A Customer Support Photo is Worth a Thousand Words | #customersupport #supporticket

This is part two of a three-part content series between Freshworks and Textline. You can read part one: “9 reasons your customers want to be able to text support” here.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that a photo can greatly enhance any text message you’re trying to send. That includes messages you send in a customer support role to help customers solve a problem or those texts your customers send you. Sometimes having the option to send a photo, or receive one, can go a long way in improving customer support experiences. Not only can a photo show instead of telling, but it can also evoke emotions and convey what words might not. 

Any good customer support agent knows that their job requires a good understanding of their customers. Using text messages to offer customer support is becoming more common and an additional benefit of that medium is the option to also send MMS messages. You can use MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) to improve your operations, support, and customer experience as a whole. 

Why business MMS is such a value add to your support

If you don’t already have the ability to send and receive MMS messages with your customers, then you don’t know what you’re missing. The addition of MMS messaging can make the work of your customer support team easier and far more effective. We’ll cover the reasons why below.

No more guessing games

If you integrate MMS with business texting to your customer support, you’ll be eliminating a lot of the guessing games your support team faces on a daily basis. With MMS you can send and receive photos, short videos, and PDFs to move forward your conversations. When support agents and customers can only use words, the chances of miscommunications are rather high. Without photos, your support team might make an assumption or not quite understand what the customer is trying to explain.

Adding MMS to support can take a lot of the back and forth around customer support requests out of the equation. Simply asking for a photo to show damage, or a PDF to clarify a bill or walking directions, or even a video to troubleshoot a problem can streamline the communication.

Faster support resolutions

Thanks to the lack of guessing games, you’ll be able to solve customer support problems more quickly. The more quickly you solve one problem the quicker you are onto the next one. Not only can this drive down the cost per interaction for customer support but it can also make your customers happier. The less time they have to spend sorting out an issue the happier they’ll be. And we know that the happier your customers are, the higher your customer retention rates should be. 

Detailed responses to customers

By using MMS and sending photos to your customers you can make your responses as detailed as a photo allows. You can send them a PDF, a video, or a photo to illustrate exactly what you mean. If you’re troubleshooting an error or trying to explain a quick fix to a customer by simply typing out a response you might find it quite difficult. Sending a photo to help explain though would make it significantly easier. 

Increased customer connection

Aside from the utilitarian uses of MMS, you can also use it to connect more with your customers. Communicating with your customers by using a mix of images, text, videos, and emojis makes the conversation more genuine. These conversations will end up feeling more like they’re chatting with a friend than with a customer service rep. They most definitely won’t mistake you for a bot if you’re taking the time to add an emoji here or there and a photo to show them the exact solution to whatever problem they contacted support about. Plus, a large portion of your customers is likely accustomed to using MMS regularly. This fluency in sending and sharing photos can help make them a valuable resource for your support team.

No need for email

Your customers don’t want to email you and they don’t want to receive emails from you either. Studies show that customers much prefer texting over emailing, 52 percent of customers prefer texting over other forms of communication. Meet your customers where they are and contact them how they prefer. 

MMS messaging is good for your bottom line

Now you know all the reasons MMS can make your customer support better. Ultimately, the better your support, the higher your retention, and the more money you can make. 

Higher customer retention

We know retention is less expensive than acquisition, so it makes sense why you’d want to be able to retain your customers. Texting can help you retain customers for the reasons we outlined above. You can solve their problems more quickly, keep them happier, and even get them more detailed responses and help. An increase of just five percent in retention can increase your profits by 25 percent. 

This also translates to a higher lifetime value for each customer. Again, the more satisfied your customers are with your company the more loyal they’ll end up being. Of customers who had a good customer service experience, 83 percent said it influenced their behavior. Additionally, 52 percent of that 83 percent said that change in behavior included buying more from the company over time.  

More referrals

Happy customers refer friends and help you gain more customers. When it comes to marketing, 84 percent of people trust the recommendations that come from people they know. There is a huge amount of business to tap into using customer referrals. But before customers will refer you, they need to be happy with your product and/or service. One of the best ways to make sure your customers are happy is to give them the support and the attention they want. This can mean solving their problems, helping them personally find what they’re looking for, proactively reaching out to them, and more.

Beyond simply giving them the attention they’d like, your customers will appreciate you meeting them where they already are. And they’re on their phones texting. Communicating with your customers on the channel they favor can go a long way with their satisfaction. Keep in mind that your timing will matter too. 

Customers will pay 

Customers are willing to pay more for good customer service. When it comes down to it, 42 percent of customers say they’re willing to pay more for a friendly and welcoming customer experience, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. With texting, you can facilitate a friendly and comfortable conversation that feels similar to speaking with a friend or family member. Being able to connect with your customers, and your customers being able to connect with you, is easier with MMS and sending photos or videos.

The case for MMS

Now you know that offering MMS along with your customer support can help keep your customers happier. Offering MMS helps your support teams connect with your customers better, eliminate any guessing games around communication, and help eliminate the need for email. 

All of this can eventually lead to your customers being happier with their relationship with your business. When your customers are happy, they’re more likely to refer to others as well, all leading to more success for your business.