Agencies that commit time to think strategically plan for technology changes, the changing of their communities, and the expectations of their customer base. They will move quickly and adapt to the changing environment around their agency. Leveraging this to identify key personnel to plan, execute, prepare, and educate their agency workforce. This results in more seamless transitions for the agency and a better customer experience.
Integrating technology can significantly impact your employees at every level, including Owners, Producers, Account Managers, and Internal Support Staff. In the same aspect, unless planning has been put in place to evaluate your systems, equipment, time savers, and efficiencies can be overlooked. The ability to streamline your processes and procedures, that when an Account Manager receives a text instead of having to copy and paste the text. HawkSoft Integrated Texting you can effortlessly attach this to your client file in the HawkSoft Management system. Conversations are saved in one place in the client’s file for future reference.
Offering text messaging is one of those ways that it’s easy to communicate with clients, and they respond quickly.
Think about that and the times you have sent emails and made phone calls that go unanswered.
Send a text message and receive answers, in some cases, within 90 seconds.
I spent some time talking with Michael Ley and Linda Anderson from HawkSoft and had a chance to learn more about HawkSoft integrated texting. The infographic below compares how consumers interact with texting instead of email.
HawkSoft Integrated Texting
HawkSoft Text Messaging gives agencies the ability to send texts to clients from within the HawkSoft agency management system while seamlessly managing federal compliance. This add-on to HawkSoft is available for a small monthly fee and includes unlimited texts and users.
Federal Compliance Comes Built In
The TCPA, a law passed by the US Congress, mandates that your clients grant permission to receive texts from your agency. HawkSoft Text Messaging has built-in functionality that requests permission from your recipient to meet this requirement. HawkSoft sends one-click opt-in texts to insureds, automatically opts out clients who use the STOP keyword, and displays the opt-in status for each mobile number on a policy.
Integrated Texting
Conversations are saved in one place in the client’s file for future reference.
Opt-in / Opt-out
Client consent is automated opt-in and opt-out, along with status capabilities.
Agency Visibility
Staff can see the text messages and respond if someone is out of the office.
Desktop Notification
Get desktop notifications for the conversations that matter to you.
Choose Your Number: Text from your main agency phone number or choose one with your local area code.
Images & ID cards: Send ID cards via text, and receive pictures sent. Drag & drop images to the client file.
Eliminate Duplicate Work: Mark texts as processed to clear them from the agency’s queue. Filter your view for only unprocessed texts.
Permanent Record: This is the un-editable record of the client’s entire text history.
Filter Conversations: Filter messages by client, conversations you follow, or unprocessed messages.
Communicating with clients via text is a great way to build personalized relationships with timely messages. Here are some statistics that back up your customers’ mindset on text messaging.
Availability
The potential texting audience is enormous: 81% of U.S. adults owned a smartphone as of February 2019, and 80% of smartphone users check their phones 15 minutes after waking up. Nearly every phone today has text messaging capability.
Urgency
People view—and respond to—text messages quickly. An average text response time is 90 seconds versus an average of 90 minutes with email, meaning clients will instantly see your message.
Intimacy
Texts are a personal, preferred communication form (the most common cell phone activity). People send texts daily to communicate with friends, family, and colleagues. Communicating with clients via texting is a great way to build personalized relationships with timely messages compared to larger, more traditional media campaigns.
Response and open rate
Text messages have an average open rate of 98% instead of email’s 20%. Response rates are a staggering 45% compared to only 6% for email—your clients will see your message and be more likely to respond.
Here are a few reasons business text messaging is gaining momentum, along with features that are a time saver and significant efficiencies for any agency.
Permission-based
Text messaging is wholly permission-based. Your clients must opt-in to receive messages. There are federal laws that mandate opt-ins for business communication. This fosters trust between your agency and clients and ensures they want to receive your notifications.
Superior customer service
Consumers are looking for the quickest and easiest way to communicate with businesses, and texting tops the list. Offering texting is a great way to show your clients that your agency is adept with modern technology and committed to providing them the best possible customer service experience.
Competitive advantage
Adding text messaging can open up a whole new communication channel for your clients. It can help your agency cut through the clutter, costs, and time associated with other media and give you the edge above your competitors.
HawkSoft compiled information on laws and regulations for texting and best practices.
Understanding these guidelines is important for agencies, as fines and penalty fees can be costly for TCPA violations.
Choosing the most effective way to communicate is essential to getting things done. The benefits of text messaging are hard to ignore, and many organizations choose this simple and effective way to communicate.
Cited Resource
Hawksoft
https://www.hawksoft.com/agency-management-system/tour/text-messaging/
