The End of SMS Links. How RCS is Changing the Game in Customer Experience Research

Just a few years ago, sending a short SMS with a link to an NPS or CSAT survey guaranteed quick and measurable feedback. Today, the reality is entirely different, especially in highly regulated industries like banking. Why has the classic SMS stopped working, and how does Rich Communication Services (RCS) technology solve this problem?

Three Main Problems with SMS Surveys

When we talk to CX Managers and Operational Directors, we most often hear about three roadblocks:

1. SMS Links = Phishing Suspicion

For years, financial regulators, banks, and cybersecurity teams have educated consumers: "Under no circumstances should you click on links in SMS messages!" It worked. Customers have become highly cautious, which is great news for security but terrible for researchers. An authentic link to a survey asking to rate a branch visit now looks almost identical to an attempt to steal login credentials. It's hard to blame customers for ignoring these messages.

2. Declining Response Rates ("No one reads this anyway")

Even if we bypass the link issue (e.g., by using "reply 1-10" SMS surveys), customer engagement is dropping. Many brands collect feedback but do nothing with it. The lack of "Closing the Loop" makes customers feel their voice doesn't matter. Besides, forcing a customer to type numbers and send a text reply is far from convenient in the era of interactive apps.

3. Alternatives are Expensive or "Rigid"

Since SMS links are out, companies look for other avenues. Phone surveys (CATI) are highly expensive and difficult to scale. On the other hand, embedding surveys directly in transactional systems (e.g., after completing a wire transfer) is a secure solution, but operationally costly. Adding a new survey or modifying a question in a banking app is often a full-blown IT project requiring sprint planning (with Time-to-Market measured in months). Such a survey is "welded" to a single touchpoint, stripping CX teams of much-needed agility.

RCS (Rich Communication Services) – A New Hope for VoC

What is RCS? Simply put, it’s the successor to SMS, bringing features known from modern messengers (like WhatsApp or Messenger) directly into the phone's native inbox. Most importantly, it directly resolves the core bottlenecks of the "old" SMS.

First: Verified Brand Agent (The End of Anonymity)

When sending a survey via RCS, you aren't hiding behind an anonymous, long phone number. The sender goes through a rigorous verification process. The customer's inbox displays a Verified Brand Agent profile—complete with the official bank or company logo, name, and contact card. From the very first second, the customer knows they are communicating with an authentic brand. This builds immediate trust and completely eliminates phishing fears.

Second: Interactivity Without Suspicious Links (Near-app experience)

RCS allows for displaying rich media content (Rich Cards, Carousels). Instead of a "naked" link or a request to text back a digit, the customer sees a visually appealing survey with clickable buttons (e.g., a rating scale, "Yes/No" buttons). They can rate the service with a single tap, directly within the message window. This drastically reduces Customer Effort, which naturally translates into a higher Response Rate.

Third: From a Rigid Survey to a Real AI Dialogue

This is arguably the biggest revolution. Traditional surveys are usually a one-way monologue—the brand asks pre-set, static questions and displays a generic "Thank you" at the end. No wonder customers feel survey fatigue.

By leveraging Conversational RCS paired with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the research process transforms into a genuine, two-way dialogue.

Imagine this scenario: A customer rates a branch visit 6/10. The AI, acting as the Brand Agent, instantly analyzes this score and asks a personalized follow-up question within the same chat window: "We're sorry your visit wasn't fully satisfactory. What could we improve?".

If the customer replies: "I waited a long time for a mortgage advisor", the AI smoothly continues the thread: "We understand, that is frustrating. Would you like an advisor to contact you tomorrow at 10:00 AM so you don't have to return to the branch?".

This is no longer just collecting VoC data. It's merging the benefits of quantitative research (scale, reach) with qualitative research (deep-diving into the problem), all in the form of a natural conversation. We break the biggest psychological barrier—the belief that "no one reads this anyway". The customer feels authentically heard and taken care of right then and there (Real-Time Close The Loop). And if the conversation requires human intervention, the AI can seamlessly transfer the chat to a live human agent at any point.

Fourth: Advanced Analytics

A standard SMS only gives us information about delivery status. RCS offers analytics akin to web tracking. We can see the exact Open Rate (which in Western markets reaches up to 68%!) and exactly which buttons the customer clicked. This is an absolute goldmine of knowledge for CX departments.

Adoption is Ongoing, But It Pays to Be One Step Ahead

Let's be completely transparent: RCS does not yet have 100% market penetration. Its adoption is a process dependent on mobile operators and operating system manufacturers (though Apple's recent announcement to support RCS in iOS is a massive milestone). Currently, if a customer's phone does not support RCS, the system automatically sends a classic SMS (SMS Fallback).

So why should you care about RCS right now?

This technology is rolling out before our very eyes. Companies that design their VoC (Voice of Customer) processes today to leverage the conversational capabilities of RCS and AI will gain a massive competitive advantage. Preparing your strategy, testing interactive card formats, and mapping out AI conversational scenarios will allow you to launch at full power when the technology becomes the new market standard.

Don't wait for your competitors to overtake you. Think about how RCS can revolutionize satisfaction research in your organization.

*** If you want to learn more about how to structure customer voice collection and prepare for upcoming technological shifts, contact us. We will help you turn this potential into concrete business actions.

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