More UK businesses turned to text messaging as a way of communicating with their customers during the recent postal strikes.
The TM4B SMS Gateway, a London-based service provider, saw a 15 per cent increase in messages being sent with daily averages exceeding 75,000 MT SMS. It also found sales enquiries turning into actual sales much faster than before the strikes.
Director of Sales & Marketing, Mr Abdul Majid, said: “Everyone expected couriers and private mail firms to be busier during the strike, but it didn’t cross our minds that we too would benefit. As you can imagine, we were delighted to see companies turning to SMS, as an alternative, more reliable way of communication.“
Since the first set of postal strikes in June, TM4B’s monthly customer acquisition rates have risen by 20 per cent.
The strikes, over a pay rise offer, crippled the UK postal service on October 4th and 5th, and again on the 8th and 9th. There continued to be wildcat strikes in Liverpool and London until the 11th October.
As of today (Friday 19th October), Royal Mail says the Communication Workers Union has called off official strike action planned for this week and the unofficial strike in Liverpool has ended.
Mr Majid added: “Text messaging is such a powerful way to communicate and extremely cost effective. The only problem companies like us have is getting businesses to simply try the medium and these strikes have been a great impetus. We foresee SMS having an even greater impact on traditional ways of communicating even more.”
