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Skip the Queue with Asynchronous Messaging

3 minute read, posted on 06/27/2023, by VXI Marketing

Banner - Skip the Queue with Asynchronous Messaging

Do you know what customers hate the most? Having to take a number, or worse being treated like a number after waiting patiently in queue. Holding customers hostage with hold music, lengthy IVR menus, a maze of automation, and chats that time out will only fuel their frustration.

If customers have to wait, they want the freedom to wait where they want, and they’d prefer to get support on the channels they use every day, like asynchronous messaging apps.

The reality is, the way we work, learn, consume information, and communicate is increasingly asynchronous, which by definition means in our own time.

Take for example how we watch TV, stay in touch with our friends, or even get work done.

Infographic - Living in an Asynchronous World

It’s no wonder then, why customers want to interact with brands on their own time and have come to expect hybrid service models, offering both synchronous and asynchronous channels.

Synchronous vs. asynchronous customer service:

So, how can your brand leverage “async” messaging to stay “in sync” with customer preferences? Let’s start by defining the key differences, benefits, challenges, and use cases for both asynchronous and synchronous customer support.

  • Synchronous communication involves real-time interactions where participants engage in immediate exchanges of information and messages.
  • Asynchronous communication, on the other hand, does not require both parties to be present and speaking at the same time. Participants can start, stop, and return to the conversation on their own terms.

Infographic - Synchronous vs asynchronous customer support .

Moving from transactional to conversational experiences with asynchronous messaging

As customer expectations increase, putting more pressure on customer service agents, brands need to redesign the support experience, weeding out rigid and transactional models for more fluid and conversational support mediums. Real-time support will always be needed, but asynchronous messaging applications like WhatsApp, Apple Business Chat, and Facebook Messenger, can help CX leaders strike the right balance between experience and efficiency by giving their teams more flexibility to multitask, research, and resolve higher-complexity issues. When expectations are clearly set and the first reply time is under five minutes, CSAT increases, as customers can get their issues resolved without being tethered to a device or chat session. Most importantly, the history of every message is logged, providing context and opportunities for personalization.

In fact, 90% of customers want to use messaging to engage with brands. Why? Because customers want to engage on their own terms and in their own time, which is why messaging has become one of the fastest-growing channels of choice.

Take a test-and-learn approach with VXI

Despite its growth, the best practices for asynchronous messaging are still being written. That’s why VXI helped a leading social technology company take a test-and-learn approach, redesigning the user experience to position messaging as part of the company’s larger service framework. Read the case study to learn how this customer-preferred channel can optimize seasonal support costs, increase productivity, and improve performance across the board.

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