Look Out for SMS Messaging: Coming Soon to the Business Phone System Near You!

Are we on a roll, or what?!

Over the past two weeks we helped you spy on your own voicemail with instant text transcripts, connected you across the seas with local and toll-free numbers in the UK and Australia, brought you the super-rare species of true 800 numbers—but, at Synclio, we never sleep (we actually do, just in case someone from the labour-board is reading) and we’ve got even more coming your way!

“So what’s in store today?” you ask. Don’t start getting antsy. We won’t keep the suspense up—for long...

SMS Enabled Phone Numbers

That’s just a fancy way of saying you’ll be able to send and receive SMS text messages over the local or toll-free phone number associated with your virtual PBX service.

Why would I want to send/receive SMS messages over my business phone system?

That’s a good question. You may think that SMS messages are only good for casual stuff, like your wife reminding you to get milk or your kid texting from the back seat a friendly ‘are we there yet?’—but a late 2010 study conducted by Nielsen paints a revealing picture.

SMS is Popular

First, let’s crunch some numbers:

Teens between the ages 13-17 averaged 3,339 text messages per month, or 6 texts an hour (that's per teen!).

If you’re thinking ‘oh, but they’re just babies’, ask any mother and she’ll tell you just how fast these babies grow. They are your future customers. With baby-girls leading the race at 4,050 texts/month and baby-boys right behind at 2,539 texts/month, it’s evident that SMS is their preferred method of communication.

Indeed, of the 3,000 teens questioned, 43% maintained texting was their top reason for having a mobile phone in the first place (‘Safety’ came at a respectable second). It’s not very surprising either, considering it’s short, impersonal, mostly free—perfectly fitting our terse, socially-awkward, and cash-strapped little darlings.

And it’s not a fad of adolescence either. The grown-babies (ages 18-24) texted 1,630 messages/month (or thrice per hour); the older generation (25-34) scratched 1000; their elders (35-44) pushed well over 500; even their seniors had some finger activity on the mini QWERTY keyboards, all the way to up to age 64.

And we’re not talking babies that grew up with a ‘Pacifier’ app on their smartphones...

SMS is practical

But it’s not only the almighty hip-cool-fun factor that drives SMS usage up. “78 percent of teens recognize the functionality and convenience of SMS” said the Nielsen blog “considering it easier (22 percent) and faster (20 percent) than voice calls”.

So even the youngest members of our pop-culture realize the utilitarian value of text messaging; there’s practical grace on the other side of social grace. The cup is half full!

SMS is Cost-effective

We’ve all rediscovering the virtue of frugality during the last economic downturn. Penniless teens or over-credited adults—most of us still feel the crunch and can use all the break we can get, especially with the uncertain times ahead. But even if everything was peachy and rosy—why pay more than we absolutely have to?

Voice-calling not only involves long wait times and frustration, it’s also expensive. That’s why many customers and businesses have adopted emails, instant chat, and social platforms for resolving different queries. Personally, even with free calling options, I still won’t call a business unless I ABSOLUTELY have to. I’d much rather use instant chat.

Social platforms and SMS take after the same idea.

How will it work?

Simple. Customers text your business phone number just like they would any other mobile number. The message is then routed by our system to the account’s admin, who receives it in his email inbox and our mobile app. From this point, he can respond to the client directly or forward the message to any other team member for follow up.

This is the basic functionality as we first roll out this new feature. We’ll later incorporate more advanced options and permission settings based on customer input and experience.

How much will it costs?

You:

Sending and receiving SMS over your phone system will cost you 5 cents/msg, inbound or outbound. You only pay for what you use, when you use it.

Your customers:

This will depend on each customer’s mobile plan and provider, but most plans generally include a generous amount of free messages, and then there are many other ways a customer can send SMS messages for free.

When will the service come out and how can I start using it?

The new SMS enabled phone number feature is due to roll out over the next few weeks. We’ll put up another post here on the blog as soon as it goes live and blast the news far and wide over our Twitter network. Follow us @Synclio to get a ‘heads up’.

You’ll be able to start using the service right away.

Conclusion

The business of a business owner is adapting to his customers. Being where they are will help you generate leads. Offering services they like will help you convert them. Adopting the contact options they prefer will help your retain them. Business is ultimately about offering variety. You don’t have to offer everything that’s out there, but you do need to offer what your customers want.

SMS over your business phone is just another option; another means for customers to reach you. And you don’t pay unless they use it, so it's really aces all around.