“The High Demand for Customer Service via Text Message”
Historically, companies have incorporated texting into their business strategy for outbound marketing or reminder blasts, using short codes. However, this is not how people experience texting in their personal lives.
64% of consumers with texting capabilities would prefer to use texting over voice as a customer service channel.
One emerging customer service channel—texting via SMS—is turning out to be more important than previously thought. To find out exactly what customers would like most from the customer service text channel, Harris Interactive conducted a nation-wide survey of over 2000 adults on behalf of OneReach. Some key overall findings:
- 64% of consumers with texting capabilities would prefer to use texting over voiceas a customer service channel.
- 44% of consumers with texting capabilities would prefer to press a button to initiate a text conversation immediately, rather than waiting on hold to speak with an agent.
- 77% of consumers with texting capabilities aged 18-34 are likely to have a positive perception of a company that offers text capability.
- 81% of all consumers agree that it is frustrating to be tied to a phone or computer to wait for customer service help.
