Think of an industry, any industry. Whether it be healthcare or hospitality, retail, or logistics, they're all dependent on communication to engage, produce, influence, sell, and everything in between. And with consumers clamoring for more “conversational” experiences, the best way to meet and exceed these demands is with communication platforms as a service, or CPaaS.  

CPaaS is the chisel that's reshaping industries across the board. It's the digital chameleon that adapts and empowers businesses of all stripes.

In this blog, we'll delve into why CPaaS isn't just industry jargon, but an indispensable tool that's leveling up customer engagement, simplifying customer identification and security, boosting communication efficiency, and advancing innovation in customer experience.  

Let’s check out some CPaaS use cases and uncover the countless ways it's helping rewrite the rules for engaging customers successfully across industries. 

First of all, what is CPaaS?

CPaaS is a cloud-based platform that helps organizations enrich customer interactions using  messaging, voice, email, and video APIs. Businesses can easily expand the capabilities of their existing applications without having to build any backend infrastructure. 

But why is CPaaS such a significant game-changer in the digital age? 

In a world where instant and seamless communication is the norm, CPaaS helps businesses to enhance their customer engagement strategies, streamline internal communication, and even automate customer interactions.  

This means companies can communicate on the channels their customers prefer, whether it's via an email, text message, voice call, video conference, or messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp and Messenger.

It enables real-time communication, fosters engagement, and ultimately drives customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

And it does all that across industries, each of which has found unique ways to harness CPaaS’ capabilities for their benefit.  

CPaaS use cases

Let’s take a look at CPaaS use cases in five uniquely different industries – financial services, healthcare, retail, travel and hospitality, and logistics – and see how businesses have leveraged the power of CPaaS to boost their customer communications game. 

Financial services

The financial services industry is in the midst of massive disruption, and it is leveraging CPaaS to introduce real-time communication tools that enable instant decision-making and faster transactions. 

The days of languishing in line or on the phone with your bank, elevator music dulling your senses, are at an end. With CPaaS, banks and financial companies are integrating real-time communication solutions into their customer service. Need assistance? Just text, call, or chat your way with a chatbot or friendly customer service representative who’s ready to assist at any time and from anywhere. 

CPaaS not only expedites communication but also personalizes the customer experience. Tailored notifications, reminders, and updates are just a click away, making the customer feel like they have a personalized financial assistant at their fingertips.  

But most of all, the FinServ industry is built on trust, and ensuring the security and compliance of financial transactions is paramount. CPaaS is stepping up to the plate by enhancing security measures. Multi-factor authentication through text messages, flash and voice calls, and data verification are just a few examples of how CPaaS is bolstering security and fighting back against cyber-attacks and identity theft.  

Customer case: Triodos Bank 

Just take a look at Triodos Bank, a world leader in sustainable banking. Triodos needed a hyper-secure solution to verify users logging in to their mobile app or online portal; a solution that would not only prevent fraud but enhance the user experience to the company’s 170,000 strong client base in Spain. 

Using Sinch SMS Verification, Triodos Bank sends a one-time password (OTP) to a user’s registered mobile number when there’s an attempt to log in to their online account or mobile app. With industry-leading delivery rates, Sinch SMS works across mobile devices so that Triodos Bank can reach any customer and verify their identity as they log in, quickly and easily.   

Healthcare

Another CPaaS use case proving to be a game-changer is patient communications within healthcare. CPaaS is advancing the way healthcare professionals communicate and how we access medical services.  

Telemedicine, powered by CPaaS, allows patients to connect with healthcare providers virtually, transforming your living room into the doctor's office. You can now show what’s ailing you, discuss your symptoms, or even have a follow-up consultation from the comfort of your own couch.  

Telemedicine also helps scale up healthcare services to meet the needs of patients in rural or remote areas allowing for further medical reach, or for those who just can’t make it into the doctor’s office.  

For medical professionals, CPaaS solutions also help reduce no-shows and cut costs. Missed appointments mean wasted time, resources, and money. Healthcare organizations are harnessing CPaaS to offer streamlined appointment scheduling and automated reminders. 

CPaaS enables healthcare providers to engage with patients through text, chat, video calls, and even interactive apps. This opens doors to improved patient education, follow-up, and adherence to treatment plans. Suddenly, the once-dreaded treatment regimen becomes more manageable and patient-centric. The applications are seemingly endless.  

Customer case: Salud Digna 

For instance, when Mexico was mired in the devastation wreaked by COVID-19 along with the rest of the world, healthcare provider Salud Digna was overwhelmed with a record-high number of lab testing inquiries. The non-profit needed a smart, cost-efficient solution to provide millions of patients with fast and secure access to vital information about tests and results.  

After partnering with Sinch, Sauld Digna automated the majority of its incoming patient queries with a WhatsApp virtual assistant. The result? Salud Digna’s virtual assistant helped the non-profit to maintain patient satisfaction and trust while improving operational efficiency: 

• 50% less time spent on calls, enabling agents to handle 30% more calls 

• 89% of interactions no longer require a live agent. 

• 32.5 million cumulative interactions with up to 190,000 patients in one day 

• 5.9 million test appointment confirmations sent 

• 2 million test results securely delivered automatically

Travel and hospitality

In a world where customer satisfaction reigns supreme, the travel and hospitality industry has hopped aboard the CPaaS use case train with both feet. It's transforming the industry in remarkable ways, focusing on two-way communication, streamlined reservation and booking management, up-front crisis communication and guest safety initiatives, and much more.  

Did you know that 67% of travelers want updates on their tickets, or that 53% of folks love the "we're on our way" notifications from their taxis? CpaaS’ real-time notifications makes those expectations a reality. And, while 40% currently chat with travel businesses through their mobile devices, 67% yearn for more of that action. That's a tantalizing 27% opportunity gap that CPaaS can help you pounce on.  

Real-time communication through various channels like SMS, voice calls, and rich messaging channels, ensure that guests are also promptly informed about any situation or crisis, and travel providers can offer assistance in a matter of moments. This not only enhances safety but also builds trust, as guests see that their well-being is a top priority. 

So, if you want to take your travel and hospitality game to the next level, CPaaS is your VIP ticket! 

Retail

Shoppers today demand seamless, personalized experiences that transcend the boundaries of brick-and-mortar stores and online shopping platforms. As retailers scramble to keep up with these evolving needs, CPaaS is there to help transform the retail landscape while engaging customers at every point of their buying journey.  

CPaaS helps retail companies automate repeatable processes, which normally require time and money, and helps prevent lost opportunities. Think about automating the things customers expect like shipping notifications, account alerts, deals, and abandoned cart notifications. 

You can set up knowledge bases and chatbots to answer most questions for your customers. Live support is there if your customers can’t find specific answers — or if talking to a person would solve their problem faster.  

Gone are the days when only deep-pocketed corporations could enjoy a tailored communications strategy such as this. With CPaaS, businesses of all sizes, including your local retailers, can now tap into cutting-edge, omnichannel services that customers demand.  

CPaaS solutions also offer personalized marketing campaigns and support based on preferences to really take customer engagement to the next level. Engaged customers make more purchases and become brand ambassadors for your company, advocating for you to family and friends alike. 

Customer case: Parfym.se 

With Parfym.se, a pioneer in the Nordic online beauty retail industry, thinking outside the box helped them become a trusted brand among beauty aficionados. The company worked with Sinch for their SMS and rich messaging campaigns to create captivating and personalized messages that resonated with their customers.

Their collaborative strategy resulted in new sales, heightened customer satisfaction and increased loyalty towards the brand, particularly during their busiest time of the year, Black Friday.  

Logistics

In the old days, the lack of visibility, traceability, and communication were key pain points for supply chain management. But they’re called the “old days” for a reason.  

Nowadays, CPaaS solutions are reshaping the way businesses manage their supply chains. Real-time tracking and visibility, automated alerts and notifications, driver training and delivery route optimization have all been streamlined to help companies adapt to new digital realities within this field.  

Additionally, customers can now be kept in the loop as to the progress of their deliveries through notifications and alerts. These timely updates offer customers the assurance that they're not left in the dark about their shipments. 

This is true particularly of last-mile delivery. In this highly competitive field, CPaaS optimizes this phase of the supply chain with precise coordination of the final leg of delivery that ensures the goods reach their intended recipients with minimal disruptions, further enhancing the reliability of e-commerce businesses.

End customers are now empowered to change the time or location of their deliveries via chatbot, increasing their satisfaction and saving companies time and money by reducing repeated deliveries.  

Customer caser: iFood

As one of the largest online food delivery platforms in South America, iFood connects customers with their favorite restaurants through its website and mobile app. The company serves 15,000 restaurants and processes four million orders a month.  

iFood used a staffed support center to deal with driver-related issues, but it was inefficient and impossible to scale. The company needed to improve its delivery chain and focus on signing up new restaurants, registering new delivery staff and boost sales and customer service.  

With the help of Sinch, iFood implemented a conversational AI chatbot solution on popular messaging apps like WhatsApp and the company’s website to ramp up customer support and automate crucial processes, like onboarding new drivers or restaurants. And it worked! It handles and automates 45% of incoming inquiries, resulting in a 70% reduction in delivery costs.  

Get onboard the CPaaS express 

From enhancing marketing communications, to providing real-time notifications,  automating customer care, and creating unforgettable customer experiences, CPaas use cases will only grow in the near future.  

Sinch is here to help. We support all your communications needs, and own and manage our network infrastructure. Get in touch today to find out more about how we help businesses scale meaningful customer communications.  

And for more information about the CPaaS industry, download the 2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant for CPaaS and discover why Sinch was named a Leader.