Using SMS in Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems are an important aspect of any business as they enhance relationships with customers and increase ROI. Sales teams can find information about a customer or prospect in one central location and managers can immediately find out how sales enquiries are progressing. As sales teams become increasing mobile, mobile CRM can hold a great deal of power and has been described by CRM Buyer as "decidedly one of the hottest trends for 2013".

Take A Byte specialise in all things booking related and run their own online CRM system called 'In-Contact'. They decided to add SMS services to allow businesses to send booking confirmations to their customers and send messages to their own staff. SMS messages are more likely to be read than any other form of communication so companies can have peace of mind that staff and customers are more than likely to have seen the message and can store it somewhere convenient - on their mobile phone which they can carry everywhere!

It was imperative that they were able to keep a record of exactly what had been sent and the cost of integrating text messages into their 'In-Contact' application was kept low. HSL's SMS service was perfect for this as it allowed Take A Byte to send a text message instantly from their application and to return a unique reference number to track the message to its final destination.

According to Damien Bhanji, Director of Take A Bye, "the best 2 things about the HSL SMS service are its speed and reliability." He also commented that, "It always makes me smile when we demo our system to potential customers and a message is sent from our application to their phone in less than 4 seconds."

SMS Expansion

Three years ago, Take a Byte recognised further opportunity to expand SMS services to their customers. Due to the nature of what they do, it was crucial that their customers could rely on their servers being operational 24/7. As a result of this, they decided to build a server monitoring application to alert their support staff immediately if there was a problem with a server. They needed the method of alerting staff to be a 100% reliable and therefore naturally turned to HSL's SMS services for the job. This has proved to be a great solution for minimising the down time of servers and therefore reducing the impact on service.

"Although the SMS service is only one part of the system it is much loved by the customers who use it."

Take A Byte have also launched a new service after several customers asked for the ability to send automatic SMS course reminders to their customers a set number of days before their course is due to start. As they stated "There is always a small proportion of people who forget that they have booked onto a course and this solution is designed to remind them so they don't forget."

Take A Byte have remained a valued HSL client for over 4 years and are committed to HSL for all their current and future SMS requirements. They have considered other SMS providers both at the beginning and whenever they review running costs. However, they find our prices very reasonable particularly when assessing the reliability of our service.

To find out more about how mobile communications can help enterprises around the world, please read our case studies

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com   

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile or Google+  

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

 

UK Banks catching up with Mobile Banking

Banking customers in the UK will be able to send and receive money by sharing just their phone number shortly. The Payments Council has signed up 8 financial firms - which hold 90% of current accounts - and is set to launch this service by early 2014. 


So far Barclays, Cumberland Building Society, Danske Bank, HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Metro Bank, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander have become involved but the Payments Council has reported that they are in talks to encourage more financial institutions to take part.

The Payments Council has stated this will be a step in helping the UK banks catch up with the innovations that have already taken place overseas.  Adrian Kamellard, Chief Executive of the Payments Council, said: “This new service will offer a simple, secure way to split a bill for dinner, receive money from a friend or pay a tradesman without needing to remember or share account details.”

A number of UK banks have begun offering mobile banking services such as Barclays Pingit service which allows customers to make minor payments using their mobiles, whilst RBS & NatWest enable customers to withdraw up to £100 from an ATM using just a pin code sent to their mobile phone. However, compared to other countries such as the US and Asia these developments are relatively small and cautious.

According to an article in Telecoms.com expectation in the industry is that mobile banking will grow to 1 billion by 2017 with Nitin Bhas, senior analyst at Juniper Research, stating it is increasingly being viewed as a vital revenue source. Banks cannot afford to lose out on the massive opportunities that mobile banking can offer, particularly as consumers want more innovative services from their banks.

Some banks are beginning to look beyond the traditional mobile banking offering already by offering housing and mortgage apps. Halifax, as reported in The Financial Brand, estimated that buyers will use their smartphones three times more than they are at the moment to purchase their next property over the next 5 years. Estate agents are therefore quickly realising the benefits of mobile technology and are building apps to catch new customers, improve their brand image and increase loyalty.

What else can mobile banking do to help banks? In an article in the Telegraph it was reported that more than half of people residing in the UK state online banking services as pinnacle to bank loyalty particularly in light of the new reforms surrounding account switching. They also reported that although 81% of people use online banking and 20% use mobile banking once a month or more, only 45% will visit their nearest branch once a month or more.

Another survey by Bain & Company found mobile banking was more likely to increase a customer's likelihood to recommend his or her bank to other people than any other channel interaction.

The ath Power 2012 Mobile Banking study also conclude that mobile customers are more loyal and that the quality of a mobile service plays a key role in who they bank with for affluent customers and small business owners. They also state that the mobile channel will be important in fraud prevention as more people begin to use mobile services and become familiar with security alerts.

This year and beyond we expect to see further innovations in mobile banking across the UK as banks recognise the benefits of mobile banking for both their customers and the bank. We are already working with our clients to get ahead of the game but to find out a little more about how your customers can start their mobile banking journey, please read our case studies

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com    

 

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile or Google+   

 

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

How can SMS be used for Emergency Weather Alerts?

Over 4000 of Newmont Mining employees work in the remote and tropical island of Sumbawa in Indonesia, close to the beaches of the Indian Ocean. Now, this may sound like paradise but this area is susceptible to extreme weather conditions such as Tsunamis and tropical cyclones.

Around the globe we witness extreme weather become more commonplace with scientists predicting that this will become more frequent as a result of global warming. Most recently, we saw Hurricane Sandy strike New Jersey and New York leaving devastating effects with emergency response teams struggling to cope - no-one foresaw it happening and did not plan for such a disaster. It is therefore becoming even more critical that governments and companies around the world have systems in place to handle these types of situations if, and when, they arise.

Newmont decided that it was critical to safeguard employees operating in this area against any potential emergency situations. Due to the robust infrastructure of mobile messaging networks, Newmont concluded that this would be the best option for an emergency alert system that would warn not only their staff, but also the local communities of an emergency weather situation.

So how does this work?

• Newmont monitors tropical cyclones and potential Tsunamis in the area through collecting information from the Indonesian Bureau for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics.
• Sirens were installed in 10 locations around the mine, each with a sound reach of up to 5 kilometers.
• If there is a warning, a command is activated through HSL’s mobile messaging technology which triggers the siren. 
• The siren system immediately alerts the miners and the local communities to evacuate the area. 
• Further text messages are sent to employees to give them further, more specific notifications.

Newmont carry out a drill of this procedure every month. Peter Ferrigno Sr. Manager Operations Support from PTNNT said: “The safety and safeguarding of our employees and communities is one of our core values and missions as a Mine and a Corporation. This technology has been used to aid us in achieving this by providing early warning system platforms for Tsunamis in the hopes of providing sufficient time for reaction and evasive measures to be taken should an actual event occur. The technology helps the warnings to be more immediate and effective in alerting our communities and staff in case of an emergency.”

So how can this help you?

HSL's Time Critical Communications Solution can be used by any government or company wishing to send employees emergency notifications reliably,  quickly and efficiently. This solution can be used for a wide range of purposes from notifying large numbers of employees immediately of unexpected office closures as a result of poor weather conditions to sending messages to emergency services regarding critical cases. In order to learn more about our solution and how it could help you, please view Hot Tips for Cold Snaps.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.hslmobile.com    

 

follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter @hslmobile or Google+   

 

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

 

HSL Company Recap 2012

HSL Vision for 2013

 

Last year, growth was our number one priority at HSL and this year we intend to increase and enhance our services portfolio in addition to growing our business and the number of employees.

Growth in Numbers

We have been working extremely hard to recruit the very best individuals in the industry to ensure we achieve our strategy for growth. We recognise that having the right people committed to going above and beyond customer expectations is a key ingredient in our mission to become a market leader in the provision of innovative mobile communications services.

Exciting New Clients

We are very lucky to be able to say that we have worked, and are still working, with some of the most interesting companies over our 13 years in business. We expanded our client list last year and had the pleasure of working with some exciting companies and providing messaging services for newsworthy UK events.

Event Diary

We have also been busy attending relevant industry events to increase our market knowledge and learn more about the various trends across all verticals. This is a key part of our strategy and ensures we have an indepth understanding of the various requirements of all the different markets so we can lead the way in developing new and innovative communication solutions to the enterprise market. Check out our new website to see where are will be showcasing our solutions in the forthcoming year.

Events attended in 2012 include:

• Mobile World Congress
• GSMA Mobile Health Summit
• Scottish Technology Showcase
• CommunicAsia2012 Summit
• MobileCON 
• FutureCom

HSL's Bespoke Solutions

Our new development team are all geared up for launching cutting edge technical solutions in 2013. They have been busy working behind the scenes on improving and enhancing current processes and services, helping us deliver bespoke solutions for our client base.

Ian Campbell, Head of Development for HSL, said: "Existing customers, who already benefit from the exemplary service supplied by HSL, will see improved interfaces to the company whilst new application areas will increase the value HSL can add to both existing and new customers."  

Brand New Website

The latter part of 2012 witnessed the launch of our new hsl mobile website, as well as the re-brand of our existing website www.hslsms.com.

That's NOT All Folks!

You can also easily stay up to date with company news by following us on Twitter, LinkedIn or through our Company Blog.

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

www.hslmobile.com

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

Most Popular HSL Blog Posts of 2012

As the end of 2012 fast approaches (and we all wonder 'where did the year go?'), we thought it would be interesting to look at all time favourite blog posts over the past year. This is not an exhaustive list, just the top 5 most popular posts. All these posts look at innovative ways in which mobile technology is helping different sectors and markets stay competitive and add value for their clients. We also included a few of our author’s favourite blogs for some light reading!

SMS for E-Communications 5 most popular Blog Posts of 2012

1. How are Airlines benefitting from mobile

This was one of our early in the year posts looking at mobile technology within the airline industry and proved to be one of the most useful articles. Mobile technology is making huge waves in this industry to increase efficiency and produce happy travellers.

2. Banks embrace SMS to improve security

Security within banking is a hot topic that just keeps getting hotter. As this year has progressed, we are hearing more and more about the importance of banking security as cases of fraud and security breaches are reported. Mobile technology can provide a useful means of tackling these issues.

3.  How do you get yours?

This new popular article looks at communicating with staff in emergency situations in a painless fashion using an innovative solution.

4. SMS improves business communications

How do you communicate with staff and clients? This article examines the reasons why businesses are adopting SMS at an increasing speed.

5. SMS solutions help monitor energy usage

Learn how businesses and consumers can use mobile technology to cut their energy costs.

Author's Favourite Blog Posts of 2012

1. Treat yourself with more sales this Christmas

Gives retailers (and shoppers) useful everyday pointers to increase that all important shopping experience.

2. mHealth - mobile technology for the healthcare sector

mHealth is the new buzz word for the healthcare sector. Discover just a few of the ways that mobile technology is being applied across the industry to achieve some fantastic results.

3. Hot tips for cold snaps

Tips to help businesses keep running when horrendous winter weather hits - particularly useful considering the time of year!

Thanks for reading our blog and we hope there were a few gems of information there for you. We look forward to keeping you informed with our mobile communication blogs in 2013!

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @hslmobile

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

HSL Market Leaders in Innovation not Imitation

HSL has now opened a new office in the heart of Edinburgh to support their rapidly expanding development team. The team has tripled in size over the last 6 months resulting in the move to a larger office!

The team have been specially selected for their extensive skills and experience in successfully delivering innovative software developments, thereby continuing to drive the company's mission to be a market leader in providing cutting edge technical solutions.

Ian Campbell, Head of Development at HSL, said: "Existing customers, who already benefit from the exemplary service supplied by HSL, will see improved interfaces to the company whilst new application areas will increase the value HSL can add to both existing and new customers. The development team is a central part of HSL's growth strategy and it will continue to grow and flourish to meet the demands of the business."  

Mission Possible

HSL's marketing department has also been on a mission to provide appropriate branding for both the Edinburgh office and our existing office in Livingston as you can see below.  As always, we would love some feedback as to which sign you think is better - is it the Edinburgh or the Livingston sign? Please vote for your winner in our 'Edinburgh vs Livingston' competition by posting either 'Edinburgh rocks' or 'Livingston hands down' via our company twitter page @HSLSMS.

Edinburgh

Livingston

 

For further information regarding HSL, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com

Retail and Marketing say Ahoy to Mobile Communications Services

Using mobile communications in the retail industry is not a new phenomenon and is fast becoming common place. Customers are quickly embracing mobile as part of their shopping experience to research products and services, find reviews and even check prices whilst in store to see if they can buy it cheaper elsewhere.  

 

As a result, strengthening customer relationships and loyalty is becoming even more difficult in a world where customers are able to find an abundance of information at the touch of a button and search for the best deals around. 

However, mobile communications also opens up the possibilities of developing and nurturing relationships with customers. Retailers can keep in touch with customers via updates about new product ranges, special promotions, developing apps to enhance the shopping experience and so on.

In 2006 one of the leading companies who specialise in advertising boats for sale decided to utilise SMS for mobile marketing and developing customer relationships. They launched a new innovative service to enable visitors to describe what type of boat they were looking for and to then be notified of any potential matches by SMS. The company has a long history of being the first to offer new services to their sector. From used fishing boats to new power cruisers, the company pride themselves with helping members, individuals and businesses to buy or sell boats quickly, easily and cost-effectively.

The company decided that whilst it was feasibly possible for them to build an SMS system that could integrate with their existing systems, it would be to their advantage to instead use an established supplier with worldwide knowledge and agreements for sending SMS.

HSL fit the bill for what they were looking for. We have been providing mobile services to enterprises worldwide since 1999, giving the client peace of mind. With our competitive pricing and ease of integration the decision to select HSL as their SMS supplier was made even more simple. The client began using us purely to alert visitors of product matches but this has extended to also using our services for keeping in contact with their clients.

With SMS services suitable for all enterprise types, HSL's robust technology, coupled with their creative and flexible approach to enterprise requirements, positions HSL uniquely within the industry as a highly reliable, reputable and forward thinking SMS service provider. As a direct result of using HSL's outbound SMS services and continuing to keep their visitors informed with up-to-date boat availability, the company has enhanced their relationships with visitors and potential customers which means that when visitors next need to search for a boat, they are likely to be their first port of call.

Alternatively, visit us at:

http://www.linkedin.com/company/hay-systems-ltd

follow us on Twitter @HSLSMS

or call us on +44 (0)1506 605260

or email us at sales@haysystems.com