WhatsApp vs. RCS vs. SMS: Select the Best Messaging Channels for Proactive Customer Service

This Gartner report explores how customer service leaders can optimize proactive engagement by selecting the right mix of messaging channels. As organizations expand beyond SMS to RCS and WhatsApp, it highlights the growing challenge of managing channel complexity while improving customer experience. The report reveals that according to the 2025 Gartner State of the Customer Survey, 73% of customer service journeys now involve multiple company-owned channels. Despite this, organizations currently initiate proactive outreach in only 23% interactions, 1 leaving significant value untapped. It provides a reference framework that maps the top six customer service use cases for which organizations proactively reach out to their customers based on the 2025 Gartner State of the Customer Survey. This approach enables leaders to adopt a targeted channel mix, optimizing customer experience, cost and operational efficiency.

Gartner, WhatsApp vs. RCS vs. SMS: Select the Best Messaging Channels for Proactive Customer Service, By Pankil Sheth, Brett Overbey, Lisa Unden-Farboud, 12 January 2026 GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates. Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.