Communication Problems

Businesses are still making customers telephone and email

Whether due to pre messaging communication infrastructure or a lack of timeliness, businesses are failing to meet millennials, and the wider always-connected "digital consumers", in their preferred communication channels and apps.

What millennials and digital consumers do not want

Adding fuel to the messaging app firestorm is the fact that both consumers, and the businesses servicing them, are now faced with three major pain points.

Unexpected and unwanted calls

Consumers, being either frustrated or defensive, are no longer answering calls from unknown numbers.

Major telephone providers around the world are now also forewarning customers of calls from telemarkets and suspected spam calls.

The swamp of email inboxes

With popular email service now being over 15 years old, consumers now have thousands of unopened emails cluttering both their spam folders as well as their inboxes.

In contrast, messaging app users continues to grow in every global region, in all demographics, and have inboxes that are both uncluttered and have over 70% open rates (compared to 10-15% open rates for emails). Learn more about personalized push messaging

More apps that they do not use

Despite vast sums being spent by businesses, studies are now finding that consumers are now avoiding downloading new apps. Devices are also now notifying users of installed but unused apps, with the suggestion of "offloading" them to free up scarce storage space.

What digital consumers do want

Without the need to over-complicate the reasoning for the adoption and preference of messaging, it can be said that such digital consumers now expect and look for:

Communicate Faster and Smarter

Consumers now avoid calling or emailing businesses and would now rather initiate a conversation directly with a brand via messaging apps where they can both multitask and engage in a less formal and time-pressured conversational manner, as they would normally do so with friends and family.

Efficiency

From answering FAQs, placing orders and low touch account changes, chatbots are now becoming businesses first line interaction with both prospects and existing customers.

Speak in person only when ready

Consumers are still happy to text chat or speak when they have time and are mentally prepared for a conversation. Whether electing to message a live agent rather than a chatbot or simply asking for a callback, the consumer now dictates the process and timing.