Among all of the tools that have been introduced in the workplace, instant messaging (IM) has proven to be the most popular, with 71% of employees relying on IM applications. Considered less intrusive than traditional phone calls, but more immediate than email, IMs strike a convenient balance between urgency and productivity that’s hard to beat.
Here are the best reasons driving offices to adopt IM apps.
#1. Helps improve communication
It almost goes without saying that IM is great for improving communication in the workplace. Unlike email, which facilitates a constant back and forth exchange of messages, IM offers real-time coordination. This can help you save a lot of time and remain in constant contact.
IM also lets you know when your contact is online or not and whether they have received and read your message. Whether your colleague is working remotely or you have a geographically dispersed team, IM lets you communicate with team members as if they were all in the same room given how quickly you can expect a response. This is why IM is one of the best communications technology for remote work.
#2. Reduces interruptions
As opposed to email, phone calls, or face to face meetings, IM is less intrusive and disruptive to your work process. Reading through email threads, talking to someone on the phone, or stepping out to attend a meeting is time-consuming. On the other hand, IM allows you to reply without taking you away from your current tasks. In fact, in a survey conducted by Slack, they found that offices using their software hold 25% fewer meetings.
#3. Enhances customer service
One of the biggest complaints about customer service is how long it takes for customers to reach a representative. Often, the amount of time a client spends waiting on a call queue spurs impatience and annoyance. With IM, a customer or client can chat with a customer representative without being forced to wait on the phone. It helps reduce customer hold time and provides a better overall customer experience.
#4. Provides a more cost-efficient option for communication
Most businesses are trying to find ways to reduce costs and streamline operations through technology. IM is one of the best ways an organization can do that. For all the benefits it can provide, IM isn’t costly.
With group chats, brief meetings can be conducted with everyone in the team without having to spend on transportation costs or long distance phone calls. Constant communication helps reduce costly errors due to mistakes and miscommunication, so you can rest assured your team is delivering accurate, quality work. IM also has the option to detect presence, which can be used to maximize productivity.
IM and Unified Communications
If you don’t have an IM software in place, check out the new and proven chat applications. Be mindful that many organizations have tried is incorporating IM as part of an overall communications strategy or platform intended to help streamline operations, such as Unified Communications or Hosted VoIP.
If you want to explore new business, unified communication options with Jive.me, contact us at Jive today.
