Chattanoogans will soon be able to have customer service needs addressed by directly texting some of their favorite local businesses and organizations. Text Request, a Chattanooga-based start-up, announced its launch Thursday at an event at the downtown IMAX Theater. Text Request also announced partnerships with several beta clients including 3H Group, Christ United Methodist Church, Covenant College, St. Nicholas School and Chattanooga Brewing Company.
A 2014 Pew Research study cites that 79 percent of cell phone owners use their phones to text. This short-form method of communication can also be beneficial for consumers to communicate easily with businesses, said officials.
Text Request was conceptualized by entrepreneur Brian Elrod along with cofounder and technologist Rob Reagan. The business partners said they first devised the idea after discussing Mr. Elrod and his wife’s visit to a busy restaurant during which they thought, “we wish we could just text our server.” In the months since, they have established a development and marketing team, as well as proprietary technology and platform that interfaces with all text messaging systems, pulling and pushing content with a consumer-focused business system.
“Businesses are born out of a need and once we realized there was a need, the gears in our entrepreneurial minds started turning,” said Mr. Elrod, president and CEO. “People choose texting over other means of communication because it’s easy, concise and instantaneous. We wanted to expand the use of texting to be a dually beneficial two-way conversation between businesses and their customers.”
To utilize the service, customers will have access to a unique phone number to which they can text customer service questions, requests and concerns.
“These days people don't want to make calls or send emails,” said Mr. Elrod. “Text Request is real-time and that makes customers happy. We help businesses handle 10 times as many incoming texts as calls, and with greater efficiency.”
Among beta clients announced Thursday was the Chattanooga-based 3H Group, which owns several hotel brands including downtown's SpringHill Suites Marriott.
“More and more of our guests are beginning to prefer texting the front desk instead of calling,” said Andrew Arnold, front desk customer service specialist at the Springhill Suites Marriott. “The value to our customers comes in the simplicity of the service from their perspective, coupled with the ease of accommodation and efficiency from the business's perspective.”
Christ United Methodist Church in East Brainerd is another beta client. The church’s parishioners use Text Request to send prayer requests and get updates on church events and happenings.
“Effectively communicating with our parishioners and the Chattanooga area community is one of the most difficult tasks we face,” said Mark Flynn, senior pastor. “Text Request helps us make sure the lines of communication are open. The reaction from our community has been so positive. Everyone is using it, not only the younger groups—everyone is texting.”
Text Request will announce more participating businesses over the coming months and is planning a national expansion over the course of the next year.