Customer Story

How Triangle Networks launched efficient SMS-based support, operating 75% leaner with Sinch Engage

Learn how UK-based internet service provider Triangle Networks scaled SMS support with Sinch Engage – improving response times, simplifying communication, and achieving 75% greater cost efficiency when launching customer support for a new business area.
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Overview

Challenge: Triangle Networks wanted to provide reliable, responsive customer support while keeping costs low – but managing a growing volume of support calls was time-consuming and inefficient.

Solution: By using SMS with Sinch Engage (formerly MessageMedia), they built a high-quality, texting-based support process in a quarter of the cost of traditional (mostly phone-based) support staffing. Top features include secure, reliable two-way SMS, templates, team inbox, and message history.

Results: Launched a scalable support model requiring 75% fewer resources than a traditional setup, kept customer satisfaction at “excellent” levels, and resolved customer issues more efficiently as a team.

Company

Triangle Networks

Product

Industries

Telecommunications / Internet Service Provider (ISP)

Country

United Kingdom
“Sinch Engage helped us to keep our support costs dramatically lower than competitors. With one person able to handle as many customers as four team members, we quartered the cost of support while keeping our customer satisfaction scores in the excellent range.“
Paul Anslow CEO, Triangle Networks

Triangle Networks is a UK-based internet service provider (ISP) that partners with fiber network builders to bring ultrafast broadband to local businesses and communities. Founded more than 20 years ago, the company is known for helping new fiber providers launch quickly and effectively with tailored campaigns and local marketing.

With a small but distributed team across the UK, Triangle Networks needed a smarter way to handle customer communication – one that was efficient and cost-effective, while still maintaining high customer satisfaction. That’s when they looked into SMS customer support with Sinch Engage (formerly MessageMedia). 

From time-consuming phone calls to fast text conversations

When Triangle Networks launched its consumer broadband brand, the team set out to create what CEO Paul Anslow called a “light-touch, almost zero-touch” support experience.

“We wanted to avoid phone calls as much as possible,” said Anslow. “Calls take time and volumes are difficult to forecast meaning the ‘peaks and troughs’ have a greater impact. It makes support capability more difficult to scale, where customers often just want quick explanation or a link to more information.”

Using Sinch Engage, the team shifted routine support to SMS – allowing agents to respond to customer issues through quick, templated messages instead of lengthy phone calls. Within months, SMS became the company’s main channel for technical support.

Mobile phone example SMS messaging order exchange
An example of a direct, two-way SMS support conversation you can have with Sinch Engage.

SMS-only support that customers love

For two years, Triangle Networks handled nearly all consumer technical support entirely through SMS, powered by Sinch Engage’s easy-to-use, secure texting platform. They created and used SMS templates to share troubleshooting steps, links to documentation, and outage updates.

For example, they could easily send texts like:

Hi Sarah, your broadband outage in Bristol is being resolved – estimated fix time 2:30pm. We’ll update you when it’s live again.
Hi James, your router just needs a quick reset. Here’s how: [link]. Reply OK once done.
Hi Alex, here’s a quick guide to improving your Wi-Fi signal: [help-centre link]. Try steps 1–3 and let us know if you’re still having issues.

When a customer texted in, any available team member could reply directly with these types of support messages via the Sinch Engage web platform or mobile app – ensuring fast, transparent communication without needing to share personal phone numbers.

“Using Sinch Engage for support has worked incredibly well,” said Anslow. “Our Trustpilot score stayed in the excellent range, and customers actually preferred SMS because it respected their time.”

The right balance of automation and human support when needed

Sinch Engage’s shared inbox and contact management features allowed the Triangle Networks team to maintain visibility across all ongoing SMS conversations.

Sinch Engage team inbox: where team members can access two-way convos, templates, AI writing assistant, message history, and more.

If a message required a more complex, non-scripted response, a team member could quickly step in for a call – but that was rare.

“The messaging platform lets one support person handle ten customers at once,” said Anslow. “It gave us the best of both worlds – automation where it made sense, and personal support when needed.”

Results: Less workload, happier customers

Switching to SMS didn’t just make their customers happier – it also enabled Triangle Networks to launch and run a new consumer service efficiently, keeping operating costs to a minimum.

  • 75% fewer resources needed compared to a traditional phone-based model
  • Excellent customer satisfaction maintained on Trustpilot throughout the SMS transition
  • Faster communication and fewer missed responses
  • No need for phone queues or app installations, making support accessible to all users

“Competitors were running support teams four times the size of ours,” said Anslow. “We achieved the same results – or better – with a leaner, more efficient setup.”

Looking ahead

Triangle Networks sees text messaging as the foundation of its customer communication strategy going forward.

By reducing reliance on calls, automating routine updates, and keeping all communication in one place, the team has proven that great customer service doesn’t require large teams – just smart technology and clear communication.

“Sinch Engage helps us simplify support without losing the human touch,” said Anslow. “It’s efficient, it’s scalable, and it just works.”