If you hate being put on hold for customer service, you’re not alone. A recent study conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by OneReach found that 81% of Americans think it’s frustrating being tied to a phone or computer to wait for customer service help. Among those who use text messaging, 64% prefer text messaging over voice to perform some kind of customer service activities. The same percentage of Americans also said they would have a positive perception of a company that offer text customer service.

Do you hear that, America? Over 200 million people would rather text your company than call.

The top reasons customers want to text a company are to check their order status, make/confirm reservations or ask a question. When faced with the option of waiting on hold, nearly half of all consumers with text capability would prefer to press a button to initiate a text conversation immediately over waiting to speak with an agent.

Younger consumers, students and adults with children in their household are the most likely to embrace text messaging as a customer service option. Additionally, over 60% of all consumers would have a positive perception of a company that offers text messaging.

Additional findings:

•  Young women are the most likely to embrace texting for customer service.
• 18-34 year olds are the most frustrated by being put on hold.
• Younger men are most likely to use text for complex tasks (asking a question), while older men are most likely to use text for simple tasks (resetting a password).
• Over 40% of parents with kids under 18 don’t check their voicemail.

Want to know more? Visit our website for the FREE full report or check out our infographic.

Happy reading!