How to Win with OTT: 8 Real-World Customer Service Uses

The demand for personalized customer service experiences has skyrocketed, and OTT messaging apps have kept pace with that demand. OTT (over-the-top) apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Apple Messages for Business enable businesses to communicate quickly and easily with their customers.

Curious to learn about the variety of uses for OTT chat apps? Here are eight ways to win using OTT apps in the on-demand customer service industry.

How to Use OTT Apps for On-Demand Customer Service: 8 Real-World Use Cases

1. Food and Grocery Delivery

Demand for food and grocery deliveries surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. While quarantine restrictions continue to soften in the U.S., grocery and meal deliveries have become the new normal for many.

• Real-world usage: Communicating orders and delivery preferences is a snap with OTT apps. For grocery or restaurant deliveries, would your customer prefer Gala or Fuji apples? Coke or Pepsi? The ability to clarify food choices and delivery issues in progress enables delivery agents to make changes on the fly.

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2. Travel and Hospitality

OTT apps have been a boon to the travel and hospitality industry. Airlines and travel agents have used OTT apps and chatbots to book flights, hotels, and activities, facilitate travel and hospitality accommodations, and increase customer convenience.

• Real-world usage: Interacting with a mix of chatbots and live agents enables travelers to create a travel itinerary, combining round-trip flights, car rentals, and restaurant reservations seamlessly. During hotel stays, guests can order room service and on-site spa treatments through OTT messaging apps.

3. Health and Fitness

Interest in healthy lifestyles has inspired consumers to enlist the services of trainers and nutrition coaches. Engaging clients via messaging apps like Messenger or WhatsApp streamlines communications between customers and their chosen health and fitness professionals.

Find out why Facebook Messenger is a leading chat app for business.

• Real-world usage: Health professionals like dietitians and nutritionists can send custom menu plans and check in with clients’ weight goals and measurements. Fitness trainers and coaches can help clients through new exercises, stretching, and motivational needs via OTT chat.

4. Professional Services

“Professional services” covers a broad range of customizable services available to consumers and businesses. Professional services range from lawyers, financial advisers, and consultants to architects and realtors. OTT apps allow professional service companies to stay in touch with clients and provide convenient services and consulting via chat.

• Real-world usage: Notaries can schedule and reschedule their signing appointments via messaging app. Realtors can relay information on houses for sale or in escrow to their clients. Home professionals like plumbers, electricians, and contractors can use OTT chat apps to schedule appointments and consult on service and maintenance needs.

5. Customer Support

If you’ve ever called a customer support line or clicked an online chat window, chances are you’ve dealt with a chatbot at least briefly. Customer support issues take up valuable time, with agents answering repetitive and routine questions.

• Real-world usage: Have you wondered how to use OTT apps for customer service? Providing customer support via chatbots is a powerful way to harness technology to handle lower-level customer support issues. It frees up live agents to attend to more complex problems, saving time and resources.

Did you know WhatsApp is the #1 customer support channel? Find out why.

6. Order Tracking and Shipping

Communicating order tracking and shipping information rarely requires interaction with a live person. With the abundance of products ordered online, customers are eager to receive order updates to ensure their deliveries' safety.

• Real-world usage: Ecommerce and logistics companies can send order confirmations, shipment updates, and transit information via OTT. If an order is rescheduled, canceled, or delayed, conveying that information to your customers helps avoid customer service issues, calls, and disappointments.

7. Appointments and Reservations

Making appointments and reservations is one of the most effective uses of OTT communications. When scheduling is easy, customers are more likely to make changes when necessary, allowing you to fill spots that suddenly become available.

• Real-world usage: Restaurants, salons, real estate agents, and sales professionals can take advantage of OTT apps to confirm appointments and reservations. Confirming arrangements immediately after they’re made, sending reminders, and facilitating alternate arrangements when necessary keeps customers and businesses happy.

8. Customer Surveys and Feedback

Want to find out what customers are thinking about your products or services? Ask them! Sending customer surveys via OTT apps is an effective way of gauging customer interest and satisfaction. Answering surveys via chat is quick and easy, making it attractive to customers to respond.

You can send customer surveys via OTT immediately after an event, purchase, online chat session, or appointment. If the experience is fresh in your customers’ minds, you’re more likely to receive accurate and helpful feedback.

Turn conversations into conversions with Apple Messages for Business.

• Real-world usage: A local delivery service can follow up on orders with a short SMS survey asking customers to rate their delivery experience. For example, a food delivery service can prompt customers to rate their previous food and experience via Apple Messages for Business after a successful delivery.

OTT Messaging Best Practices for On-Demand Businesses

Before going full steam ahead chatting with your customers, make sure you review and follow a few OTT messaging best practices.

Get Customer Opt-in

Getting permission to contact customers via any OTT or chat app is crucial. In fact, it’s illegal not to do so.

Mobile marketing laws in the United States require that businesses gain opt-ins from customers before texting or messaging them. Failing to gain proper permission can result in steep fines and penalties.

• Review mobile marketing compliance laws in the U.S.

• Review opt-in requirements for WhatsApp

Keep It Brief

Get to the point! Keep your messages brief and easy to read for the best results.

Chat With Customers Sparingly

Remember, chatting with customers should address pressing customer service needs. But don’t overwhelm them. Since texting has a high response rate, it’s likely that your customers will see your messages and take action on them immediately. Engage customers via chat interactions only when necessary.

Stay Professional

The voice and tone you use in your chat messages reflect your business, brand, and reputation. Follow your company’s established communication guidelines to ensure a friendly but professional tone.

Harness the Power of OTT Messaging Apps With Mobile Service Cloud

Want to get started using OTT messaging apps for your business? CM.com's Mobile Service Cloud provides everything you need for a seamless customer experience, anytime, anywhere.

Automate your conversations with a chatbot, or interact with your customers through their preferred channel via one omnichannel inbox.

Mobile Service Cloud is the #1 software solution for customer service.

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