"IN211 Partnership" Works Together to Respond to I&R Texts!

In early 2016, IN211 Partnership approached the PreventionPays team with one question, can we share our traffic? We said, when do you want to start? 

It's great that 211s can offer their services through more channels than the phone. With 80% of Americans texting more than they make voice calls and email, combined, it's no wonder texting has become the most important communication upgrade for 211 Contact Centers. But what happens when a text isn't answered? 211s in Indiana are working together to ensure that doesn't happen.

PreventionPays Text has lead the way developing an enterprise level website powered by a Tier 1 short code, 898211 aka "TXT211" that enables 211 Contact Centers to respond via live two-way text conversations, to requests from the public for help finding food, shelter, health services, clothing, child care, housing and so much more. How does it work? The model is simple. An end user (individuals, families) can text their 5-digit zip code to the short code, 898211. Then, their text is routed to the 211 that's responsible for calls/texts from that zip code. This model is working extremely well. In fact, United Way 211 in Atlanta (the first 211 in the U.S.) saw their text traffic go from 500 unique encounters in April 2015, to now more than 4,500 request per month!  And that number just keeps climbing! 

We believe the drastic increase is due to the expanding base of end users. More and more people who grew up texting (gen-y, millennials) are finding themselves entering the stage of their life where they need more social services. A temporary financial setback can be catastrophic without help - losing one's job results in loss of wages, which results in missed payments. What supports are available for them? Who will help them with basic needs like putting food on the table and paying rent? That's where 211 comes in. They are by nature, a help hotline for people who need help, a clearinghouse for information and referrals (I&R).

211s specialize in connecting communities to these vital resources. And they're a filter for all the predatory services like high interest personal loans and payday advances. They maintain a current database of social services and they're a critical safety net for the public - they keep people off the streets with roofs over their heads and a shirt on their backs - literally. Great, right? But what happens when the people needing the help stop using the channel 211 uses to make these connections? "Calling" 211 (as in picking up the phone and dialing 2-1-1) is becoming an increasingly foreign concept, particularly among the next-gen help-seeker that uses their smart phone for just about everything, EXCEPT placing phone calls. Who could've predicted that?! In fact text is the most used function on our phones. By contrast, making calls is 6th on that list. (source: PEW Research)

This is the cold, hard truth that 211 managers are facing, with declining numbers of calls, which grow month over month. Many 211 managers are turning to other channels to boost their numbers. And text has been the most widely used alternative. Why? It's universal. Just about everyone texts. Seniors are now texting 211. According to Pew Research, Americans 55 and under text more than they talk on the phone and email. And it's the 55 and up segment that is fastest growing.  211 can reach all groups regardless of age, gender, ethnicity. A simple, easy way to get vital information. 

The short code, 898211 is provisioned with all carriers in the United States. In fact, it's the only Tier 1 short code provisioned specifically for 211 related communications and now shared by dozens of 211s across the country. Unsure if your 211 is covered? Try it! Text your zip code to 898211! For covered zip codes, you'll get an optin message and simultaneously routed to the closest 211. For zip codes that are not yet covered, you'll get an automated bounce back, "We're sorry we don't understand your text... please only text the zip code/keyword for the program you're trying to reach or dial 211." The system is calibrated to always provide a response even when live help isn't available.

In Indiana, all six 211 sites have successfully launched texting services on 898211 with one additional component - they've agreed to join forces to create a safety net for each other! That means if you live in Indiana, your text will go to the closest 211. If the closest 211 doesn't respond to your text in 5 minutes, the other five sites have agreed to be backup and to cover for each other, in the same ways that they cover each others' phone calls when needed.  So, staff at the other sites will get an alert about the unanswered text in their neighbor's queue and then have the option to click the text and respond! Therefore, if specialists are tied up on calls, or they need to schedule an all-staff meeting, the "network" will respond when any of the individual sites cannot. This project is emblematic of where services with an online presence (web-based, SaaS) are going next. Why let a text go unanswered?  By working together on the same text service platform, these agencies are tackling a very big issue with a very simple solution.  Congratulations, Indiana 211 Partnership for being trailblazers in the I&R sector!  It's also important to note, the short code 898211, a dedicated, branded short code for 211 services, is powering these communications. The concept of sharing traffic is only made possible because everyone in the state is texting 898211 and all 211 contact centers are using the same web-based application to respond to those texts.  In early 2016, IN211 Partnership approached the PreventionPays team with one question, can we share our traffic? We said, when do you want to start? 

Want more info? Are you a 211 seeking texting services for your agency? Text DEMO to 898211 or call us at our office 805.653.6000. You may also email info@preventionpaystext.com

Are you a member of the public and need help? Text your zip code to 898211 or call 211.  Want more info about this exciting work? Visit IN211 Partnership or email info@IN211.org 

Cheryl Graham, director or United Way 211 Howard County will be sharing about their progress and strategies during a webinar on September 6, you can register here (make sure to select the September 6th option): https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/2726525326567937026

Great news!  IN211 developed marketing materials to promote the new service and call to action: "text your zip code to 898211". They have generously offered to share their materials and messages with other 211s. You can view their portfolio here:   http://unitedwayhoco.org/get-help/2-1-1united-way-of-howard-county/2-1-1-marketing-materials

Call To Action: Effective Strategies for Alerting Clients about Your Text Service

The call to action is what your clients need to text in order to contact your agency. A text call to action is similar to posting your phone number. So, when you go live, you can update your website with a call to action banner.

Most agencies we work with will have texting capacity before their community knows it. Texting is the most common communication channel for Americans under 55, more than voice calls and email. So, how do you reach this rapidly growing group? How do you build up your web presence so that members of the community know you can receive text messages from them? Here are a few simple and effective tips!

TIP #1:  Add your call to action to every page of your website. One way to make sure would be to put it in the footer or header, or anywhere that is prominent and highly visible and viewable.

Tip #2: Keep it simple. The call to action has two parts, the keyword and the short code.  For example, text DEMO to 898211 where "DEMO" is the keyword and 898211, the short code.  The keyword can have quotations or not - it doesn't matter. The best method is all uppercase, no quotations. You can also highlight the keyword and short code. When you post your phone number, it's just that - a phone number to call.  

Tip #3: Make it clickable. Same as click to call, a click to text link will autofill the short code in their text application, thus making it easier to access services.  With 80% of web browsing happening on smart phones, there's a good chance they're on their mobile phone when the visit your website. If you're not on a texting device, you'll get an error. So, be mindful of this. 

Tip #4:  A visual aide can also be helpful. A simple graphic that shows individuals texting can make your call to action really pop and doesn't cost much.  

Tip #5: Advertise as a "new service". People tend to get excited about new services, especially when it's as novel as text. Funders are also more likely to take notice when you make noise about it.  

Tip #6: Don't forget the Terms and Conditions! Telling folks "standard msg and data rates apply and they can text "STOP" to opt out" is not just best practice; with website posts, it's also a requirement.  While most people know they can text STOP, it's a nice courtesy for those that don't. Prominently posting your Terms and Conditions also sends a strong signal that your agency takes end user privacy seriously. 

Tip #7: Include the call to action in your IVR and for folks on hold. This will give you a great jumpstart and generate traffic instantly. Plus, your community will love you for it.

Here are some examples:

**Please note, all samples are for the 211 sector. Services are available for any agency offering live help. We power several short codes that are branded for various priority populations and types of agencies.  All collateral is available for your agency's uses. Just ask us! We will also provide you with the source images so that you can brand with your own logo and language. 

Have You Seen the Email from AIRS?

“Text allows I&Rs to explore innovative opportunities to push information and messages out to clients within seconds (think disaster, think public health, think appointments).”

— clive jones, AIRS

You’ve probably seen or heard a reference to the email from AIRS called “It Is No Longer All About the Calls…”

The ideas expressed in the email mark a significant shift in the way AIRS members communicate with their clients. With the rapid growth of text across all demographics (Americans under 55 text more than they talk on the phone and email) this is also an important time to learn about the crucial role of texting and how to differentiate between services and capacity. 

In fact, here at PreventionPays we are hyper-focused on making the platform more useful to contact centers. To further demonstrate our commitment to the AIRS sector, PreventionPays Text has partnered with AIRS to bring members a significant cost reduction in the standard I&R package!  Read more about our partnership with AIRS by going here: http://www.preventionpaystext.com/airs-ems-specialoffer/

Join us in an upcoming webinar or schedule a live demo today by going to:  http://www.preventionpaystext.com/contact/

If you haven’t seen the AIRS email, here it is in its entirety:

Is your I&R service answering fewer calls than two years ago?

Maybe that question reads hollow as your I&R phones seldom stop ringing but even if you are struggling to handle existing demand without more staff … there is still a fair chance that fewer calls are coming in, even if you still can’t answer them all …

However, we do know that for many I&Rs, decreasing call volume is a discernible pattern. And this should not be surprising as it reflects the reality of changing demographics and personal preferences that has been widely predicted within I&R circles.

Economic improvements might be one factor but what we are seeing is the continued shift to web-based assistance and the use of Chat and Text. Put crudely, every year at one end of the age spectrum, a percentage of I&R clients who prefer the telephone leaves our active market and are replaced at the other end of the spectrum, by I&R clients who use voice interactions far less. And as for the folks between those extremes – people like you and me – to varying degrees, phoning has become what you do when you don’t have other options.

This is something that we all know and within I&R, we need to keep translating this knowledge into actions.

This is far from a complete list of the enhancements, improvements and opportunities that make up everyone's I&R to-do list. But it is a snapshot of what every I&R should be looking at...

Website:

• It needs to be promoted as much as your phone number.
• If there is an online resource database, it should be easily found (i.e. your website either opens up on the database or it is the most central and most visible click on the page).  
• Your online database should not look like a database. It should use graphic guided searches geared to the most common needs of your community.
• You should also add extensive meta-tags to ensure it shows up in relevant Google searches
• And it must be mobile friendly

Online Chat

• You need to have it available or be moving quickly towards it.
• Many I&Rs have introduced Chat over the past 2-3 years (while some have been offering it for 5+ years). Chat is being used by all ages and all sectors. ADRCs that offer Chat find it being used by clients with disabilities and by caregivers.
• The number of I&R Chats is increasing exponentially every year.

Text

• This is the next growth area for I&R coverage.
• One 2-1-1 launched Text service early this year and now handles more than 1,500 text inquiries a month.
• Text allows I&Rs to explore innovative opportunities to push information and messages out to clients within seconds (think disaster, think public health, think appointments).
• Logically, the use of Text skews to lower income individuals (people who only have mobiles and where Text usage is the cheaper option).

Here is some information from the commercial world to consider … Texting to Surpass Phone Calls for Business Communication … and … Can I Text Your Call Center … and from a different angle, this is from Innovations for Poverty Action … and this on the ‘Art and Science of Reminders’ (and could this seem to signal a potentially new dimension to I&R follow-up?! – some I&Rs are already exploring variations of this for income tax programs).

Essentially, we need to continue to provide communities with I&R services that meet everyone’s current and future preferences.

In case you missed them the first time around, here is an AIRS website self-assessment template and an AIRS guide to providing online Chat. Going on the AIRS Networker and entering “Text” into the main search box will bring up a number of discussion threads on this topic that have been part of an active dialogue over the past year.

AIRS

Hey, Contact Center! Are Your Phones Overburdened?

We have a great solution!  While your callers are on hold, tell them they can text you instead!  A simple phrase like "Text your zip code to 898211 and a specialist will text you back". And if you're not ready for full time exposure, add this phrase during your busy time or during a storm warning (hurricanes, tornadoes or in the days following these events).  Your community will love you for it! 

Why offer text for live support?  Pew Research recently reported Americans under 55 now text more than they make voice calls, email, combined. Pew also reports Americans would prefer to text contact centers for live support over voice calls. Gen-Y grew up texting and it's this generation and those that follow that have come to expect it. 

Everyday, thousands of people try to text agencies like 2-1-1 and they receive a message like: "error Invalid Number. Please resend using a valid number."  898211 (TXT211) is a destination for people to text that can support the capacity and bandwidth needed for secure, reliable communications across the network.

We also believe you'll save time and money!  With our platform you can triage for additional information like age, gender, reason for texting etc, so that your clients enter your queue more qualified for the referral you're about to text them. Our platform shares similarities with an email inbox so that a new "texter" enters the queue and can be texted an auto-response that gives them information on when they can expect a text back.  Like email, specialists can respond to the queue at their leisure, one at a time or open multiple encounters. The pace of text I&R is slower than a voice call and therefore more conducive to managing multiple encounters simultaneously.  Individuals may text while they're on the bus, cooking dinner, waiting in line at the DMV and if they're interrupted, they may not reply right away.

Many 2-1-1s are finding that the I&R encounter has changed over the past few years with more Americans dropping out of the middle class as they struggle to pay their bills and keep food on the table. More than ever before, 2-1-1 is a lifeline. Texting is highly effective with crisis because people are more willing to reach out for help and discuss personal issues, when they can do so by text.

Also, you're able to text referrals instead of dictate them back over the phone, which will save time and decrease errors.  The referrals are going to the exact location where they're most likely going to be put to use, their mobile phone.  Phone numbers and addresses are all clickable so they will go straight into a voice call, or straight into their maps application, which will save your client time and help ensure they put those referrals to use.

How Do I Get Started?

If you're already a client you can modify your automated recording and start today. Simple.

For all others, we encourage you to pilot this strategy!  On us!  Get Started Now!

Sending Text Referrals From Your I&R Database Now Easier Than Ever!

PreventionPays text box is now smarter than ever!  Entering prefabricated content like referrals, links, canned, ready-made phrases can be copied and pasted into the text box and the text box now auto-cleans and strips, making it text message ready. For example, if you are copying and pasting from a resource management tool or web-based service, whether it's crisis counseling by text or 211 I&R by text, you can copy and paste that directly into the text box and the system will auto-format the message so that your clients get referrals in the fewest texts and without line breaks or html tags (that are often part of the referral when copying directly from your online resource management software).  Most referral management tools (I&R resource management software/tools) were not designed for sending referrals by text message. Many were developed before text based I&R was a concept. Instead they were built for telephone voice support, where a resource specialist or crisis counselor dictates the referral back to their client over the phone which can lead to countless errors and misinterpretation.  So, we have adapted your text box on the PreventionPays Text Platform to auto-format non-conforming content so that sending referrals in PreventionPays Text has never been easier or more efficient.

The screenshot below shows a resource that was copied directly from an I&R AIRs certified web-based database management service and pasted into the text box. Then, just below that, it shows the message auto-formatted and delivered to the end user as a single text. 

We have also deployed the auto-segmentation of messages that exceed the character limit.  So, if you are sending multiple referrals, you can now send them at the same time and your text box will properly format those into separate texts (in the most economic and pleasing way for your clients). 

So whether you're texting referrals during a live text encounter or during a phone conversation, your clients will absolutely love what you text them!

For more information about text counseling and text I&R, email info@preventionpaystext.com or click the link in our website header!

Educational Message Services is a boutique mhealth agency specializing in secure, web-based tools to increase human connections in public health since 1994. As APHA and AIRS members, we are hyper-sensitive to the needs of our clients. Our best advocates and collaborators will always be our clients. They use our services every day and have dedicated their lives to helping others achieve better health outcomes. We want to celebrate and honor their work first and foremost.