ALTHOUGH RCS COVERAGE HAS GROWN SUB- STANTIALLY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IT ' S STILL NOT SUPPORTED BY EVERY CARRIER AND DEVICE.
SMS + RCS: THE FUTURE IS HYBRID
As RCS gains traction in the business world, more of our customers have been asking whether it will replace SMS. And our constant refrain is loud and clear: no. Not anytime soon.
Although RCS coverage has grown substantially over the past couple of years, it’ s still not supported by every carrier and device.
So, if you were to rely entirely on RCS for texting, you’ d inadvertently limit your reach.( We imagine the customers who still depend on SMS wouldn’ t be too happy to discover they could no longer engage with support teams via text.)
Since SMS is universal, it’ s important that you don’ t count it out. Instead, we always recommend a hybrid approach where you set up SMS as your fallback.
Here’ s what that looks like in action:
Suppose an agent supports a customer via a voice call and promises to follow up with some additional documents sent via text. They message the customer via RCS with an image carousel, and each image links to a separate PDF.
If the customer can’ t receive RCS messages, the system will fall back to SMS and send the message in text-only format.
Depending on the texting platform your contact center uses, you may be able to set up a fallback version of the message. For example, since an SMS recipient wouldn’ t be able to receive the carousel linking to PDFs, you might include a link to a page that contains all of the files.
ALTHOUGH RCS COVERAGE HAS GROWN SUB- STANTIALLY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IT ' S STILL NOT SUPPORTED BY EVERY CARRIER AND DEVICE.
SMS fallback then serves as a safety net to ensure everyone can receive your message, regardless of their device or carrier.
RCS CHALLENGES
RCS offers some incredible features and benefits, but it isn’ t perfect. Just like all communication methods, it has a couple of limitations and drawbacks.
Availability and reach
RCS adoption is growing fast. But, because it’ s not yet universally adopted, you will likely always have at least a small portion of your audience that can’ t receive these messages.( Which is why it’ s critical you use SMS as a fallback.)
Operational complexity
The visual richness you enjoy with RCS also takes additional effort and tech. Creating these assets often requires careful coordination with other departments, and you’ ll also need to make sure you have the right texting platform in place.
Ideally, you’ ll want to work with a provider that has expertise in both SMS and RCS and offers a user-friendly interface with a shorter learning curve( so you can get agents up to speed more quickly).
RCS SUCCESS BEST PRACTICES
Since RCS is still relatively new, contact centers are often unsure how to get started. Should you dive in headfirst or take a slower, more methodical approach?
The answer depends on your resources, immediate goals, and the clients you serve. But, in general, here are three things I always recommend.
1. GET YOUR VERIFIED SENDER STATUS ASAP
Generally, it takes eight to 10 weeks to get approval from the major telecom carriers and Google for your RCS agent; some carriers may take longer than others.
We always recommend that our customers begin the registration process as soon as possible, even if they aren’ t quite prepared to launch an RCS campaign. This way, once they’ re ready to begin using RCS in earnest, they can hit the ground running with a verified, branded presence.
RICH COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
2. PLAN FOR A PROGRESSIVE ROLLOUT
As with any new communication method or channel, it’ s a good idea to test your effort with one or two use cases first, such as order tracking, customer onboarding, or a short-term campaign.
This allows you to familiarize yourself with RCS and work out any kinks in your process before you commit to it across the board.
3. INVEST IN THE RIGHT PLAT- FORM AND INFRASTRUCTURE
A lot of a company’ s success with RCS comes down to having the right tools and technology in place.
Choosing a reliable platform will make a tremendous difference in how quickly and easily you can spin up your RCS program. And a great RCS partner will help you handle the registration process and support you in addressing security and compliance, too. For contact center leaders, the message is clear: RCS adoption is accelerating, and customers are hungry for richer, more engaging, and more trustworthy experiences. Organizations that invest in the right expertise and technology today will be best positioned to take the lead in the months ahead.
Amanda McGuckin Hager is CMO and CRO of TrueDialog, a leading enterprise SMS provider. With 25-plus years spanning brand, marketing, and revenue, she is a Go-to-Market authority and accomplished speaker, board member, and advisor who champions integrity, community, and connection.
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