When we have something to tell someone, invariably our first instinct is to reach for our mobile phone.
Not to call – but to make contact in written form.
An SMS, an email, a WhatsApp, a social media post.
Everyone has their favourite and, in today’s ‘always-on’ omnichannel world, enterprises and brands for whom frictionless communication with customers is key must make every channel accessible.
Smooth, slick interaction enhances the customer experience, deepens brand loyalty, and enables customer service representatives to deliver the best possible 24/7 support.
Here, Sandro Stupar, Director of Product at leading provider of global omnichannel communications solutions Mitto - whose direct and wholesale offerings help do just that – details the top five benefits of business messaging…
1. Return on Investment
According to our recent ‘State of the Customer Experience’ report, customer demand for digital communications are rising. Brands that take an omnichannel business messaging approach will meet these expectations while simultaneously driving revenue. Our report showed that brands that implemented unified omnichannel strategies were four times more likely to report extremely loyal customers, three times more likely to report a customer experience that deserves an “A”, and three times more likely to report a significant increase in revenue growth over the past year. That’s because those brands were able to meet customers where they already were—on their preferred messaging platforms. It all makes for increased Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) and Higher Net Promoter Scores (NPS) – which means that all-important ROI is assured.
2. Better customer support
An omnichannel business messaging strategy is a valuable tool for customer support teams, especially around hectic shopping seasons. Representatives are better equipped to manage multiple conversations at once and offer stronger support to customers. Businesses that have implemented a complete omnichannel strategy are twice as likely to respond to customers in real-time or in less than one hour. This reduces delayed responses, alleviates customer concerns about shipment delays, optimizes personalization, and delivers a cohesive experience across all platforms. An omnichannel approach also breaks down silos between customer support and marketing teams, enabling a 360-degree view of the consumer. This promotes cross-functionality visibility and collaboration, significantly improving overall customer experience (CX).
3. Chatbots and automation
Brands that have adopted AI chatbots and automated message flows can respond to customer inquiries instantaneously and provide stellar support 24/7. When these technologies are used as part of a complete omnichannel strategy, customer support teams are three times more likely to report that the AI chatbots and automated message flows they use perform much better than other customer communication channels. Chatbots also allow businesses to focus on more challenging inquiries by answering common questions, better-analyze customer data, and improve customer acquisition and retention rates.
