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Looking for an alternative to Outlook? We understand that very well. Outlook has been the standard within many companies for years, but the e-mail programme is not the right solution for every organisation. The price is hefty, Outlook works best on Windows and the user experience is poor in some areas.
Fortunately, these days there are more than enough alternatives to Outlook. Because Outlook is great for sending and receiving e-mails, but customer communication nowadays involves so much more. A good reason, therefore, to look for an Outlook alternative. In this blog, we take you through the possibilities and limitations of Outlook.
What are your company's needs?
Do you want to collaborate more efficiently with your team? No more clicking back and forth between different tabs? And complete customer profiles in the same place where you send e-mails? Then read on quickly. Because we will tell you 8 reasons to consider Trengo as an alternative to Outlook. With these 8 reasons, you can decide what needs your company has and which solution best suits them.
8 reasons to consider an alternative to Outlook
1. One solution for all your channels
Office 365 for business can do a lot. But you can't bundle all your communication channels into one overview in Outlook. And with the rise in communication channels, chances are that e-mail has long since ceased to be your most used channel. Social media, WhatsApp and live chat are taking over. Consumers expect quick responses across all channels. So Outlook only manages a small part of your customer communication. Wouldn't it be easier if you had all your communications in one overview?
This is where Trengo comes in as an Outlook alternative. In Trengo, you can bundle all your communication channels. That way, instead of having 10 different inboxes, you have 1 inbox for all your customer communication. This is where all your messages come in. With Trengo, you no longer have to switch tabs. The colours and labels indicate which channel the message comes from and you simply reply in the same way for all your communication channels. From email to social media and more.
2. Collaborate more efficiently
Reply all? There is nothing more annoying than a corporate culture where an e-mail is sent for everything. If you are not in the immediate recipients, chances are you will be included in the CC or BCC. The result? An overflowing mailbox. Organising incoming emails takes more time than the tasks you have to perform. But in Outlook, you can't do much more than include your colleagues in the mail exchange. With Trengo as an alternative to Outlook, you can.
You collaborate better in Trengo. For example, you can easily @tag colleagues to a message. The colleague you tag gets a notification and can respond in the so-called thread. With tags, you have your actions listed. In addition, you can assign messages to colleagues or teams so that tasks are picked up quickly. With tags and assignment, you work together more efficiently and have a better overview. No more CC and BCC!
3. Clear customer profiles
Do you receive an e-mail from a customer? Then Outlook only shows the e-mail address. If the customer has previously contacted customer service on another channel, Outlook does not show that. Thus, the customer may get the same answer and be sent from pillar to post. Not a good customer experience, in other words. Wouldn't it be more convenient if you could see the full customer profile at a glance next to the e-mail?
In Trengo, you have the option to create customer profiles. In the profile, you see the contact moments the customer has had with your brand. This can be on different channels. Colleagues can also add comments here. Whether or not a complaint was resolved or whether the customer has a discount code, for example. Moreover, Trengo offers the possibility to link different integrations. Think Shopify, with this integration you can see the orders in addition to the customer's message and contact moments. This ensures that you can respond faster and the customer has a better experience with your brand. And that customer experience is just so important in 2023.
4. Team chat for your internal communication
Chances are, if you are an Outlook user, you work with Teams. But because Teams does not suit every company, there are many alternatives on the market such as Slack or Yammer. These allow you to communicate within your company with colleagues or teams. But what if your internal and external communication takes place in the same tool? That saves clicking back and forth and makes for a smoother onboarding process.
In Trengo's team chat, you have 1-to-1 conversations or chat in group channels. You easily create a channel for teams, projects or departments. You can also chat individually with colleagues. This functionality ties in squarely with the second reason for looking for an Outlook alternative: more efficient collaboration. With Trengo, you switch from your internal to your external communication within seconds.
5. An effortless UX experience
Outlook is not new. And this is reflected in the user experience. The UX is old-fashioned and roughly the same for years. The colours do not surprise, and if you are not familiar with Outlook, it takes quite some searching. And then the search function doesn't always help either. Thus, users often stumble over Outlook's poor search function and organising of e-mails. And are you always looking up how to set up an out-of-office or change your e-mail signature? That should be easier, we think.
Customers experience Trengo's platform as easy and pleasant to use. The inbox is clear. You can search by customer profiles, colleagues or channels. And the integrations ensure that you have all information at your fingertips. We also keep innovating. For instance, our UX team never sits still and you can even submit requests to us. After all, we like to listen to our customers' ideas and are always responsive.
6. Faster answers
Do customers often ask the same question? About returns, shipping status or payment options? Many companies receive the same customer questions several times in one day. In Outlook, you can use the so-called suggested replies, but this is not widely used. This in turn has to do with the user-friendliness of reason 5. The options are limited and you only have a few choices.
Want to reply faster and keep a consistent tone of voice? Then you have several options in Trengo. For example, you can set an unlimited list of quick replies, but also use auto-replies. This is useful in busy periods and works on all channels. So you can set an auto-reply for different platforms. Think of an auto-reply outside opening hours or during the (Christmas) rush. You can also hire a new digital colleague in Trengo. With a chatbot or flowbot, you always answer and solve customers' simple questions quickly and easily. This is how BAS World successfully deploys the flowbot for customer communication.
7. Good value for money
The more features you want, the more money you pay for Office 365. For a start, you have a starter package with an entry-level price, but this does not allow you to use the mobile apps. And in 2023, that's really not even an option anymore. Then, with the next package, you can't exchange instant messages. Only with the premium version do you get all the features, but you also pay quite a bit for that per person per month.
So it is not surprising that users see Outlook's price as a big minus point. You can find this on every review site. Trengo offers 3 different packages, from which you can expect a lot more than just receiving and sending e-mails. Check out our rates.
8. Accessible on any operating system
Have you ever tried working with Outlook on Apple? It can be done, but not all users experience it as pleasant. Outlook is designed for Windows and you notice that. At the same time, Outlook is only available as a mobile version if you buy the largest package. If you ask us, an Outlook alternative should be accessible on any operating system and you don't have to pay more for the mobile version.
Trengo works on all devices. Windows, Apple and Android. So it doesn't matter what laptops your team works on and what kind of business or personal phone they use. If you buy Trengo, you can install it directly on any computer, laptop or phone. And the user experience is the same on every system.
Trengo as an Outlook alternative
Do you opt for more efficient collaboration? Work in a more organised way? An all-in-one platform where you build strong relationships with customers through every channel? Trengo is the customer engagement platform where you connect with customers and colleagues at the right moments. Without switching tabs. Curious? Try Trengo now for 14 days completely free of charge. No credit card required! Get in touch for a free demo today.
