Zendesk has introduced proactive messages with the intent to assist brands in connecting with customers through modern messaging channels in a more meaningful, timely, and contextually relevant manner. These messages allow businesses to:
-
Offer proactive support, such as providing automated self-service according to user behavior and interaction history and showing product delivery and maintenance delays.
-
Boost customer engagement and retention by providing custom greetings, guided onboarding, and announcements.
-
Enhance sales and conversion rates with targeted messages according to customer events and previous interactions.
“CX leaders are balancing the cost of providing good service with the reality of high customer expectations. By adopting a solution of self-service, automation and agent assistance, customers get immediate answers while agents can focus on more complex tasks. Zendesk comes pre-configured so it is easy for admins to schedule when and how often messages will be sent from an agent or bot,” said Jon Aniano, Senior Vice President of Product, CRM Applications at Zendesk.
Aja Varney, Director of Global Customer Engagement at Spartan Race, stated that their analysis showed a 60% increase in the likelihood of their customers making purchases when an agent reached out proactively to address their queries or other purchase-related obstacles or even to check in. With the availability of this capability within messaging, Spartan Race aims to provide its customers with a more efficient and conversational experience.
According to the Zendesk report, 70% of consumers purchase more from companies that provide seamless conversational experiences. In fact, almost two-thirds (64%) of consumers tend to spend more money on a brand if agents manage to resolve customer issues in the same messaging channel customer is using.
Additions to the Zendesk platform
To make messaging more accessible to more businesses, Zendesk has integrated Sunshine Conversations into the Zendesk Suite. This integration allows brands to send proactive messages to multiple customers simultaneously using Sunshine Conversations, such as notifying them about important service disruptions or promoting current product offerings.
Speaking of Sunshine Conversations, Kore.ai has recently integrated its conversational AI XO Platform into Zendesk Sunshine Conversations to provide intelligent virtual assistants that can automate up to 90% of customer service requests.
Zendesk highlights the importance of a proactive approach as it helps businesses connect with customers while adding value to conversations.
Further, Zendesk messaging has been added to the Zendesk Business Associate Agreement as a HIPAA-enabled service, enabling Zendesk customers to comply with their HIPAA obligations while using the latest messaging features.“By getting ahead of service issues before they happen, companies reduce operational costs and avoid damaging their brand reputation as customers are unafraid to call out poor CX. For example, notifications about shipment delays or recommendations for replacement products have the potential to lead to increased customer satisfaction and a measurable impact on revenue,” added Aniano.
