Turning Trust Into Action: TellJO Promotes Wellbeing With RCS Business Messaging
For TellJO, technology has always been a means to a human end, helping vulnerable people access the support they need before a difficult situation becomes a crisis. Operating with a distinct mission: to support the customers of large organizations – such as energy utilities, water companies, and debt purchasers – who are struggling financially. They provide digital wellbeing checks to identify signs of vulnerability and connect people with support services like debt advice, cost-of-living resources, and more affordable utility packages helping prevent crisis situations like debt and homelessness. Operating with a “communicate with kindness” philosophy, TellJO aims to transform how organizations support customers facing hardship.
Challenge
Rising phishing scams and online fraud eroded consumer trust, making it difficult to reach the people they serve without branded, verified, and flexible messaging
Solution
Vonage RCS/SMS via Messages API
Results
40% increase in user engagement; increased flexibility improved user experience; branding and verification options increased overall user trustBreaking Through the Noise
Reaching and engaging vulnerable people is a delicate and difficult task. Traditional communication methods like SMS could often look like spam or from an unknown sender. Without branding or verification, TellJO was relying on a process that failed to build the necessary trust, leading to low engagement rates and missed opportunities to provide support.
Historically, TellJO relied on SMS to reach their customers. While functional, SMS presented limitations.
Trust Issues: In an era of rampant phishing, generic text messages with links often look like spam. Customers are frequently warned not to click unknown links, making them hesitant to engage.
Limited Engagement: The format didn't allow for branding or verification, making it difficult to differentiate a helpful wellbeing check from a demand for payment.
Lack of Flexibility: Standard SMS left customers with only two options: click the link or ignore it. There was no room to offer alternatives or context within the message itself.
TellJO needed a solution that looked legitimate, felt safe, and offered a better user experience while carrying their "communicate with kindness" philosophy.
Building Trust with Verified Business Messaging
Vonage introduced TellJO to Rich Communication Services (RCS), an enhanced messaging format that brings branding, interactivity, and verification to mobile messages. Unlike their previous method of communication, RCS messages display the company logo and verification, allowing TellJO to immediately establish trust with message recipients.
Dominic Maxwell, founder of TellJO, explained the turning point. “It wasn’t until the moment our Vonage Account Manager presented RCS that I had that light bulb moment saying this is going to be really impactful to us as an organization, and more importantly, giving us a better way to connect with the vulnerable members of the communities we are working to support.”
Maxwell continued, “The platform also supports rich media and interactive elements, allowing TellJO to present multiple options in a single message thread vs. an either/or response. So instead of a single link, customers can choose between a wellbeing check, an affordability assessment, or other support options within the same conversation.”
This visual transformation, featuring the verified logo and branded experience, signals legitimacy, helping to overcome skepticism.
High Engagement, Better Outcomes
The transition to Vonage RCS delivered an immediate and measurable impact on TellJO and its clients. By presenting a trusted, branded experience, TellJO overcame the skepticism that hindered their previous text message campaigns.
For its corporate clients, this significant increase in engagement translates directly into quantifiable business benefits, such as improved regulatory compliance and measurable reductions in costly debt write-offs.
Maxwell continued, “By partnering with Vonage to implement RCS, TellJO transformed our outreach strategy. The move to a more verified, branded, and interactive messaging format resulted in a 40% increase in engagement rates. This shift allowed us to better serve our mission to help the companies we work with move away from transactional demands for payment and enabled us to deliver genuine support to those who need it most.”
By leveraging Vonage RCS, TellJO has successfully bridged the gap between digital efficiency and human empathy which has not only improved their metrics but also validated their approach to customer care and their commitment to transforming how organizations support their customers in crisis.
Learn more about how Vonage Communications APIs and RCS Business Messaging to gain trust and increase user engagement.
