If your company is one of the many now opting to provide tech support through text, you may be anxious about implementing this new technology. There is good news, however. First of all, integrating text is likely way more simple and straightforward than you think (as you can read about here). Secondly, the benefits of switching to text-based tech support vastly outweigh the risk of lagging behind in an outdated voice-only system. Here are a few that come to mind.

Preference

According to practicalecommerce.com there are 4.3 billion people carrying SMS-enabled devices, and of those 96 percent send text messages on a regular basis. In fact, text messaging is the most common activity done on mobile devices (Source: Portio Research). Plus, those who have used text-based tech support as opposed to the phone-based alternative typically prefer texting.

Privacy

Customers love the fact that they can receive support in a loud or crowded place through texting and not worry about trying to hear the representative. And it makes sense. Who really wants to embarrass themselves in public as they yell “help” repeatedly at an unresponsive IVR? Plus, when people do business while on the move, they often balk at audibly giving or receiving private information. They may not want those around them to hear what they are ordering, what trouble they are having, or what financial changes they would like to make.

Quality

Tech support demand is only increasing as more complex products and services are being offered to consumers. Texting allows a tech support professional to provide a quality experience for the customer by easily and accurately evaluating, troubleshooting, and solving a customer’s issue. With the necessary information in hand, a tech support professional can either solve the problem in the moment or take a few minutes for more thorough research.

Efficiency

It is more efficient for customers to use text rather than phone, freeing up more time for customer service representatives and increasing productivity. Existing technology allows customers to navigate through a tech support system via texting very quickly. A tiered or tree system will help customers provide information about their problem, making the process both faster and simpler for the technician and customer alike. Plus, a technician can help multiple people at once through this type of support, while it would be impossible to help out more than one customer over the phone at the same time.

Cost

Yes, there might be some initial cost when switching to text due to technology upgrades and training. However, the learning curve will be vastly overshadowed by the timeliness and accuracy of support being delivered. Keep in mind that during the initial phase of creating a text-based tech support system it is important to still allow customers to call in so they can still receive support the way they are used to. As customers become aware of the new system and try it they will undoubtedly use it more than the traditional alternative. It is also worth considering that the average response time to an email is 90 minutes, while the average response time to a text message is 90 seconds according to Responsive Presence. Which seems more cost effective to you?

For more information on how text tech support can be utilized in your business, please contact us.