Conversational RCS – Rich Communication Services

Introduction

At Saascoms we are not a company who likes to stand still.  If you have seen our blog on RCS (Revolutionising Customer Communication with RCS Integration) then you will already know the benefits of branded SMS.

We have successfully deployed RCS for several of our clients, and they are reaping the benefits of verified SMS. The next step is how to integrate RCS into conversational SMS. Currently two-way SMS requires a virtual number to be presented on the outgoing SMS, essentially it looks like a mobile number.  This is a UK mobile network requirement.

Conversational RCS

However, RCS allows the sender ID to be either alpha or numeric value (11 digits/characters) meaning you could send the RCS SMS with your company name, which of course would improve customer engagement.

One standout feature is redefining the economics of customer engagement: the 24-hour inclusive chat window, all for a one-off price of just 12p.

Once a customer engages with your brand by replying or sending a message – a 24-hour inclusive chat window opens. During this period, your business can send unlimited RBM messages to that customer, all under a single pricing event.   That entire 24-hour window is priced at just £0.12 per conversation.  No per-message charges. No hidden fees. Whether you send 1 message or 20, it’s all covered.

Who Benefits from Conversational RCS?

Brands who either:

• Have a high margin on a sale or support request and are very brand sensitive
• Brands who have protracted message communications i.e. they tend to send 4 or more SMS to their client before a resolution is reached. 

Who Doesn’t Benefit from Conversational RCS?

While the 24-hour window offers great value for many brands, it’s not ideal for every use case:

• Unproductive Inbound Messages If your business is vulnerable to unproductive customer messages, these could unintentionally open chargeable 24-hour. For example, people replying to your broadcast SMS i.e. stop, who is this? etc.
• Low-Volume or less than four-and-Done Support For businesses that typically resolve issues in a single back-and-forth message (e.g., sending a delivery time, confirmation, balance check, etc), the 12p fee may be higher than needed. In such cases, a pay-per-message pricing model might be more economical.
• High Sensitivity to Cost Per Resolution: Companies with razor-thin margins or large-scale inbound activity should carefully weigh whether the flat session fee aligns with how often customers actually re-engage within that 24-hour window 

In Conclusion

Conversational RCS is more than a messaging upgrade; it’s a chance to rethink how your brand connects with customers.  That said, as with any messaging model, it’s important to evaluate the fit into your engagement strategy.