SMS Queues: The Next Frontier in Enhancing Customer Experiences

Looking for a way to deliver better customer experiences? The solution is a lot closer than you think. In fact, it's already in your hands: smartphones.

Think about it. People today shop, pay bills, and stay connected with friends and family all through these devices. And according to a survey of over 2,028 respondents, they’re spending an average of five to six hours on their phones. The kicker? The stat doesn’t even include work-related smartphone use.

Unfortunately, mobile devices like smartphones are an underutilized communication channel for organizations. Many are unsure how to leverage it, much less how to use it to drive efficiencies like managing queues and staying connected with customers.

But things are changing. Recent technological advancements like SMS queues enable organizations like yours to flip the script. Through queue and appointment management technology, you can unlock the value of SMS queues to provide a more seamless experience that bridges the digital and physical experience while unlocking additional benefits for your organization.

We’ll show you how in this blog. But first, what is an SMS queue, and how does it work?

SMS Queues: What is it and how does it work?

In a nutshell, an SMS queue works like you think it does. It enables customers to check in and enter a queue via a short messaging service: SMS.

The way it works is that when customers enter the premises, whether at a retail location, government office, or healthcare facility, they can simply text a designated number to enter the queue. And suppose a customer has booked an appointment. In that case, they can also check in for their appointment through a link provided in the appointment confirmation. 

The SMS queue system then adds them to the queue, and from there, customers can monitor where they are in the queue process and get notified when it's their turn to be served. 

When it's time to meet with a representative, the customer gets a notification on their mobile device letting them know that they're up next. If you're using an appointment scheduling solution along with SMS messaging, you enable customers to check in before they even enter your premises.

How SMS queues add another dimension to the customer experience

Outside of delivering a more convenient experience, SMS queues are redefining what it means to manage a line. When paired with a customer journey management platform, it enables you to unlock a host of additional benefits, such as streamlining key business workflows, improving staff satisfaction, and of course, enhancing patient, customer, and visitor experiences. Here are a few benefits you can expect to realize with SMS queues.

Create more frictionless experiences

No one likes a disjointed experience. Typically, you expect to have the same interaction online and in person. One way to make sure you’re set up to deliver on this expectation is with SMS queues.

Visitors, patients, and customers can sign up for your services online, receive a notification via text, and know the wait time, where they are in the queue, and who they can expect to meet once on site. This added layer of communication makes the customer feel valued and improves customer satisfaction. 

Reduce crowds and wait times

With an SMS queue, you can minimize crowding in your locations. Customers don't need to be physically present, reducing congestion and maintaining social distancing if required. The SMS queues ensure a fair and organized process, optimizing wait times and enhancing operational efficiency.

Implement a more cost-effective solution

Implementing an SMS queue can be a cost-effective alternative compared to traditional queuing systems. It reduces the need for physical infrastructure and manual processes, saving on resources and maintenance costs. Additionally, it can minimize staffing requirements and increase operational efficiency.

Improve staff satisfaction

Before the technology available today, staff members often reacted to customer needs in real-time. They didn't know who they would encounter, the volume of people they were expected to interact with, or how to best meet their needs.

Using appointment scheduling software with SMS capabilities changes that. It provides staff members with all the information they need to make necessary adjustments to manage queue volume and customer requests. It removes the stress for staff members by giving them more control over their work days.

Enhances resource allocation

Just as staff members can better prepare for their day, you, too, can use this tool to better allocate resources based on demand. Appointment scheduling technology with SMS capabilities and business intelligence capabilities makes this possible by collecting all the information for you on a dashboard.

With this data, you can staff your team for the week based on projected demand and real-time information. And since you have more control over your workforce, you can ensure you have the right people based on service demand and requests at the right time.

Give customers more control over their experience

It’s fair to say that people today want more control of their experience. By removing the lines and the need to wait on-site to get service, customers get to decide how they want to spend their wait time.

They can choose to explore products on the retail floor, enabling you to drive more sales, or they can go to a local coffee shop while waiting for the doctor to give them their health check. So when they meet staff for the first time, they're much more mellow than they would be if they were waiting in a line.

Improve customer loyalty and retention

Frequent communication, transparency, and protecting their time are things people value. SMS queues enable you to do all three. As people go through your respective customer, patient, and visitor journeys, you can inform them across all touchpoints.

For example, you can share announcements about new products or service offerings while they wait. Likewise, you can solicit their feedback at the end of their experience to further optimize the experience for current and future patients, customers, and visitors. 

Ready to go mobile?

Using the channel customers prefer to communicate on just makes sense. And with over 95% of Americans owning a cellphone of some sort, leveraging this channel of communication opens a host of opportunities to make your organization more customer-centric than ever before. After all, organizations that align with their customers’ preferences are rewarded with more revenue, customer stickiness, and more.

The key is looking for an SMS queue system that also provides additional features that enable you to control the entire customer, patient, and visitor journey from start to finish. That means exploring features like mobile ticketing, online appointment booking, staffing application, and more. If you’re interested in learning more about virtual queuing solutions like SMS queues, then check out this virtual queuing guide to learn more,  or visit our Mobile Ticket page.