How to Reduce Business Administrative Costs using SMS
Reduce the Administrative burden on your business using an Australian SMS Provider
The post-covid era has presented a broad range of operational challenges for businesses.
Many have been impacted by staff shortages, supply issues, and rising costs of doing business. Survival, for many, may depend on the ability to adapt and streamline processes.
According to a global study by Sage, small and medium businesses currently spend an average of 120 working days per year on administrative tasks. This accounts for around 5% of the total labour resources for the average small and medium sized business.
Reducing the burden of administrative work is something businesses of all sizes can benefit from. Organisations that utilise SMS technology to automate processes can re-direct resources to other areas. This can help grow the business and maximise revenue.
Creating and sending SMS via an Australian SMS Provider is fast, simple and cost-effective. And with an open rate of 98% and response rate of approximately 45% it also a highly reliable and effective channel of communication.
So, let's look at some of the ways businesses can use text messaging to reduce their administrative workload.
SMS Reminders
Automating the process of customers follow-up via SMS is far less resource intensive than manually contacting customers by phone. It’s also a lot more effective than sending reminders by email, considering SMS has an open rate of 98% compared to email at 20%.
SMS reminders can be sent quickly and easily using an SMS service. And the argument for doing so is compelling.
In a 6-month study by BMC Ophthalmology, an SMS was sent to a group of out patients reminding them of an upcoming appointment. Results were then compared to a group who did not receive an SMS reminder. Patients who received an SMS reminder before their appointment were 38% less likely to miss their appointment than those who did not receive a reminder.
SMS reminders are also particularly useful in the hospitality industry for reservation reminders. Using 2-way-SMS or 'send and receive', restaurant managers can easily confirm or cancel bookings, to ensure restaurants enjoy maximum occupancy.
Record maintenance and information collection
Whether it’s customers records or staff and supplier details, having the right information at the right time is critical. While manually ensuring information is up to date can be a very time-consuming process, this task can be easily fast-tracked using bulk SMS.
Instead of trying to reach customers individually by phone, business administrators can send an SMS with a link to an online form. This way, customers can update their information themselves.
This is also an ideal avenue for ‘new customer’ applications to be completed. One that is often more convenient for both customers and businesses alike. For customers, rather than having to arrive at an appointment early to complete forms, they can be done prior at a time that is convenient. For businesses, the information can be instantly transferred, thus eliminating the need for manual data entry. This reduces time spent on what is often considered one of the most time consuming administrative tasks for businesses.
Scheduling and staff rosters
SMS is a great tool for internal communications, especially when coordinating and confirming staff rosters for large workforces. 2-way messaging can be used to confirm staff rosters, schedules and appointments quickly and easily. This can avoid lengthy back-and-forth between management and staff, thus greatly reducing the administrative load.
SMS Debt collection and payment reminders
Timely customer payments are critical to running a healthy business. That said, it is not uncommon for businesses to experience cash flow problems as a result of overdue payments. As a result, following up with customers is an important but often time-consuming (and sometimes uncomfortable) task if undertaken by phone or traditional mail.
An SMS reminder is often all that is needed to prompt a late payment. Australian SMS providers make it quick and easy to send reminders.
In a recent trial, The Australian Government and a major local bank sent email and SMS reminders to credit card customers. The results showed that email reminders had little impact but SMS messages increased repayments by around 28%.
Phone handling
Attending to customer phone calls, whether it be enquiries or complaints, can be disruptive and time consuming. One way a business could reduce phone traffic is by providing customers with an opportunity to communicate via SMS.
After an appointment, purchase or dining experience, customers could be sent a simple SMS allowing customers to provide feedback. This enables customers to feel heard and provides an avenue for communication that does not require heavy administration.
To learn more about how an SMS service can help you reduce time spent on administrative tasks within your industry, speak with a member of our customer success team today.