A recent survey solidifies the future of SMS reminders through the eyes of consumers, with nearly 70 percent of respondents saying they want more of them.
The survey, initiated by Dialogue Communications, asked consumers how they currently receive reminders, how they’d prefer to receive them in the future, and their willingness towards SMS to receive reminders for a variety of topics. They found that 83 percent currently receive reminders via mail, while 67 percent would rather receive a text alert instead. Interestingly enough, only 3 percent said they currently utilize SMS reminders in one way or another, yet 70 percent said they’re open to receiving more.
Granted, this survey was conducted in the U.K, but it’s findings likely indicate a worldwide trend, with the US showing increasing interest in the concept as well. Of the 70 percent of respondents who said they’d rather receive a reminder via text message, all expressed willingness to opt-in to such services for everything from bill payments to doctor’s appointments. Over 80 percent of those surveyed expressed a desire for customer service text call-back request functions as well, signaling a unique trend that could arise in the near future.
“The SMS phenomenon goes on, and here at Dialogue we are seeing a constant demand for innovative new applications,” said Guiom Peersman, managing director of Dialogue Communications. “People text all the time and the survey shows they are more than happy to use it beyond normal social networking. With 67% of our study participants happy to receive SMS reminders, and only 3% currently doing so, our findings show that service organizations now need to be aware of this need and respond to it.”
mobileStorm recently initiated a wildly successful SMS reminder pilot program designed around Kaiser Permanente to help contain costs and reduce no-shows to its network of clinics. Kaiser was able to contain communication infrastructure costs at a staggering rate, with the one-month pilot proving that by using SMS appointment reminders, Kaiser was able to save $150 per appointment (their no-show cost), which equated to a total cost savings of over $275,000 at just a single clinic.
With benefits on both sides of the fence — immense cost and resource savings for organizations and sheer convenience for consumers — it’s no wonder why SMS reminders are gaining so much traction and popularity.