Zendesk & Meta boost proactive customer communication with Relay

Zendesk has expanded its partnership with Meta to enhance outbound communication strategies for customer experience with the launch of its new application, Relay. According to the company, Zendesk Relay will enable businesses to engage proactively with customers at scale using outbound messages in WhatsApp while managing all interactions natively within the Zendesk platform.

Relay aims to enhance customer service teams' capabilities in several key areas. The app will help companies improve targeting and personalisation by allowing the use of dynamic content and targeted audience data to tailor messages for specific customer segments. Additionally, administrators can create custom message templates directly within Zendesk and submit them for Meta’s approval. The application is also designed to accelerate business outcomes by boosting customer loyalty, increasing satisfaction, and driving higher sales through timely and relevant proactive communication.

Zendesk provides customer service and engagement software to help businesses improve customer relationships. Focusing on delivering personalised, seamless customer experiences, Zendesk offers a comprehensive suite of tools that includes support, sales, and customer engagement solutions. Zendesk serves more than 160,000 customers across a wide range of industries globally. 

Mike Keohane, RVP of Business Development at Zendesk, said, "Consumers now expect real-time, personalised communication from brands, akin to what they experience in their personal lives. By adopting proactive messaging strategies, businesses not only meet but exceed these evolving expectations, delivering timely and relevant information through channels that customers already use and trust." 

"Relay will allow companies using Zendesk to proactively contact their customers through WhatsApp, to provide important updates that they might not be aware of. This can include examples such as reporting incidents, invites for exclusive opportunities, and requests for feedback on services or products."

The partnership aims to significantly improve customer satisfaction and loyalty through proactive communication via preferred channels like WhatsApp. Forrester Research has noted that proactive communication will reduce future contact volume by up to 25% and increase customer satisfaction rates by 20%.

Additionally, Zendesk leverages its collaboration with Meta’s WhatsApp and SMS providers like Twilio to empower businesses to enhance their customer experience strategies. This deeper integration is designed to equip customer service teams with the necessary tools to keep customers informed proactively, ensuring that crucial updates are delivered before customers seek them out.

Zendesk Relay is now available through the Zendesk Marketplace. This new tool is aligned with the company's mission to simplify business complexities and make it easier for companies and customers to create connections. The application will help businesses adopt an efficient and customer-centric outbound communication strategy.