Toll-Free Texting: The Newest Tool in Customer Service

The toll-free number industry is adapting with the changing times, mainly because of its versatility and marketing value. One of the ways that toll-free numbers are continuing to be useful and relevant in today's age is with the innovation of toll-free texting.

Companies have caught onto the fact that the vast majority of mobile phone users prefer to use texting when given the chance, and decided to capitalize on this customer preference by enabling toll-free numbers to send and receive text messages. This new technology makes customer relations more convenient, modern, reliable, and efficient. Below are some of the benefits of toll-free texting and why we think it's here to stay.

Convenience

Toll-free texting is growing in popularity mainly because of its convenience. Most companies will allow you to keep your existing toll-free number, meaning customers can contact you using the number they already know and trust. The added convenience of being able to solve problems, book appointments, and receive feedback with a simple message conversation will inspire customers to get more involved and use your business more often.

Modernization

Companies like Google and Allstate are also turning to toll-free texting to give their company a modern edge. Customers, especially young customers, overwhelmingly report viewing companies that offer toll-free texting in a positive light. As social media and email marketing has shown us, staying up to date with the current forms of communication is no longer an option for a business looking to grow-- it is a necessity.

Reliability

A major reason that companies are using toll-free texting is for customer service. With the option of texting, communications are automatically stored on the texting database software used by the company. This allows customers to send in official complaints, requests, and inquiries from their smart phone. Many toll-free texting companies are also incorporating the use of photo and video (MMS) into the texting platform. This feature enables customers to send in photo proof for claims, photocopies of documents, or video testimonials, all through their smart phone. With written and photo/video records of interactions, companies are significantly increasing the reliability of their communications and creating an easy to maintain database of customer interactions that they can record, reference, and organize.

Efficiency

Probably the most interesting aspect of toll-free texting for businesses is how it can help their bottom line. Communication through text is can be more efficient than phone calls: representatives can host multiple conversations at a time, conversations take less time, and they are usually more efficient, brief, and productive. Text conversations can also use automation features such as auto reply and push notifications that will reduce the manpower needed to run a customer service department. Quite simply, texting is more efficient both for the customer and for the company, who both want to get issues resolved as quickly as possible.

Toll-free texting may take some getting used to for older customers or customers without smart phone access. However, when implemented alongside comprehensive phone customer service, toll-free texting looks to be the newest invaluable resource for companies looking to take their customer relationships to the next level.

See how toll-free texting can help your business. The video below was provided by the TSS Registry.