6 Highly Effective Industry Use Cases for SMS

If you thought that SMS was just for confirmation messages and announcements, think again. More and more brands are realizing the full potential of text messages and using them to foster loyalty, boost conversion rates, streamline services and create lasting and meaningful relationships with customers.

Everybody's got a cell phone and most keep it by their side 24/7. The short, sweet and reliable nature of SMS makes it the perfect messaging format for people on the go. In fact, according to research, text messages have a read-rate of 98%. Compare that to the 20% read-rate of emails and you have one very compelling reason to look to SMS as a viable, cost-effective and efficient use case.

There's a myriad number of  ways SMS can be used in various industries. Let's take a closer look.

1. 1. Field Service Dispatch

• Field service environments are high stress, fast-paced environments. Coordination between field service management and field service technicians needs to be reliable and efficient to ensure customer satisfaction.
• That is why many field service companies are turning to the unmatched speed and reliability of SMS to streamline their operations. From dispatching technicians to providing real-time incident tracking and appointment ETAs to customers, SMS is helping field service companies to thrive.

1. 2. Appointments and Reminders

• No-shows are a huge problem for doctors, dentists, salons and other businesses that depend on an appointment system to generate revenue.
• While sending out reminder emails and manually making calls to patients and customers can be effective, it's also a very time-intensive process and open to error.  The SMS provides a great way to reduce missed appointments through automated appointment confirmations, appointment changes and timely reminders that make a measurable impact.

1. 3. Flight Info, Arrivals, and Departures

• Many airlines have embraced the digital sphere. Gone are the days of rushing to the airport to check-in or keeping a watchful eye on arrival and departure boards.
• Today's tech-savvy airlines have not only given customers the ability to check-in online but are also using SMS to take the customer experience even further. Lufthansa, for example, is one of a number of airlines that has launched a service that allows travelers to request arrival and departure information by SMS using just their flight number and time. The airline will also text customers with important updates such as gate changes and flight delays.

1. 4. Bill Payment Reminders

• Nobody likes missed bill payments, least of all businesses collecting payment from customers. Organizations can benefit their bottom line and customers alike by sending timely reminders by SMS when payments are almost due, on the day they are due, and when they are overdue. Text messages can also be used to send details of balances remaining on loans or other credit arrangements and to encourage customers to renew a subscription or product.

1. 5. Send Critical System Alerts to Those Who Matter

• Just a few minutes of downtime can be disastrous for business and can be damaging to both revenue and reputation. A data breach can bring a company to its knees and potentially spark compliance investigations and bad press. SMS can send out automated alerts the moment a security breach or system malfunction is discovered, ensuring the right information is delivered to the palm of those who need to know, reliably and quickly.

• 6. Tracking Goods From Depot to Door.. Know More

• Anything that means less time waiting at home for deliveries can only be a good thing. That's why more package delivery companies are keeping customers informed by SMS. From dispatch confirmation and tracking details to giving customers the freedom to defer delivery or choose a convenient one-hour delivery slot, text messages, SMS can improve the customer experience and help delivery companies to reduce costs due to wrongly delivered or lost items.

And the List Goes On...

• From a marketing and customer service perspective, adding SMS to the business plan can help to engage with an audience that is not only on the move, but which expects to be kept notified at every point of the customer journey. From a business operation and continuity standpoint, text messages sent to the right people when it matters the most can help to ensure optimum up-time, efficient scheduling and greater visibility and control of what is happening in real-time across the organization.

CEQUENS Can Help

• We're a leading Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region that aims to bridge communication gaps in a communication-driven world.
• Powered by innovation and guided by a Cloud-First and Mobile-First approach, we provide omnichannel communication services and  APIs that enable enterprises and developers to communicate with their customer base worldwide.
• As an Endeavor Entrepreneur and GSMA Associate Member and ISO-Certified company, CEQUENS plays a pivotal role in transforming business communication in the region.
• CEQUENS proprietary, PCI/DSS compliant Communication Platform leverages the latest cloud technologies and features a comprehensive portfolio of services that are industry-focused, agile, scalable, and cost-effective.

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