Customers Want Simplification in Brand Interactions

Customers might be empowered and in control, but when it comes right down to it, they are looking for one thing when they interact with brands: Simplicity.

Customers are looking for simplification in how they interact with brands and enterprises, according to new research from SAP SE.

Due to an “icon overload” on devices,  nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said that they should uninstall a number of apps on their phones due to lack of use, and 68% said that they have more apps on their smartphones than they need.

What’s more, 71% indicated it’s annoying to have different conversations in different apps when all messages are not in one place. SMS is viewed by consumers as a quick (67%) and convenient (56%) way for companies to communicate.

The research shows that consumer mobile app consumption is maturing and that consumers have discerning preferences for how they communicate with brands, with eight out of 10 (81%) expressing that sometimes they just need a simple process like SMS, rather than a mobile app. In addition, 70% of respondents say that SMS is a good way for a company to get their attention and 64% say that organizations should use SMS-based engagement more often. The results indicate an opportunity for companies to incorporate SMS communication into their multichannel strategies to attract and retain customers.

“We are seeing a clear maturity in the way consumers are using their mobile phones,” Sethu M., president, SAP Mobile Services, a division of SAP, said in the study. “We are moving away from customers asking, ‘Is there an app for that?’ to asking, ‘Is there an SMS for that?’ Consumers want to engage with brands and enterprises on their own terms. They want simplicity and to use the mobile channel that best meets their needs at that time. As this study shows, in many situations SMS wins out and this is a clear opportunity for enterprises to make use of the SMS advantage.”

The study was conducted across 12 countries with 2,700 adults aged 18 and older on how consumers respond to mobile engagement with enterprises and the mobile technologies that are most effective across the “Three A’s”* of customer engagement: Acquisition, Activation and Engagement, and Assurance.

The study pinpoints clear benefits for enterprises using SMS for mobile customer engagement. Three-quarters of respondents feel that SMS interactions serve to improve the overall brand experience saying that it makes them feel in control of a service when interacting with logistics businesses (81%), banks (78%) and transport businesses (76%); and they feel that the organization wants to make their lives easier when receiving SMS from logistics businesses (82%), banks (80%), transport businesses (79%), and social networks (72%).

Customer assurance engagement is viewed as the most effective use of SMS and the financial services and transport industries are rated highest with 78% of respondents expressing that banks using SMS show care for the security of data, identity and money; and 77% of respondents expressing that transport updates via SMS show an organization cares about their safety and getting them to their destination on time.

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