Guides

How retailers can keep Christmas shoppers happy using SMS

The vast majority of shoppers have little faith in the ability of retailers to deliver their shopping on time. Interesting stats from a consumer survey carried out by Epitca, include;

•Just 33% expect that last minute orders will arrive on time.
•40% don’t trust the retailer to deliver on time, but are willing to give it a go.
•27% expect last minute orders to be late.

Sometimes delivery times are out of retailers hands, especially when reliance is put on the Royal Mail – heavy snow around this time of year also contributing to many of the delays.

So apart from choosing a reliable courier, how can retailers use SMS services to avoid customers being disappointed this year?

“Order in time for Christmas” notification - You probably already have a database of your customers mobile numbers, send them an SMS message to let them know when last orders are being taken for Christmas.

Order despatch confirmation – Let your customer know when their item is on its way.

Journey updates – Send your customer status updates of where their item is – especially if you know it’s going to be late.

Specify delivery times – If you’re able to inform your customer of the time frame when their item is likely to arrive, there is a much greater chance that they’ll be in – no need to redeliver.

If a delivery is late, be reactive – Send your customer an text message apologising, you could also send them a discount code for their next order.

The key to avoiding customer disappointment is to provide clear and concise information to your customers, without promising what you can’t deliver.  Sending text messages is a cheap and effective way to make the whole process run more smoothly.

Virtual Mobile Numbers vs. SMS Short Codes

There is a clear difference between the two numbers and that is the length of them, one is a long number and one is a short number. They both allow you to receive SMS messages.

So a Virtual Mobile Number is an 11 digit number that effectively makes your online SMS account into a mobile phone in its own right. You can send texts from the number and receive messages directly back to the number. The advantage of this is that your customers or staff can store the number in their phone and will always know who the text messages are from. It’s just like storing a friend’s number into your phone’s contacts.

An SMS Short Code is a 5 digit number that is memorable, for example 80806. These can be bought as dedicated Short Codes, which means that you own that number and every message sent to it will go into your account. An SMS Short Code can also be shared, this means that many people use the same number, however everyone has a unique “keyword”. This keyword is to be placed at the start of a text and will direct the texts to the correct account’s inbox.

As well as Short Codes, there are Premium Short Codes. These are again the same as a standard Short Code in size, however texting these numbers will come with additional charges. They are most commonly seen on TV competitions, for charity donations and for use by ring tone companies.

The above numbers work well with offline media such as print, radio, TV etc. However it is more common to see a Short Code, as they are more memorable and quicker to enter into a phone, a key attribute if time is of the essence.  A Virtual Mobile Number is perfect for when you would like people to reply to your message, it makes the process much easier as the recipient simply needs to press reply on their mobile and send the message back.

With Esendex’s  SMS Plans or SMS Trackers, you get a free Virtual Mobile Number or an SMS Short Code with a keyword. For more information call one of our SMS experts on 0845 356 5758 or email sales@esendex.com.

Event Check-in: A revolution for event organisation

The leading digital agency ORM London has launched a new iPad app which has the ability to create a guest list, check guests in at the event and analyse data afterwards to improve future events.

A number of British event organisation companies could benefit from the exciting new iPad app.

This new service, called Event Check-in, will help event organisers save both time and money. By using the QR scanner, event guests are quickly and easily checked in. A unique QR code for each guest can then be included in email or printed invitations.

Multiple iPads and scanners can be connected to the app to scale up for events with multiple points-of-entry. On top of this, automatic SMS alerts can be set up to send a text message to a guest’s host when they arrive. This extra service will ensure VIP guests are looked after properly as soon as they arrive.

The sophisticated system works with a wireless scanner and software-as-a-service (Saas) portal that streamlines the event check-in process from any location. The iPad and the portal will be constantly synchronised.

Once the event is finished, data from the iPad is synched to the Event Check-In portal and all the information is consolidated to produce an analysis. In this sense, the system is developing a customised guest feedback module for the organisers.

A mix of technologies

“By connecting the iPad and SocketMobile scanner, a world first, and combining them with SMS alerts and live cloud data Event Check-in is at the cutting edge of connective devices,” said Mahesh Ramachandra, Head of Product at ORM London.

“At ORM London, we want to continue to push the boundaries and Event Check-in is the first of a number of innovative apps we have planned to help businesses in various industries.”

SMS communication is an integral part of both smartphones and simpler mobile phones. Both devices help to boost the SMS client-business communication.