Why customer contact is worth taking seriously
Regular, relevant contact makes it easier for customers to do business with you. A notice of when the delivery will arrive means fewer calls to dispatch. A reminder the day before a site visit helps the right people be there. A short survey after a job gives you something to improve on. And a newsletter when you actually have something to share keeps the relationship alive between jobs.
Choose the channel to fit the message
Email fits when there's more to say or show: newsletters, confirmations of booked pickups and information customers want to keep and read at their own pace.
SMS fits when the message is short and time-sensitive: an estimated arrival time, a delay alert, or a reminder ahead of tomorrow's run. The sender name can be up to 11 characters, so customers can see who it's from.
RCS is the next step for messages on the phone. On phones and networks that support RCS, a message can include images and buttons the recipient can tap – for example to confirm an inspection time or answer a question. In Viska, those replies can also lead into a flow.
A simple rule of thumb: use email for content, SMS for short updates, and RCS when you want the customer to be able to reply or choose right in the message.
Practical examples
Pickup and delivery. When a pickup is booked, the customer gets a confirmation by email. When the shipment is on its way, the recipient gets a short SMS with the estimated arrival time. These service messages are sent as transactional messages. Viska also guards against duplicates, so the same SMS isn't sent twice by mistake.
Delays. If a delivery or a job is running late, let the customer hear it from you before they have to call. A short SMS with the new time is often enough, and a system of your own can send it through the API.
Reminders to drivers and subcontractors. Contact isn't only about customers. A reminder the evening before about time, place and what applies on site makes the morning easier for everyone. Reminders can be scheduled for a set time and cancelled if plans change.
Site visits and inspections. Before a site visit, an inspection or a handover meeting, the client can get a reminder the day before. With RCS, the message can include buttons to confirm or ask for a new time, and the reply can lead into a flow.
Follow-up after delivery. Once a delivery has been signed for, the recipient can get a message confirming it and saying who to contact if something isn't right. That way, discrepancies are caught early.
Customer satisfaction after a delivery or job. When a delivery is complete or a job is finished, you can send a short NPS or CSAT survey. The answers show what's working and where there's room to improve.
Newsletters to customers. When you have something to share – new services, changed opening hours around holidays or changes in traffic – send a campaign to a list or segment. Remember that marketing should only go to recipients who have given their consent, and that every mailing must include a way to unsubscribe.
Let flows handle what repeats
Much of customer contact follows the same pattern every time. A flow in Viska starts from an event – for example a pickup being booked or a delivery being signed for – and then sends the right message at the right time. A flow for a booked pickup can send a confirmation right away and an SMS when the shipment is on its way. A flow after a completed delivery can send a survey the next day. You can see at any time what has been sent, opened and clicked.
If you have your own systems, such as a transport management system or a project tool, they can connect to Viska through the API. They can then add contacts, start flows and send service messages. Developers can find the documentation on Viska's API page ↗.
Get started in five steps
- Open Viska from Telme. As a Telme customer, you reach Viska directly from inside Telme.
- Add your contacts. Import or add the customers you want to reach, and sort them into lists if you like.
- Start with one message you need. Pick something concrete, such as a delivery notice or a site-visit reminder, and create a template for it.
- Automate what repeats. Build a first flow that starts from an event, such as a booked pickup.
- Follow up and adjust. See what gets opened and clicked, send a survey, and improve step by step.
More time for what creates value
With Viska in Telme, you handle email, SMS and RCS from one place, and flows take care of what repeats. That gives you more time for what creates value.