What is a robocall?

You might not be familiar with the term, yet there is a high probability you have received a robocall. Robocalls are calls generated by a robo or autodialer. They play a recorded message instead of an actual live person speaking when the phone call recipients answer.

Robocalls have been widely used in the past for illegal purposes by scammers to withdraw money or highjack consumers’ data. This is the reason why a majority of consumers are quite suspicious when receiving calls from unknown numbers. An estimated 47.8 billion robocalls were made in the United States in 2018, according to YouMail. Scams made up around 40% of all robocalls, as Quilici reports.

Amidst all the controversies surrounding robo dialers’ misuse, they are not a scam or illegal service. They are applied mostly in legitimate and valued use cases for robocalling. If used in the right way and with the right information, robocalling services can streamline your outreach and smoothen processes, while also benefiting your audience by notifying them about key information.

How effective are robocalls?

Globally, robocalls are used across industries, ranging from telecom to education and pharmacy to banking. Most commonly they utilize them to update customers about their services or to alert them during an emergency. 60% of these automated calls are legitimate robocalls, providing people with essential information.

Think of all the times you had to inform a large group of people about essential information or events occurring in your area. Robocall software can help in broadcasting mass notifications to schools (notifications to parents, absentee reminders, school closures alerts, etc), small businesses, and in emergency alerts. For example, an update on when a patient needs to come in for their appointment. In this case, a phone call can be just as useful as emails and texts to convey your message.

In addition to the above, robo dialers can also facilitate the feedback collection process, helping organizations improve their services.

How to use robocalls wisely?

Let us now examine some major guidelines you should keep in mind before you set up a robocall service.

1. Let Audience Opt-in: you need to give users the option of choosing a phone call as their preferred medium.
2. Do not Abuse People’s Trust: use people’s permission wisely. Call only when necessary and not repeatedly.
3. Give Them an Easy Way to Opt-Out: just as easy as it is for them to opt-in.
4. Respect their Decisions: if people opt out, let them stay that way. Do not be pushy and hassle your audience to opt-in again.

How will your organization benefit from Robocall Services?

1. Enhance Team Productivity

A robo-dialer is one of the most efficient communication tools, if your business makes a lot of outbound calls, as it saves significant time and resources. A robocalling service can deliver calls in seconds, reaching out to a large number of customers simultaneously. It also saves you valuable time when compared to traditional phone diallers, that tie up your phone lines until calls are completed. In these ways, it helps your business in reallocating your workforce’s time to more core business functions.

2. Save Costs

Robocalls do not require live agents. Therefore a business saves on human resource costs, as well as infrastructure costs.
Given that robocalls are dialled out in tens and thousands of calls simultaneously, depending upon the customer install base, your business can achieve huge savings.

3. Integrate easily with your other tools

Robocall services can be easily integrated with all of the different software and systems you use, CRMs, or even existing databases. With easy API integration, your business can set up automatic calls in no time, reaching out to prospects or customers.

4. Easy scalability

Robo dialers enable your business to scale. Since most of them are hosted in the cloud you do not have to worry about infrastructure, such as hardware and telephone lines. Your service provider can provide according to your needs. This is critical to businesses trying to achieve productivity without compromising on a scale

5. Higher response rate

Sometimes the best way you can say something is through a call. 65% of users prefer to contact a business by phone versus only 24% who prefer a web form. Calls are a lot more personal and engaging. People are more likely to interact with them, compared to a text message. Besides, they help you understand the pulse of customers better while giving you real-time feedback on the best performing campaigns. Several robo dialer services also have the option to carry on the conversation with a live agent.

To use robocalls or not to use them?

Even though scammers have misused robocall services for illegitimate purposes, the fact remains that robocalls have tremendous value for a business. Put them to the right use and they become an inexpensive tool to reach out to your audience worldwide.

Select a credible service that will help your business easily and securely integrate a robo dialer in its communication strategy, such as Routee’s Voice Broadcasting service. Routee’s service is focused on making the customer service process smoother for a variety of organizations and businesses, across industries.

OTP (One-time password) Integration for Developers

Even though we live in the century of technological disruption, surprisingly enough recent research shows that 42% of organizations still rely on sticky notes to manage their passwords, whereas 59% of IT professionals state that the companies they work for, depend on human memory to manage passwords. Facts that -combined with the substantial evolution of cybercrime where data breaches become prevalent and privacy concerns intensify- lead to the reasonable conclusion that software developers have a difficult task in fortifying their websites, platforms, and applications.

Relying on a simple password to prevent data loss is not just a totally outdated method, but it turns out to be a highly vulnerable way as well that can lead to extremely costly data breaches.
In the past few years, data breaches have become a major pressure point for businesses and developers worldwide. In 2019, approximately 80% of data breaches resulted from password compromise. Hence, consumers have become more aware and selective with the businesses, websites, platforms, and apps that they choose for their monetary transactions and data safeguarding. Software developers need to shift their focus from building systems that are just password-protected to developing integrated systems that incorporate identity verification and access authentication management solutions.

Especially now that the business demand for mobile applications is high and growing, mobile app developers must include in their project checkboxes the feature of enhanced security, apart from an enticing UI/UX functionality.

What are the most common security risks faced in authentication?

Let us take a quick look at the most common security risks that developers have to take into consideration before integrating a comprehensive authentication process into their system, app, or platform.

Storing user credentials without encrypting them.

Even if you prompt users to change their password as soon as they complete their sign-up, or if their password has been exposed, people tend to apply the same password again, and in most cases just a plaintext password.

Sending passwords, session IDs, and user credentials over unencrypted connections.

Not all companies employ encrypted server-to-server and server-to-client transmissions for their communications, leaving their sensitive transactions vulnerable to attackers. Anyone with access to the connection itself can monitor and hijack the credentials.

Using simplistic password combinations.

Users tend to use simplistic passwords that they can easily remember. However, these passwords can be cracked in a few seconds by any hacker that has access or knows how to use a password-cracking tool easily found online.

Poorly secured password recovery features.

As users tend to use simplistic passwords to sign up on apps and websites, they will do so in case they need to recover their passwords. And in this case, many companies lack strong authentication procedures. Even if a business employs security questions, anyone who is familiar with the specific user can answer these questions.

How can developers securely reinforce user identity verification and authentication access?

Here is where OTP authentication comes to the rescue! Developers can substitute traditional passwords with OTPs or they can fortify an existing authentication process that they already deploy by transforming it to a two-factor (2FA) or multi-factor authentication (MFA) approach. In fact, developers can apply one-time password authentication to any mechanism that they need to build for identifying a user or authenticating a process, or granting access.

With the help of OTP Traffic, you can tackle all the above-mentioned security shortcomings and numerous more that derive from static password-based authentication from happening.

What does the secure OTP traffic consist of and how can it help developers?

As a developer, you will most probably come across different types of OTP traffic, mainly in the form of hard tokens and soft tokens.

Hard tokens are the physical devices -the hardware- that transmits one-time passwords and enable users to access their accounts. Hard tokens are broadly classified into three main sub-categories: the connected, the disconnected, and the contactless tokens.
The connected tokens are nothing more than smart cards and USB flash drives that a user must insert into a device or USB port, respectively. The disconnected tokens on the other hand come in the form of mobile phones or banking security devices and are the ones that generate OTPs for users to enter in a multi-factor authentication process. Last but not least, the contactless tokens are the ones that do not require a physical connection or a manual input. They transmit authentication data to a system which in turn, analyzes the information and identifies if the user has access rights.

Soft tokens come in the form of software that is installed in a device (e.g., laptop or smartphone). So, practically soft tokens are apps specifically designed to authenticate a process or a user through sending SMS, Push notifications, or Voice messages to users. Users have to respond to verify their identity.

Regardless of the type of OTP traffic a developer decides to implement, the process remains the same:

1. a user sends authentication data to a system

2. the system proceeds with verifying if the information is correct

 a. If the system identifies the data as verified, then it grants access to the user

 b. If the system identifies the data as not verified then it denies access to the user

The major advantage of OTP authentication is that the authentication data is not transmitted beyond the user and the target system, so it cannot be leaked as it can happen with a simple password.

How can you implement a one-time password service?

Luckily, there are certain intelligent solutions in the market that allow you to easily implement and configure a reliable OTP service using web APIs. As soon as a user registers with the API you have selected for your development project, you can instantly implement two-factor authentication (2FA) and use communication channels like SMS or Voice to send over a one-time password. With next-generation verification APIs, like Routee’s, you can even deploy the generation of soft tokens without the need for wireless connectivity, such as offline TOTP codes. This way, not only you can ensure that a user has access to the correct telephone number but even to the right trusted device.

TIP

The integrated failover functionality allows you to provide an extra level of assurance for your users, as they can rest assured that they will receive the generated OTP at any of the other channels they have enabled (Viber, WhatsApp, Voice, SMS, Missed Call, Push notification, etc.)

The API’s flexibility allows you even to override the default behavior in your application UI and select to send the OTP code through a specific channel always.

Final thoughts

Soon, security will act as one of the differentiating and competing factors in the digital world, with customers and businesses preferring secure apps, systems, and platforms to maintain the privacy of their data over other online or non-digital solutions. Make sure you have your projects authentication-ready!

Despite Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism season is approaching so hospitality businesses need to start getting ready to open again in the next few months, to welcome tourists from all over the world. Now is the time for the hospitality industry to plan and set in motion their reopening marketing strategies.

We have put together a mini-guide that your hotel business can employ to enhance its digital marketing strategy following the Covid-19 pandemic.

The mini-guide of re-engaging your hotel’s prospect customers following Covid-19

Present your safety measures

With Covid-19 been still around your hotel has surely changed its routine to ensure staff and visitor’s safety. You should communicate these changes and safety measures to your customers.

Mention every important detail, such as using masks, limiting the number of guests in your facilities, cleaning the rooms multiple times, and anything you do to make their stay safe. That way you show them that you do put their safety first and you care about them and also you prepare them about what to expect when they finally visit your hotel.

It is really important to not include any promotional messages in this email. It should be as simple as possible, explaining to customers what they should expect from your hotel. Also giving just the safety facts will help your hotel and your email stand out in your visitor’s inboxes.

Inform visitors about changes to your services

After you tell your customers what measures you have taken to keep them safe, then you need to explain what’s different to your hotel and the changes you had to make due to Covid-19. Changes may concern in-house services (no buffet available, no swimming to the pool, no spa services, etc.), methods of payment or rules visitors themselves must comply by (i.e., maintaining a distance of 3 meters from anyone). Feel free to include some promotional content in this communication, but remember to keep it subtle.

Relate to your customers

Everyone’s lives have drastically changed during the coronavirus pandemic and that includes your hotel. That is something your customers and your hotel have in common and being transparent about it can bring you closer.
Creating a “we are all in this together” feeling can prove powerful. Using your communication content to connect in that way with your customers can make it stand out from being just another bulk Covid-19 marketing campaign. This communication will help you humanize your brand.

Manage budget wisely

As Covid-19 has had a big financial impact on hospitality, your hotel is most probably not the exception. You may indeed have lost revenue but think twice before you cut back on your marketing budget. Think of cost-effective ways -such as email marketing- that have a good performance and keep a lively communication with your customers. You can invest in a multichannel and cost-efficient marketing platform that can help your marketing plan grow with your hotel.

Use more than one channels

Using more than one marketing channel to boost the reopening of your hotel can benefit you and your business. For example, you can use SMS to support your email campaign and have direct communication with your customers. Also, it is a great idea to integrate chatbot technology in your communication, on your website, or messaging apps, to effectively and simultaneously handle all the routine questions that customers and prospects may have.

Get your hospitality business ready!

Even though we are experiencing a challenging period, that is why establishing and re-activating communication with your audience is now more important than ever. Keep in mind that there are cost-efficient, useful, and user-friendly tools out there to help you easily design, schedule, send and monitor your entire communication, such as WayMore and Routee. Those intelligent omnichannel communication tools can help you adjust your post-Covid-19 marketing strategy and get ready for the new tourism season.

Remember, lots of the above apply to other businesses in the hospitality industry too, such as booking websites, ride apps and services, F&B, etc. Stay tuned for more specific tips in our next blog articles! Until then you can also check out some great ideas that will help you foster customer engagement with email marketing.

Why is after-sales service and why is it important?

After-sales service is a critical touchpoint that enables your business to make sure its products and services meet or excel the customers' expectations. There are diverse methods to apply after-sales service to your company to ensure clients are satisfied with the products and services of your business. Having outstanding after-sales customer service strengthens the bond between customers and a company.

After-sales service is critical for customer satisfaction and customer retention. It can increase loyalty and brand value. Customers gain faith in the brand and engage with the company for a longer time, and even spread positive word of mouth about the company and its products and services. A satisfied and pleased customer brings more people and finally more profits for the business in the long run. After-sales service can create a strong bond between the organization and customers.

The market competition is intense, as consumers look for more than just a value-for-their money product. They expect businesses to meet their needs and instantly and efficiently solve any issues that may arise with the products and services they have purchased. Demand for excellent after-sales service has significantly increased and it can even influence consumers' purchasing decisions.

An efficient after-sales service may lead to upselling, cross-selling, and even an increase in your overall sales. With more loyal customers spreading the word of your company's supreme service performance, efficient after-sales service may even transform into your company's competitive advantage.

After Sales Service Techniques

Having established how important is after-sales service for a business, let us highlight some of the most popular and effective tactics to optimize and boost your corporate after-sales support.

1. Show appreciation

Following purchase and as soon as you send the order confirmation and shipping information to a customer, send them a thank you automated email or SMS. Not only you add a bonus point to your customer experience, but you will also and build customer rapport.

2. Collect customer feedback

Following a specified period (1-2 weeks) after purchase, during which most probably customers had the chance to use your product, send them an automated email requesting a product review or feedback. This tactic creates a positive sentiment and helps you work your business’s pain points. Also, you can use the data to improve your product/service.

3. Send product suggestions

Send emails or SMS with products that your customers have looked for online or they have bought before. That’s an easy way to cross-sell and boost sales on different products and product categories.

4. Stay connected

Send newsletters to inform your customers about subjects that interest them, offer them information through articles, videos, guides, and so on, to stay in touch with them. This tactic will enhance your professionalism and expertise. They will have no reason to go somewhere else if you provide them all the data they want.

5. Support your clients

Assist customers in installing, maintaining, or operating a particular product or service. For example, if you sell laptops, you can ensure that the operating system is configured in the system and that customers can use the network without any difficulty. Similarly, organizations that sell mobile sim cards can ensure the number is instantly activated once the customer submits the necessary documents.

6. Create a complaint section

Provide customers a simple and easy way to express their complaints. Use email, SMS, or a toll-free number. The customer service representatives should take prompt action on the customer queries. And we also advise that you promptly resolve any raised issues.

7. Review Requests

When customers are satisfied with a purchase, you can email them a request to send back a review or testimonial. This tactic shows your customers that you value their opinion and makes them feel appreciated. You can use the positive reviews as physical evidence on your online store, social media pages, or third-party review sites. User reviews help build trust and confidence among prospective customers and leads.

8. Ask for Recommendations

Satisfied customers are more likely to recommend you and refer your business to their friends, acquaintances, or peers. Nowadays 97% of clients turn to product reviews when making purchase selections.

What’s next?

We have highlighted many ways that any business can use to boost its customer after-sales service, putting in action diverse communication channels like email, and SMS. Consider using an automated sequence of personalized emails to effortlessly follow up with your customers and up your after-sales service game!

Last but not least, don’t forget to perform customer satisfaction surveys to ensure smooth business operations and a unique customer experience before and after-sales.

With more than 3 billion mobile users worldwide, mobile apps compete for their attention, as most lose almost 71% of their users three months after acquisition. To retain users, apps can directly communicate with them via push notifications, only if they have opted-in.

The churn rate, the rate at which customers stop doing business with a company or brand, has increased along with the thousands of apps launched daily. The need to regularly and consistently communicate with users has become essential.

People have become more receptive to push messages in recent years, so push notifications now play a major role in mobile app marketing strategies. Compared to emails, push notifications present a 97% higher response rate, whereas a marketing survey states that 52% of people claim that push notifications are now better than they were a few years ago.

Ways to increase app-retention using push notifications

Welcome your users onboard

A new user has downloaded your app. This is where your work begins. A welcome message offers many opportunities to approach your new users and start building long-lasting loyalty. Make a good first impression and show you care about them with a welcome push notification and set the tone for your future relationship. Use push notifications to share with new users the benefits or features of your app, guide new users to facilitate their purchases, and highlight valuable tips on how they can get the most value from the app.

Keep in mind that almost 80% of users do not use newly downloaded apps after the first day, yet push notifications can increase app retention by 20%. So, if a new user falls dormant after opting-in, schedule a push notification that they will receive after a certain inactivity period.

Track your users’ activity

Collect and analyze user acquisition data to identify the different user segments which have installed your app and from which ad campaign and platform they reached your app. Go on and target them with the most relevant and personalized push notifications. Take advantage of this data to strategically re-engage your app users based on their in-app behavior and deliver targeted push notifications to each of the segments.

Behavior-triggered messages are always engaging and timely, as they are highly relevant to every user. You can create segments to notify your users about in-app content updates, new products added relevant to their interests, send them specific discounts on previously purchased products, contests, or ask for feedback.

Leverage personalization

Modern-day consumers expect brands to provide them with truly personalized experiences, using timely and relevant messages delivered to them through their preferred channels. By personalizing your message, you add a human touch to your app. Studies show that adding even basic personalization to your push notifications can increase open rates by 800%, and if you use emojis the percentage is said to be higher as they add an extra layer of human touch.

There is plenty of information you can collect on each user’s purchase and browsing history. You can later use this data to offer personalized product recommendations based on purchases, promote new app feature or showcase new delivery options.

You can also use location-based information as a parameter to trigger push notifications tailored to your audience as they come within a preset range of your store. This can also bring added value to your notifications, building loyalty and increasing app retention.

Provide exclusive offers

Personal discounts, time-sensitive exclusive offers, promo codes, or coupons can be highly effective for making users return to your app. It is your way of telling them you want them back, without actually saying it and being pushy about it. You can provide exclusive offers based on personalization and entice users back into your app. Based on users’ activity, you can notify them when products or services they have shown interest in are on discount.

Optimize for time and frequency

Badly timed push notifications not only bother users but can lead to them churning from your app. Get the timing right and avoid sending push notifications at an irrelevant time. Take into consideration your app’s usage data, in terms of date and time, to discover what best suits your users or when they are most active. For example, most app usage and in-app purchases may be taking place during the weekend, so make sure you push your messages through to your users during Saturday and Sunday.

Besides, the frequency with which you send your push messages is also critical in retaining your app users. Again, examine your data or even perform a mini-survey to identify how often your users prefer to receive push notifications from your app.

What is next for your business?

As with every marketing strategy and tactic, there is no one-size-fits-all recipe. We advise that you track and monitor what works best for your business and your audience, and integrate the above-mentioned push notification tactics with your overall marketing strategy, to strengthen your app retention and conversions. With the help of Routee‘s omnichannel platform, you can put in action highly-converting push notifications with tailored promotions, offers, and discounts, that will help you build your brand, create lasting connections with each customer, and boost your retention rates.