When a fan has just witnessed another acting unruly toward the crowd, ruining the experience for everyone else, or when a person at your venue requires immediate assistance, what do you do?
Respond, of course. But the slower you resolve incidents at your event, the unhappier your guests will be, which results in lost future business.
You need to meet guests where they are, which means providing a multi-channel approach that allows them to quickly and easily contact your team. This includes text communication, a key tool in your proactive operations toolbox.
So, what are the primary benefits of text messaging software and what should you look for when selecting one for your venue? Read on to learn more.
The Benefits of Text Messaging Software
Mobile phones are one of the most widely adopted, frequently used, and continuously reliable ways to communicate. These days, 71 percent of people expect personalization when communicating with an organization, and text communication fills the void when phone calls go unanswered and emails get easily marked as spam.
Here’s how text communication makes venue management easier.
1. Text communication increases your incident awareness.
You might already have an incident management system, but how much information does it actually provide?
Your employees might be communicating with each other quickly and responding to incidents that come through the system, but without a full-scale communications system, you can’t manage what you’re unaware of. With a text alert system, you’re providing a way for your guests and employees to communicate so that no issues slip through the cracks.
2. Text messaging empowers users to communicate.
The paper towels have just run out in the bathroom. Do you think a guest is going to take the time to call your team, or are they going to leave this issue unreported?
By providing text as a mode of communication, you’re empowering employees and guests with a tool that means your team is alerted more quickly, which improves response and resolution time.
3. Text communication reduces liability exposure.
A fan at your stadium has just slipped, spilling the soft drinks and ice they bought for friends all over the stairs. When they text about the incident, your team responds rapidly, cleaning up the spill and avoiding a situation in which someone slips on the ice. This has helped to mitigate problems, reduce risks for guests, and prevent liability for you.
4. Real-time status monitoring ensures resolutions.
You need a way to ensure that all issues are being resolved, and you can do just that from a seat at your desk. A text messaging software dashboard provides real-time status monitoring as messages come in. Depending on the software, it might look a little different, but generally the messages should be color-coded based on the status of the conversation, helping to ensure incidents are resolved in a timely manner.
5. Documentation addresses liability issues.
What if you could use incident management software that documents every type of communication that comes through? Text messaging software provides:
- Date and time stamps of the conversation threads
- Forwarded occurrences that mark the employee responsible for a resolution
Tracking this information allows you to provide documentation that can address any potential liability issues that may arise.
6. Rapid response maximizes the guest experience.
Ultimately, your job is to provide the best possible experience for your guests so that they become loyal to your brand and a brand ambassador for you. With the rapid response possibilities of text communication, you maximize the guest experience by providing them with the means to report issues before they become problems.
Key Attributes of a Text Communication Solution
In order to experience the benefits of text messaging software at your venue, you can’t just use any solution. You need one that’s robust, versatile, and intuitive. The best text communication solution will provide some or all of the following features.
It allows multimedia uploads.
As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Your software should be able to upload video, pictures, and audio clips in addition to text messages to give users multiple options for communicating.
It allows for visual data management.
As messages come in, they should be color-coded based on the status of the conversation so that no communication gets overlooked.
It provides response templates.
One-click configurable response templates allow staff to quickly respond to all types of questions, incidents, or requests.
It has configurable inboxes.
You need the option to configure inboxes based on the type of incoming communication. These inboxes should be easily developed and assigned short codes to ensure each inbox can be used for a different purpose.
It allows you to send event alerts.
Help your guests be as prepared as possible on their way to your event. Send traffic, weather, parking, or news alerts to a selected group of contacts to immediately notify them with relevant information.
It integrates with other modules.
Text communications that are stored on your incident management system should easily integrate with your computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Rather than doing this manually, ensure that your text communication software performs it automatically so your team can dedicate time to higher-level tasks.
It provides analytics.
You need comprehensive reports that provide conversation history, response times, and resolutions—and that can be sent directly to your inbox.
Enable Rapid, Real-Time Communication with 24/7 Software
Ask yourself, are you catching every incident that happens at your event?
If your answer is “no” or if you feel at all hesitant about the answer, it’s likely because you aren’t utilizing text communication software—and if you are using it, the features aren’t as extensive as they can be.
With 24/7 Software’s text messaging software, improve your ability to find out about incidents before they become major problems, first for your guests and then your business. With text communication, your customers have an easy, barrier-free way to report incidents and issues to your team as they are happening.
Want to learn more about the benefits of efficient communication with your customers and staff? Check out our e-book, Mitigate Incidents as They Occur Using Text Communication.
