Social distancing has become a global behaviour that has impacted business owners and their usual methods of in-person communication. As businesses begin to re-open, owners will need to maintain both safe and effective communication between themselves and their clientele.

By using SMS text-messaging, businesses are able to utilize pre-existing social behaviour (eg. using their smartphones as a main method of communication). Better yet, there is a great deal of value that can be taken from using text messaging to communicate with your customers.

Think of the last time you failed to read a text message — or better yet, think of how many unread texts you probably have compared to unread emails in your inbox? Text messaging is not only quicker and easier for both you and your customer to use — text messages have over a 90% open rate among users, compared to that of 5% for email.

Let’s look at 4 of the best ways you can integrate text messaging into communicating with your customers.

Confirmation of appointment times and dates

By using text messaging, you are able to send out personalized reminders to your customers prior to their scheduled appointment. Importantly, this allows you to respond to unexpected rescheduling, additional services requests and other details.

Example:

“Hey Michael, this is Stacey from PACIFC HVAC. A technician will be arriving at your house for 9:00am this morning. Confirming the address is 742 Evergreen Terrace?”

“Hey Stacey, I’ll have to reschedule my appointment today as I had to run out for some errands. Could someone come by around 11:00am instead?”

“Not a problem, a technician will be there for 11:00.”

“Thank you so much!”

Capture website inbounds 

By using our Webchat tool on your website, your on-page visitors can inquire about your services at any time of the day. Our automated responses can also provide the additional information they require such as pricing, availability and appointment booking links.

Example:

“We are in the process of selling our condo and are looking for a mover. There are approximately 20 boxes, 2 couches and 3 beds. Can you please give me your approximate cost of this move?”

“Good morning, this is Shawn From Mountain Movers. We would use three movers and a large truck - our rate is $110 per hour. We have no minimums, no truck, no fuel and no mileage charges.”

“I will let you know for sure on the weekend if the sale is final and then we can book the move. Thank you for the quote, John!”

“My pleasure John, I hope to hear from you - Shawn”

Obtain Photo and Video Estimates

Contactless inquiries can help exchange information for the customer and your business in a safe way. Your clients can quickly and safely send photos and videos of their quoting needs such as a basement renovation, a car repair or a new deck.

Example:

“Hey, can you fix this, my car was hit by the garage door this morning”

“Hey there, what model and Vin # is your car?”

“2020 Toyota Rav 4, VIN #1N4AL3AP6FC290220”

“Looks like that will cost you about $245 with parts and labour. Do you need us to pick up your vehicle from your home?”

“That seems reasonable, yeah that would be great if you could do that for me, I’m home all day”

Follow up with prospective clients

Your leads are valuable and each sales demonstration is a chance to help your business grow. 

Text messages can help you connect with your customers, understand their sales experience with you and provide you with valuable feedback information.

Importantly, after a sales demonstration, sending a follow-up message can create additional consumer engagement and allow you to inquire further if needed.

Example:

“Hey this is Mike from Canada’s Best Windows, I wanted to ask if you had any questions following our sales meeting last week”

“Hey Mike, thank you for the follow-up, we were super impressed with your products and pricing, we plan to go with your company for our home renovation. But we wanted to make a few adjustments to the initial proposal, when can we chat?”

“That sounds great, I’ll give you a call this afternoon to go over the final details”

“Thank you!”

Conclusion

As businesses begin to re-open following the recovery of cities, social distancing measures will be maintained, and utilizing various technologies will ensure we remain safe and healthy for both customer and owner. Fortunately, text messaging is a familiar space for most.

Text-messaging enables owners the opportunity to send mass SMS announcements to clientele, provide quotes via video or photo, check-in for upcoming appointments, and collect payments.

From our team at COVIDsafe, we hope this article has offered some helpful tips on how you can integrate texting into how you maintain communication with your customers and maintain customer relationships.