Mobile devices have grown in popularity over the years, with more individuals than ever before becoming reliant on their smartphones and iPads. Medical facilities have also started integrating new technologies into their daily operations, with surveys showing that interactive text messaging services can have a positive effect on teenage patients.
According to research conducted by the University of Arizona, messages and a mobile phone delivery protocol were developed to influence the nutrition and physical activity knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of adolescents. Of the 177 teens – ages 12 to 18 – interviewed, they all said that they preferred messages with an active voice that reference teens and recommends specific, achievable behaviors
“Kids are texting all the time, so it’s a communication they’re very familiar with and it appeals to them,” Melanie Hingle, University of Arizona assistant research professor of nutritional sciences and lead author of the study, told the news source. “But we realized very quickly once we got down to the actual development of the messages that we didn’t know the first thing about what kind of tone or information kids would be interested in.”
While individuals, especially young adolescents, enjoy using mobile devices for communication methods, studies like this show that they still appreciate a human aspect to those interactions. When companies partner with a live answering service, they can ensure reliable, two-way contact with consumers.
That way, customers can reach a representative 24/7, through whatever medium is most convenient for them. Technology is meant to improve quality of life – not detract human interaction from it.
By integrating comprehensive online customer services and text messaging into daily operations along with phone lines, businesses can be sure to have a wide array of options available to consumers.
