Experience Connected at west.com/interactive | 800.841.9000

REACHING FREQUENT FLIERS ON THEIR CHANNEL OF CHOICE

I N T E R A C T I V E S E R V I C E S C A S E S T U D Y

Already sporting award-winning customer service, a

top airline upped the ante to add a new channel to

its communication plan and make conversing with

its customers easier than ever.

Experience Connected at west.com/interactive | 800.841.9000

PILOTING A NEW IDEAAfter thorough discussion with West, they decided to try an SMS chat service. Their guests contact them from a cell phone 7 out of 10 times, so a text messaging tool just made sense.

But with such a new concept, they had no idea how their guests would respond. So the airline decided to pilot the program by inviting a group of targeted customers to try out the SMS service for the first time.

Released on a smaller scale, the pilot was implemented quickly and inexpensively. The airline could easily try out the new idea with minimal IT involvement and discover its value before investing in a full-scale offering.

And West was there through the entire process with our SMS Assistant program and SMS Chat software, which seamlessly transitions conversations from SMS automation to an agent-assisted conversation when needed. The technology allows human agents to send text messages from their desktops and acts as a virtual personal assistant to suggest responses to keep the conversation moving.

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• REACHING FREQUENT FLIERS ON THEIR CHANNEL OF CHOICE

ABOUT WESTWest delivers communication solutions that help brands create connected customer experiences. We have 30 years of experience strategically improving customer interaction, enhancing productivity and increasing profitability, with clients in healthcare, education, utilities and diverse commercial industries. West Interactive Services solutions include IVR & Self-Service, Proactive Notifications & Mobility, Cloud Contact Center and Professional Services. Experience Connected at west.com/interactive.

SKY-HIGH SATISFACTIONTexting with customer support struck a chord with the airline’s guests, and immediately after opening the floodgate, people lined up in a queue looking to engage on the new channel.

After using the chat service, the guests were asked to take an SMS survey within the same communication channel, and the results exceeded expectations. After 633 conversations and almost 6,000 texts over three months, 91 percent of respondents said the SMS messages alleviated the need to call the company, and 92 percent rated their interaction in the top-two customer experience categories.

After seeing the value in their contact center and demand from the small pilot, the airline decided not only to roll out the program to their entire customer base, but also to add a toll-free texting service, which will let their customers call or text the same 1-800 number to reach customer service over a secure network.

Integrating into the airline’s existing 800 number, toll-free texting will add message tracking, routing and reporting and can automate customer intent without using keywords. And with more contacts coming from mobile phones, they believe the new feature will soon become “the way to get a hold of them.”

From April to July

633 Total Conversations

91% of respondents said SMS alleviated the need to call an agent (Goal was 75%)

5,977 Total Messages

92% rated the SMS experience 4 or 5 out of 5