Communication and payments platform for local businesses, Podium has launched a COVID-19 relief package to help keep Australian small businesses operating during the ongoing lockdowns.
Podium will be offering free access to solutions including Text-to-Pay, Campaigns, Videochat, and Teamchat as part of its COVID-19 relief package. This package is available to all single-location Podium customers both new and existing until November 30, 2021.
“Our community of Australian small businesses are a vital part of the Australian economy and these recent lockdowns have significantly impacted their operations and their ability to continue servicing their customers,” Podium country manager Dave Schiene says.
“COVID has altered consumer expectations however, it has also created new opportunities to win customers online. Our services enable businesses to create or advance online strategies that have proved business-critical in the face of unpredictable lockdowns.
“We hope this package provides relief and assistance to those impacted for them to stay in touch with their customers without having the additional burden of mounting costs, for the next few months,” Schiene says.
“The COVID-19 lockdowns have forced the closure of our showrooms and only allowed our workshops to keep operating for critical repairs. Podium helped us to stay connected with our customers stuck at home,” Jax Tyres & Auto marketing executive Thibault Roumagoux says.
“Videochat gave us this opportunity to keep delivering our peace of mind driving promise, with an industry first complimentary Video JAX Vehicle Inspection. By offering additional avenues of communication, we are able to continue engaging with our customers which has proved especially valuable for those who urgently require assistance during this tough time.”
The COVID-19 relief package solutions include:
- Text-to-Pay – With Podium Payments, businesses can send payment requests via text message rather than asking them to come in or taking credit card information over the phone.
- Campaigns – Enable businesses to send targeted SMS promotions to up to 100 customers per month with promotional messages that drive repeat business.
- Videochat – Speaking face to face with customers and answering questions instantly allows small business owners to continue doing what they’d normally do in person.
- Teamchat – Teamchat is designed to keep teams connected in the same platform where you communicate with customers daily—so that everyone has the context they need for their next conversation.
Through it’s SMS-based platform, Podium helps local businesses receive more reviews, collect payments, send SMS campaigns, and centralise their communications – all on the channels their customers prefer. Podium’s centralised platform aggregates communications from channels such as Google, Facebook, and Instagram.
Since March 2020, when the first lockdown began, Australian businesses have sent nearly six million messages and received nearly 200,000 reviews through Podium.
Facilitating millions of customer interactions, such as driving customer-generated online reviews and providing improved customer messaging tools, Podium serves more than 90,000 local businesses in the United States, Canada and Australia.
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