messaging is the magic ingredient to this heave in productivity.

Asynchronous means that your customers can communicate intermittently, every bit their time permits. Information technology also means that they tin shoot off a text to check on an club or schedule an date while they are at their kid's soccer game without missing a single play.

The customer's pause in conversations presents agents the opportunity to receive and respond to multiple conversations at one fourth dimension, often handling 6-10 conversations at once, without sacrificing the customer's experience. In fact, it enhances the client's experience considering the customer is able to tick that "phone call" off of their to-do list without disrupting their day.

Instant messaging besides enables more than efficient team communication, as it allows agents to message back and forth when they need to relay important information. Instead of having to make dozens of phone calls or emails, they can achieve each other in seconds with instant messaging systems.

3. Reduce costs

Nosotros've talked about two benefits of instant messaging for customer service that really focus on saving time inside a contact center. The old aphorism "time is coin" hasn't stuck as a universal truism just because it's brusque and catchy.

Phone calls tin cost $3-iv/call and as loftier equally $12/phone call regardless of how elementary or complex the customer'south question is. In contrast to expensive phone calls, where agents can only handle 1 call at a fourth dimension, agents can handle multiple messaging conversations at once, reducing work time and costs within the contact center. Quiq clients have been able to reduce piece of work fourth dimension by at least 35% compared to using phone and e-mail to answer the same client inquiries.

iv. Gain a cohesive instant messaging system

Instant messaging mobile apps and software programs provide a cohesive, streamlined way to reach a wider audition. Quiq supports SMS, online, and social media advice, and its letters allow retailers to update consumers beyond several different platforms.

Instant messaging is a great fashion to answer questions, send alerts, provide technical support, and schedule services using a unmarried style of communication. Messaging allows consumers to interact with retailers directly from their phones, and agents can reduce their workload with advanced engineering.

Because it's so fast and easy, team advice through instant messaging is more sustainable than traditional correspondence methods. Today'southward consumers want answers immediately and they want to find them chop-chop. Mobile phone advice offers both convenience and speed, which makes it a scalable option for many retailers. It helps them run across more demands without forcing them to devote boosted fourth dimension and resources to interruptions. The process is simpler, and client service representatives can automate certain responses for improve service and efficiency.

5. Ameliorate serve consumers

People honey having access to resources that deliver fast results, and that'south exactly what instant messaging provides. With message platforms, retailer agents tin can increase job operation and serve more shoppers at i time. The faster a customer receives the answer they're looking for, the more likely they are to buy the production that catches their interest.

Consumers are fickle, and it's important to find new ways to proceed them engaged. With analytical insights and archive keeping, leaders can monitor performance and create more effective improvement plans. Instant messaging apps are also constructive for helping retailers collect feedback on new strategies and policies. Surveys and post-purchase questions let instant messaging service agents to make up one's mind customer satisfaction.

These platforms may as well come up with a variety of features such as multi-language support, group conversation options, and automated bots. Instant messaging breaks down communication barriers between retailers and consumers while providing solutions that tin can generate accurate answers to simple questions within seconds.

Evolve the Manner Y'all Communicate With Consumers

Instant messaging has evolved into the preferred method of communication for consumers. This shift in consumer behavior means there's an opportunity for companies to leverage this channel to streamline processes, improve agent productivity, and reduce costs.

A growing number of companies accept realized these benefits within their contact heart because they partnered with Quiq Messaging to better engage with their customers. If you're fix to learn how you tin can realize these benefits, text or chat with us today.