Omnichannel Communication via RCS Business Messaging, Viber Business Messages, & WhatsApp Business Solution

Customer Centricity wave started in the United States in 2003, and now in 2019, we are fully focusing unified customer experience. Regardless of what the year is, customer-centricity & unified customer experience is still at the heart of omnichannel communications. By now, we are all aware of what an omnichannel API platform does and how it helps businesses market, assist in enhanced customer service, refine their strategy and sell to their customers. Through an omnichannel API platform, brands/enterprises can communicate with their customers or get notified via various new-age communication channels of their choice, such as instant messaging apps like RCS Business Messaging, Viber Business Messages, WhatsApp Business Solution, WeChat or voice assistants like Alexa as well as traditional channels. However, in this blog, we will be focusing on RCS Business Messaging, Viber Business Messages and WhatsApp Business Solution in an Omnichannel platform.

Although every instant messaging app is delivering rich & interactive messages, chatbots support these conversations. Artificially intelligent powered chatbots give brands the ability to talk naturally to customers using Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). Brands can use historic customer data, generic metadata, and even relevant third-party data to make every conversation contextual and hyper-personalise their experience.

For instance, a global bank has developed bots that allow account holders to review their purchase history, set spending levels, and even help with financial literacy. Technically, they do this entirely, just by chatting with one ‘agent’ and not by looking at lists and menus. Omnichannel providers make it possible to manage all channels — RCS Business Messaging, WhatsApp Business Solution, Viber Business Messages, SMS, voice, email — from one web-based dashboard, which is true omnichannel in action.

With the single conversation view, it enables multi-platform business to consumer communication to become quick and easy. It lets businesses target specific customers and formulate campaigns based on demographics, provide hyper-personalised content and manage relationships across users on all channels.

A group of travellers may opt to receive SMS notifications for itinerary changes. Airlines delay or cancel flights resulting in changes to passenger reservations. While SMS is a suitable notification channel, it may prove to be unreliable if the passenger is travelling (Internationally). Email and messaging on OTT channels, such as Whatsapp Business Solution, RCS Business Messaging and Viber Business Messages can be sent simultaneously in case of emergency as the previous case or based on preference. If a read receipt is not received on Whatsapp Business Solution, another message can be sent to RCS Business Messaging after 30-60 seconds and if the read receipt is not received on RCS Business Messaging, the same message can be triggered to Viber Business Messages and so on. This is known as intelligent routing, which is a capability that is available with an omnichannel platform. This can fill the gap, acting as a backup or fall-back solution, reaching out to passengers unreachable by SMS.

RCS Business Messaging via Omnichannel API

Omnichannel assists enterprises to develop a holistic approach to their customer engagement and provide a suite of services that enhance brand image, provide performance metrics, deliver immediate cost-effective and personalized communication. However, an omnichannel platform needs real-time customer engagements to build successful brand engagements and RCS Business Messaging is one such channel that has all the above traits and fulfils the requirement in real-time. Some of its features that contribute to the above include true metrics in real-time, in-depth real-time reports, branding as well as verification features, rich media, QR code, suggested actions and replies.

With omnichannel, a single view conversation moves the entire history of the conversation at the fingertips of the team, which in turn cuts down response time for customer support and streamline the workflow. For example, the customer support can read the chat history with the customer on Whatsapp Business Solution, and offer personalised communication based on the same conversation when the customer contacts customer support again via RCS Business Messaging dialer feature. The conversation can begin where it was left, which saves time. Brand want to deliver meaningful conversations to customers before and after purchase.

For example, A paint distributor and manufacturer giant in the country wants to promote its company’s loyalty programme. The customers accumulate points on every purchase, which can then be redeemed for discounts on product purchases or prizes listed in their catalogue. In the past, the loyalty club messages were sent via SMS with a hyperlink to their website. With omnichannel, the promotion campaign for the loyalty program can run on RCS Business Messages,Whatsapp Business Solution as well as Viber Business Messages with images, videos, audios, appealing buttons along with web links as broadcast on multiple channels.

To enable the customers to experience the inspiration behind the colours as well as products for photos, videos and interactive buttons, it is essential for a paint company to adopt a channel that offers a rich media experience which is possible with channels, such as RCS Business Messaging and Viber Business Messages. The performance metrics can then be mapped and the response to both channels can be measured and audiences on different channels can be mapped.

Viber Business Messages via Omnichannel API

Omnichannel not only enables Enterprises to have multi-level engagement with their customers but also monetise these engagements in real-time. SMS text is mostly one way and hardly conversational, but Viber Business Messages provides 1 way and two-way communication. Even it’s one-way communication carries important and rich features, such as important notifications, QR codes of e-tickets, links for confirmation and verification codes. When using the power of 1-way messages by SMS and 1-way messages on Viber Business Messages, Enterprises can capture audiences on both platforms to deliver important 1-way messages.
Viber Business Messages has a unique feature of push notifications which appear as push alerts and blur the differences between regular SMS and messaging to the apps. These notifications attract user attention and users read them by default even if Viber Business Messages is not a major chat app, but installed on the phone. For example, if a customer misses the urgent message on SMS for delivery and also misses it when sent on Whatsapp Business Solution, a message will then be sent via Viber Business Messages by the omnichannel platform, which will be difficult for the customer to miss as it is a push alert.

Whatsapp Business Solution via Omnichannel API

WhatsApp has about 1.5 billion users from 180 countries as of 2019. It is the most popular instant messaging app worldwide that has surpassed social media channels such as Facebook messenger. Although comparatively WhatsApp Business Solution has three million users, it is still a good growth, considering the fact that it is relatively new and was just launched in 2018. The conversion is relatively simple as most consumers use Whatsapp to converse with family and friends. While the familiarity and global appeal makes it easy for conversion, it makes it an equally difficult channel to ignore for omnichannel.

Traditional SMS is the backup solution in case something goes wrong with other methods of delivery. Whatsapp Business Solution works well with traditional and new age messaging solutions, such as RCS Business Messaging and Viber Business Messages. For example, an enterprise can run customer loyalty campaigns on SMS, RCS Business Messaging and WhatsApp Business Solution simultaneously to capture relevant audiences unique to these channels and maximise reach as mentioned above.

According to the Simplicity Index, 64 percent of consumers are willing to pay more for a simpler experience. Customers want their buying journey to be seamless and easy without having to face any roadblocks and this is what a true omni channel platform does.